*nods* I agree. This is why I said some reclaiming is needed. I mean, look at black folks today. They'll often refer to each other as "nigger". That's a typical act of reclaiming. Or take "bitch", "dyke", "queer"... the list is endless. The important thing about this is, however, that these were meant to be mean words in the first place, and the group supposed to be insulted by this took the words and used them for themselves, thus reclaiming them and taking the edge off it. However, many people still dislike being called that, and very rightfully though.
Jew cannot be put into this category, because it basically was a normal word and then turned into an insult. It's annoying. But you're very right. It's the context and interpretation that makes it offensive. As a matter of fact that's exactly how I was arguing. I mean, of course, there's no arguing around that connection "jew" and "greed" is incredibly rude and prejudiced. But what happened afterwards was just the textbook example of the problem.
People immediately went crazy and started drawing all sorts of bizarre connections. They just assumed per default that the word "jew" can ONLY be meant in a racist context, referring to the holocaust, Third Reich, Nazis, what not. So, paradoxically, they were the ones committing the crime they were accusing the other one of. THEY were the ones who drew those connections.
I'll use the example of a man saying to a woman "Never thought I'd see you ride a motorcycle." And the woman screams back "So you're saying women can't ride motorcycles?!?" It's all about inpretation and context and sometimes people just need to loosen up to stop this shit from happening.
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Jew cannot be put into this category, because it basically was a normal word and then turned into an insult. It's annoying. But you're very right. It's the context and interpretation that makes it offensive. As a matter of fact that's exactly how I was arguing. I mean, of course, there's no arguing around that connection "jew" and "greed" is incredibly rude and prejudiced. But what happened afterwards was just the textbook example of the problem.
People immediately went crazy and started drawing all sorts of bizarre connections. They just assumed per default that the word "jew" can ONLY be meant in a racist context, referring to the holocaust, Third Reich, Nazis, what not. So, paradoxically, they were the ones committing the crime they were accusing the other one of. THEY were the ones who drew those connections.
I'll use the example of a man saying to a woman "Never thought I'd see you ride a motorcycle." And the woman screams back "So you're saying women can't ride motorcycles?!?" It's all about inpretation and context and sometimes people just need to loosen up to stop this shit from happening.