Artful Dodger wrote: Context, you have to be a child to not know which words will hurt some people. You learn social cues including what language to use when and as you age. Your group identity provides exculpation given word choice and use particular to the group. Once outside the group, the rules change, you have to change too or come against the new meanings and ways of being. Confusing to some because they didn't know the language they use is racist, classist or sexist among other markers of identity. Or they knew and its ok because being those things is acceptable to their group.
But what if you were born under a rock and just don't know? Ignorance may be bliss but once you know the onus is on you to continue using the language that may be offensive or find new ways of describing your world.
Personally I am not bothered by you asking me for a biner, I know what it is, just don't call me a beaner. Its not nice.
Your post is a great example of one of the key elements of the problem: The nonsensical idea that we can neatly categorize everyone into a "group"
Tony B
·
Jul 3, 2019
·
Around Boulder, CO
· Joined Jan 2001
· Points: 24,690
Attentive Follower wrote:
It's just not that simple.
Many people seek to constantly expand the set of "offensive" words as if it were some sort of accomplishment. There is a cultural movement that prides itself in adding more words to "the list" using any loose association or absurd leap of logic necessary. The OP article is a great example.
If the word "whip" is offensive because of slavery, why not "ship" or "cotton" or any the literally thousands of words that have some context related to slavery? Who gets to decide when the association is valid and when it is ridiculous? Can anyone simply declare a word as hurtful at any time, in any context?
These ever-expanding speech codes are no longer about righting wrongs, or even compassion. Most people who claim to be offended by benign, commonly-used words do not feel any real hurt.
This is about power. Many people enjoy controlling the behavior of others, even in small ways. It has the same psychological foundations as bullying.
Still not that simple. You left out the part about social signaling & affirmative identity politics. Folks complain all the time about global warming, but then forget all about it, & create tons upon tons of smug with all of that hot air.
Attentive Follower wrote: Can anyone simply declare a word as hurtful at any time, in any context?
This is about power. Many people enjoy controlling the behavior of others, even in small ways. It has the same psychological foundations as bullying.
My point is no they can't be declared hurtful in any context. 'biner used as a climbing term is not hurtful. Beaner to a Mexican American may very well be. If I said 'biner and got a look of disgust or insult from someone I'd probably repeat: "''biner as in caribiner" and say caribiner to that person from then on. But if that person said you can't say 'biner, I'd say sorry if you take offense because I'm using a homophone I won't use it around you but it's a different word with a different meaning and I'm not going to stop using it because you misinterpret it.
I'm much less worried about the power some people may be trying to exercise by being overly politically correct, vs. the widespread and long term use of derogatory terms used to marginalize and insult people (usually from minority groups).
For my last "contribution" to this thread, I'll recommend everyone read Haidt and Lukianoff's "The Coddling of the American Mind". It talks about how this huge push toward "safetyism" in the 1980s and 90s led to the current culture of "trigger warnings" and "safe spaces" and generally a culture where people demand to be protected from ideas that they may find upsetting.
Cosmiccragsman AKA Dwain wrote: Geez, just call them, KRABS (Crabs)
How does "Cara" (pronounced "care-uh") get converted to "krabs"? I dated a girl named Cara once... no one ever called her "krabs" as a nickname, but maybe she'd have liked it.
John RB wrote: How does "Cara" (pronounced "care-uh") get converted to "krabs"? I dated a girl named Cara once... no one ever called her "krabs" as a nickname, but maybe she'd have liked it.
Karabiners Karabiners or Carabiners (aka "krabs" or "crabs") have been around since at least Victorian times, and were used by continental alpinists prior to the First World War but only really caught on in the British climbing scene in the late 1940s when masses of ex War Department ones became available. In recent years the design of karabiners has gone through a rapid period of evolution with ever lighter and more radical designs appearing. Karabiners were originally Oval, but it was soon found that "D" shaped ones were stronger and that these could be given a greater gate opening by making them as an Offset "D". Original krabs were Straightgate, then Bentgates were developed to allow easier clipping when sport climbing. In the mid-90s, Wiregates, despite being derided initially as nappy pins, revolutionised karabiner design, enabling considerable weight savings to be made. Screwgates are designed for use where it is especially important that the gate remains closed (eg belays) and the HMS version (Halbmastwurfsicherung) was originally designed for use with a Munter (or Italian) hitch for belaying and abseiling, but are now much used with belay devices - though specialist Belay Karabiners, which prevent dangerous cross-loading, are a better choice. In recent years, new innovative designs have appeared such as Pulley Karabiners and Locking Karabiners that do not have a screwgate. The strength of karabiners is rated in kiloNewtons (kN) and are usually given for gate closed (along the back), gate open (along the back) and cross-loaded (between the back and the gate). A fall can engender forces of up to ca 6kN so it is important that all aspects of a karabiner are stronger than this. In the early days of lightweight krab design (ca 1980!) gate open strengths were not very high and karabiners could break in a fall if the gates were knocked open or the krab was cross loaded. These days karabiners have very high gate open and cross loading strengths meaning that modern karabiners made by a reputable firm are most unlikely to break.
Cosmiccragsman AKA Dwain wrote: Geez. You must be a new climber.
Huh? I'm a new climber because it seems odd to me that "carabiner" is shortened to "crab" by some people? I mean, I've heard people do it... it just doesn't seem very natural or logical to me. It'd be like saying "a spring-loaded camming device (aka a 'splad') is a device that...".
you beat me to this one.....dammit. the night school to get a b is my favorite part.......
let the butthurt continue.......at least the mexican guy who owns the deli i went to this morning has a sense of humor......
I'm trying to understand the sign: if there was one Mexican and three white girls, each person gets $1. But if there are only two white girls, then each girl gets 50% more than the guy. And if 6 white girls, they get 50% less.
Or maybe the sign means "leave 3 dollars for each white girl?"
Huh? I'm a new climber because it seems odd to me that "carabiner" is shortened to "crab" by some people? I mean, I've heard people do it... it just doesn't seem very natural or logical to me. It'd be like saying "a spring-loaded camming device (aka a 'splad') is a device that...".
In many places across the pond I've heard people pronounce it ka-RAB-inner (hence, I suppose, the contraction to crab).
Continue with onX Maps
Sign in with Facebook
