Adventures in Futility

It’s wrong that I want this, isn’t it? http://www.thinkgeek.com/geek-kids/3-7-years/ecab/

(Source: thinkgeek.com)

The use words that have previously been stigmatized and used as insults to certain groups is often done in an effort to “reclaim” them. The intent, of course, is to take the sting out of the word by in-group members using it and removing the power behind it. However, this “I’ll-use-it-before-you-can” method is flawed. The emotional results of calling oneself something compared to the reaction created when an out group member hurls a derogatory slur at you, intending to injure, are far different. Slurs should be removed from societal vocabulary entirely, whether the intent is to harm or not and regardless of if the user is an in-group or out-group member. Words are powerful and the pain and humiliation they cause cannot be erased simply by increased exposure. I would not expect to be referred to using an anatomical vulgarity that begins with “c” anymore than I would refer to myself that way. Respect the power of words and respect yourself enough to understand that referring to oneself in a derogatory way does not remove the power therein.

I suppose that it was only a matter of time.  I doubt that anything worthwhile will be posted here but I’m never one to say no to new technology.  For the record, the posts that follow this are likely to be feminist, whiney, food-oriented, music-oriented, film-oreiented and grammatically incorrect.