Date: Wed, 24 Aug 1994 22:53:41 CDT

From: "Donald M. Lance" ENGDL[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MIZZOU1.BITNET

Subject: Re: What is a Racist Term?



Maybe in contemporary usage some people consider "racist" any kind of statement

that negatively labels a person whose race is identifiable and is associated

in some way with the term. Your talk-show buddy might consider it racist

for someone to talk about "fascist Republican pigs" in the Senate. "Poor

black trash" is not a common term, and aren't all fascist pigs white by

default? One, of course, might refer to a "trashy" black person or might

lump black and white cops together as "pigs" who'll deprive seekers of

innocent fun of their god-given liberty, but generally these terms apply to

low-melanin individuals. Calling a black cop a pig might be even more

insulting than calling a white cop a pig. I think these generalizations

apply whether the name-caller is black, white, or brown.

Would any nineties talk-show host that you know be likely (or able) to

understand the "subtleties" discussed here?

DMLance