Letters to the Editor
William Timberman
Published Letters: 3298 Editor's Choice: 7
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Justice requires
[Read the article: Various items]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I still haven't figured out how to (effectively) communicate (to men) that calling women names that are so negatively sexualized falls into a different class than your "barnyard" variety of epithets (as do the n-word, the c-word, etc.) I'll just have to be more imaginative. -- Karen M.
Nor have I. For what it's worth, I don't think the problem has anything to do with the quality or style of your advocacy. It's important to get past the idea that when I do it, it's all in good fun, but when you do it, it's anathema. And, of course, to convince people that when a peer uses such a word -- as when one black person refers to another as a nigger that doesn't give someone who isn't a peer carte blanche to appropriate the term, especially given the history of that word in particular.
If the history of the war between the sexes weren't what it was, and if equality were already beyond question, a word like ho might just be one of those barnyard epithets which get tossed around more or less without prejudice, like prick, or motherfucker.
As it is, though, I believe you have every right to call anyone out who uses it without full cognizance of the context, and without acknowledging that he's taking advantage of the built-in psychological advantage -- always unfair -- which usage of the term confers on him.
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@ Margalis
[Read the article: Various items]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I took the original comment by sonofabastard the same way myself; as a parody of Imus more than a literal description of Norah O'Donnell. As a matter of fact, I've described men as well as women as whores myself, employing the term as a metaphor meaning that their opinions are for sale.
Karen M has a point, though, in that the type of metaphors we reach for most easily says as much about us on occasion as it does our target. These metaphors are based on cultural norms, and the norms change, often as a result of pressure by those who find them offensive.
That's not a bad thing, in my opinion, though as I say, I've been caught on the wrong side of such norms often enough myself, and I absolutely hate giving up a juicy metaphor under pressure. Still, as long the offense given is genuine, and a person isn't using the pretense of being offended merely to control behavior they don't like, I don't see that giving up an offensive metaphor is the worst concession we'll ever have to make.
Maybe someone should put it to Imus that he's not being asked to give up his persona, but simply to mix it with a little humility now and again.
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@ jackaroyd
[Read the article: Various items]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Just a brief note to say that you are absolutely right about the intent of such words, and what is wrong with that intent. Until we can say that a woman is formidable without calling her a banshee, or a castrator, and speak about her forthrightness without saying that she has balls, we'd be better off sticking to gender-neutral terms to express both our admiration and our disdain.
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Well, I never
[Read the article: Various items]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Are you saying, Jonathan Hoag, that the Marine Corps is the last bastion of defense against sexist rhetoric? Say it ain't so. :-)
Yes, I know that this topic (off-topic) and this thread have long since been put to bed, but I just couldn't resist expressing a little astonishment at the implications of JH's example, if only for posterity's sake.
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Surge vs. Vietnamization
[Read the article: Iraq: American public opinion vs. a "small but powerful group"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If I had a nickel for every time I heard that our latest puppet regime in Saigon had finally done the trick, and that if only no one tripped over the hastily-nailed two-by-fours holding them up, they'd be able to smile and wave long enough for us vanish without a trace (Ten-thousand worn-out helicopters and empty PXs didn't count, of course), I certainly wouldn't be typing this on a five-year-old computer, and driving a seventeen-year-old car.
Esteemed Retired General Whoever thinks that Bush and all the little Bushes are incompetent strategists, but that we should stay anyway, only we should be a little smarter and more diplomatic about our staying.
With apologies to those who believe that using curse-words exposes a dearth of ideas, gimme a fucking break....