Nice Pussy!!!!

From Patterico's Pontifications:

I think we’ve hit on some examples that will help us explore the issue of responsibility for the meaning of words, misinterpretation, and giving offense. Thanks to Craig R. Harmon and Jeff Goldstein in comments for the precursors to these examples.

1) A boy has a dog named Rover. At night, he typically calls the dog into the house from the field by either calling out: “Come here, boy!” or “Come here, Rover!” The dog responds to either; either is equally effective.

The boy learns at school that there is a racial history associated with the word “boy” such that black men are offended to be called “boy.” That night, he starts to call out: “Come here, boy!” when he sees Rover out in the field. But then, the boy sees a black man near Rover. The boy thinks to himself: if I yell out “Come here, boy!” that black man will be offended. But then the boy thinks: I don’t care. That’s his problem. And he yells, “Come here, boy!”

The dog and the black man come over. The black man is angry. The boy explains that he was just calling his dog. And the black man calms down and says he didn’t realize that; he hadn’t even seen the dog out there when he heard “Come here, boy!”

The post goes forward asking various questions as to malice and alternatives...blah...blah...blah...

I'll make it simple...

I refuse to live in a Benny Hill skit. If I want to call my dog "boy"...I'm going to do so without the least bit of consideration for others lurking about. If I want to compliment a woman holding a cat on her beautiful "pussy." By God, I'm going to do it. I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANOTHER'S PERCEPTION IF MY INTENT IS MY OWN, AND WITHIN THE BOUNDRIES OF MY OWN ETHICS.

This walking on egg shells nonsense is an avalanche of stupidity. Consider the fact that should a man with more melanin in his skin tone be in the area and hear me calling my dog "boy," and should he come whirling over to me demanding an apology...I would be sure to point out his preconceived devisive nature, and his premature response (perhaps causing him to cool the jets the next time he perceives something that does not exist). Let's call it a learning exercise for the overly sensitive and the perpetually victimized.

Here's the rub. I can call anyone anything I damn well please. The damage in such exercises that are "beyond the pale" is to my reputation. There is, obviously, an abstract line that dares crossing which is far from stationery. The problem is that such nuanced "perceived communities" continuously throw other lines out there that they can move at will. Life should not be a game of hopscotch conducted by the overly sensitive. It should not be an exploitation of sex, race, religion,...or any of the other 'taboo' topics that are used as passive agressive and perception based determinates.

I refuse to be niggardly in my comments, actions and deeds to avoid misinterpretation. Some smarter folks than I gave us this beautiful functional language, and I intend to use the bloody hell out of it. It's not my problem if they are falsely offended...it is theirs.


_____________________________


UPDATE: Hey look...an example (Jackie Mason accused of racism for calling President Obama "black.")