Sarah Palin goes apeshit when some rumor comes out that Rahm Emanuel called something RETARDED.
Dr. (naked, home-wrecker) Laura says the n-word 11 times on the air spitefully to an African American woman who had called her for advice? That’s ok. Don’t retreat! Reload and defend your 1st Amendment rights, Dr. (naked, home-wrecker and Palin criticizer) Laura! You rock!
There’s a simple explanation for Palin’s actions: no one in her family is black.
See Dick Cheney re: gay rights.
calle viena 
I agree.
With whom or about what?
With 1st Amendment Rights. Were hear cussing on TV all the time and I don’t consider the “N” word or “H” word to be as offensive as what I hear on TV. It is not illegal to use any of these words so lighten up.
Ugh. What government agency stopped Dr. Laura from saying whatever she wants? This is not a 1st Amendment issue.
It’s the hypocrisy, timmeh! Well, and the stupidity.
And if you don’t consider that particular racial epitaph as offensive as other things you hear on teevee, well, that says quite a bit about you.
It is no worse than any other curse word used every day. That slur is also used on TV and in the moives so it can’t be to offensive or it would not be used at all.
Timmie, you don’t seem to understand the difference between and racial epitaph and a swear word.
Oh I understand the differance, the movies and TV shows would not be using this epitaph if was really that offensive but they do. Why is that?
It’s not about them, it’s about you. You were the one who said you find some swear words more offensive than that racial epitaph. I said that reveals quite a bit about you.
Timmie, the frequency of a word’s usage in certain media doesn’t lighten the offensiveness. The movies you are referring to would have an R rating for language, and the tv shows would be cable. In other words, the media is self-censoring, based on the assumption that adults will have the experience to discern that certain words are used in real life and are therefore validly available for use in dramas or documentaries etc. If certain words (racial epithets, obscene phrases & words etc.) were genuinely considered to no longer be offensive, then you would hear them on network tv shows & in G & PG rated movies. By the late 1930s extremely hostile terms for Jews and Slavs were regularly showing up in the German press, whereas they would have been censored in earlier decades as being too offensive. These terms were used by the Nazis NOT because they were now no longer offensive, but precisely because the targets of these terms were now openly available for attack. In other words, the hate-filled writers who certainly used these words among themselves in everyday conversation, had now been freed to display their hate with the approval of the ruling regime. The reaction of those of us who regard Dr L’s repeated use of the word as a bad thing is not because we’re behind the times and didn’t get the memo that it’s now perfectly acceptable to use the word because it no longer carries any weight and has been rendered harmless. Our reaction of disgust and disapproval is because the woman has revealed herself as a racist and an unapologetic one at that (not that it came as a shocking surprise by any mean). There are some things, Timmie, over which one should never ‘lighten up’. Racism is one of them.
I think the more a word is used on TV and in the movies does desensitizes the general public and for the most part carries little weight the way it did a few years ago.
Perhaps you have a point there. Conservatives, Republicans, and wingnuts really really want to use the n-word openly and with no repercussions for doing so. Do you remember the couple of days that Michale Berry just couldn’t resist saying, “n*gg*r, please” over and over and over again on the air? That’s what Dr. Laura was doing too — just like you said. They all want to use it as often as they please — African-Americans’ feelings be damned — decency be damned — in order to desensitize their listeners and finally free them from the *shackles* of political correctness.
Thanks for clearing that up for me.
I agree with Michelle. One of the things that conservatives often decry is the creeping ‘slippery slope’ idea that society is getting coarser and cruder and slipping away from basic decency (family values and all that). My argument with conservatives is that the loss they perceive is often coupled with social feelings which have been oppressive (the treatment of minorities, the hypocrisy and patriarchal abuse in sexual values, reproductive rights, and many other such things). But that, Timmie, is where one must continue, as an individual and as part of a larger movement of like-minded fellow citizens, to buck the trend and not give in to indecent feelings simply because such feelings are more or less openly expressed on tv or in other media. Therefore, the use of racial epithets is one item which needs to be called out every time it occurs, with a no-tolerance attitude and no pass given because of circumstances or situations. People I know at work or wherever know better than to try & slip in even so much as an innocent racist comment around me. If that makes them feel uncomfortable or makes me seem old-fashioned and humorless, well, hey, that’s life. There’s nothing wrong with taking a look at what seems to be a social trend and questioning one’s own values, but society (especially as expressed in our good old American entertainment/media way) is often shallow and crude and reactionary and nothing can make me question my certainty that racism is the “original sin” (to go all Catholic for a moment) of this country. Nor will I give up hope that it will, with time, wither away.
I just don’t think it is conservitives, wingnuts or what ever other group you mentioned. I have never asked what political group they belong to when I hear the word being used and I have never thought of sending a letter to the TV Producers or Motion Pictur industry to ask what political group they belong to. I really do not think that matters. And as for prosocution for using the word, well that will never as you can’t ban words regardless how hurtfull you think they are. No I did not hear Michale Berry’s show a couple of days ago so I can’t comment on that. So you say no pass should be given, I assume you mean no pass should be given regarless if they are white, black or brown.
Who said anything about prosocution? And what is that anyway?
And it wasn’t a “couple of days ago”; it was for a couple of days that Berry decided he could use the word on the air.
As for banning words, why is it that broadcast television and radio bleeps certain words out, if not that they are banned in those mediums?
And no pass should be given to anyone using that particular word to demean or dehumanize another.
Sorry but I don’t listen to Michale Berry that often so I did not hear what he said for the last few weeks. As for bleeping words I think it is amusing braodcast televission will bleep words such as fag but will let such words as shit on the air. Cable televisson and the entertainment industry such as movies or standup comics have no issues in saying anything and everything includding the “N” word and worse.
So no pass should be given to anybody using the “N” word, are there any other words that should not be used in public?
Clearly you don’t understand the difference between broadcast tv and radio vs. cable tv, movies, and satellite radio. There are different rules for different types of broadcasts.
But again, this comes back to you: your latest example says even more about you. I’m figuring you are a whitebread homophobe, amirite?
I understand the difference however I really do not think it matters if socitiy is offened with certain words.
Well yes I am white for what ever that matters. I assume your throwing out a slurr by call me a homophobe, well I don’t know if I am or not but I will tell you I am Bi and so is my wife. Now what name’s do you have for?
TMI
Well I have pretty thick skin.
Do you know what TMI means?
Not a clue but that is ok. I’ve been insulted in other languages, did not know the meaning and that did not bother me either.
It means Too Much Information.
LOL, yea I guess your right.