>From:    colburns <[log in to unmask]>
>
>There is a HUGE difference between an ethnic stereotype and an ethnic
>slur.
 
reducing Irish people to nothing more than corn beef & cabbage eating
drunks (of illegally imported beveragaes) is NOT humorous.  It has
roots deep into history, particularly in America when Irish immigrants
werent' even considered "white", just smelly, vermin infested, potota
eaters.  Despite their acceptance into the modern "white mainstream",
perhaps in part to their willingness to work jobs others wouldn't
(such as in the first forming police & fire brigades and coal mines)
these stereotypes/slurs persist in jokes.  Telling them is NO
different from telling "n*gger", "towel head", or "spick" jokes (the
current hard working classes of immigrants not accepted in the white
mainstream.  Again, you may find it funny and harmless but to me
referring to Irish as drunks is absolutely atrocious and such conduct
has NO business on this list.  It's not "humor", its demeaning
millions of human beings based on their ethnicity.  PERIOD!!!
 
>From:    Kristie Wood <[log in to unmask]>
>
>If you're that hyper sensitive then perhaps you should unsubscribe
>for a while so that the rest of us can enjoy the posts in the spirit
>that was intended.
 
My point is that there is a general principle here - implying an entire
ethnic group is alcoholic is offensive whether you say it about Irish,
Blacks, Native Americans, Hispanic, etc.  Its wrong and allowing such
demeaning jokes about another "white" group just leads to that slipperly
slope of permiting offensive stereotypes of non-mainstream groups.
This isn't merely being "PC", there's a moral principle violated here;
demeaning others based on ethnicity is wrong!
 
I expected a simple "I'm sorry, I didn't realize my jokes could be
considered offensive, I won't do it again" response, not a "we're
justified in insulting whoever we want so leave if you don't like it"
attitude!
 
If the FML community is willing to tolerate stereotyping and demeaning
attacks on people based on their ethnicity, than I will have no choice
but to leave and let you tell your offensive jokes in private.
 
END OF DISCUSSION
 
"Intelligence is like 4-wheel drive.  It allows you to get stuck in more
'remote' places."
~ Garrison Keillor ~
 
[Moderator's note: Yes, clearly there are varying sensitivities to
such "humor" (if that's what it is) and we should try to be careful
in how things are worded.  That doesn't imply I'm going to scour all
posts for any hints of offensiveness, but the really nasty ones (by
my definiton, of course) are usually stopped, and will continue to be
stopped.  I do understand your concern -- I live in a multi-cultural
city and hear rather nasty slurs everyday.  They don't make me happy,
and they especially don't make their targets happy.  There are both
practical and philosophical limits to my "sanitizing", however.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 5299]