[QUOTE]Originally posted by magician
[B]

Actually, neither is an adjective.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wLim
[B]

Too much value in words??

 

My wife gets offended when I slip with the word rape. She is pretty open-minded and if I offend her with it, I think it is a safe bet that the casual use of the term is inappropriate.

In a sense, S2KI is a micro society with a certain culture and a line of acceptable behavior. I'm not going to step up and tell someone to believe what I believe. I firmly expect that their actions and words will establish their place in the S2KI society.

 

Someone mentioned Webster's definition of rape. Actually, http://www.m-w.com/ lists multiple definitions:[list=1]
[*]: an act or instance of robbing or despoiling or carrying away a person by force
[*]a : sexual intercourse with a woman by a man without her consent and chiefly by force or deception -- compare STATUTORY RAPE b : unlawful sexual intercourse by force or threat other than by a man with a woman
[*]: an outrageous violation [/list=1]It seems that the common usage on this message board falls under either definition 1 or definition 3. Simply reading the word itself may very well remind us of definition number 2, but I think that in almost all cases, the context will make it clear which usage is intended.


Also, it is interesting to note the definitions of decimate:[list=1]
[*]: to select by lot and kill every tenth man of
[*] to exact a tax of 10 percent from <poor as a decimated Cavalier -- John Dryden>
[*]a : to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera decimated the population> b : to destroy a large part of <firebombs decimated large sections of the city>[/list=1]The third definition is the one I find interesting. In my mind, 10% is not a drastic reduction in number and I bet many would agree. So, it could be that common usage of this word also fits perfectly fine with this rather lax third definition. It is odd that this definition could be considered at odds with the idea of 10%, but stranger things have happened in the English language. Or maybe I'm just full of sh*t? Oops, was that insensitive?


I understand the concern of being sensitive to all people, but the flip side of that coin is when you are oversensitive, you may not be giving the "offender" the sensitivity they deserve, either. Just something to think about.

 

Exactly where does adequate sensitivity end and oversensitivity begin? And who decides on the threshold? Something else about which to think.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by magician
[B]

Exactly where does adequate sensitivity end and oversensitivity begin?

 

To err on the side of sensitivity is probably more sensible than to err on the side of offending someone. Granted we all have to make that call based on our own perception of what will and will not offend others (as opposed what what will or will not offend oneself), but there are definitely disadvantages to offending someone whether or not it was intentional. It is this common sense that I think some folks are missing. Either b/c some were not taught this in their upbringing, or some are just selfish. This benefits neither the offender nor the offended.

Regardless of what offends you, trying not to offend someone else when it doesn't hurt yourself is a good habit to acquire & practice.

 

i stand corrected! AND i learned something today too.

 

Oh, how I longingly remember the days when this board was made up of hardcore S2K enthusiasts (owners) that only shared that magical automotive experience and were not so fecking hung up on political correctness.

Now we have become mainstream and *supposedly sanitized* to the point of meaningless.

Sad sign of the times, I say

I recall when S2K members were free form thought that told it like it is

Now we have to hie from the fu*cking lawsuit hungry rotten lawsuit hunters or PC *do gooders* or whatever the feck you call you sorry stinking asses.

Explain yourselves, rotten bitches and honorary women (men that are not really men)

What has the world come to?

Where will it all end?

You tell me

Where I grew up, raised by real men, Men are Men and Women are Women, darn good arrangement, in my opinion.

 

I prefer to use the word