WHAT'S IN A NAME?

My colorful language is your hate speech.....

The new apartments built behind Hansen Chrysler are called "North Boyd Apartments". Hmmph. Why not name them "South Simplot Apartments"? Nice view of ol' Stinky from there, I bet! Open them windows and let the north wind blow!

As long as we're on the subject, just what is in a name, anyway? I was recently taken to task for the injudicious use of an abbreviated form of name of an ethnic group. In a sincere effort to praise the automotive products of the Land of the Rising Sun, I referred to the little metric cars I used to drive in a way that did not meet the civility and PC standards of those I was corresponding with. This usage was equated with other racial slurs, the "N' word to name one.

Now I can understand the passions associated in some circles with THAT word, even while I wonder how some are allowed to use it. It's just an all-around good idea to avoid that word in polite company. There is a lot of suffering and struggle associated with purging what it represents from our society, and I respect that, even if I do not think some who benefitted from that struggle do.

But let's leave that issue alone for now, and move on to discuss degrees of offense as they apply to usage of other names.

How do we as a society define the parameters of what is acceptable? It seems that right now we are giving the task of defining the parameters to those who hear the words, and not at all to those who say them. Let me just throw this out- is that where we want to end up? Is every perceived slight going to be labeled as hate speech? Where can we draw a reliable line that society can say of- "Here we stop, and shall go no further"?

Does suffering in slavery count for more than being conquered in a World War? How about TWO World Wars? How about belonging to an Abrahamic race (there are two of them)? What weight do we add for skin color in this? Percentage of the general population? What other grievances can be brought to bear in this? How many generations can it go on? I'm just asking a question here- what hurt, real or perceived, do you want to frame in your accusation of hate speech?

Is it possible to raise the question- "What part does the one saying the word get to play in this?" If I do not intend to hurt someone, if I harbor no ill feelings toward the hearer of my words, am I
culpable? What part do cultural differences get to play here? If I am from a rough-and-tumble world where one is expected to suck it up and be a man, and you are, well, not- then what of it? Does cultural sensitivity only cut one way? (Insert Klingon reference here...)

Let me toss this out. Sometimes I come across someone speaking of a "Good Ol' Boy" mindset, usually implying a negative connotation. As a fat old cracker myself, do I have the right to take offense at this and cry "foul" because I was on the receiving end?

Or should I just recognize that all down through human history, people have disagreed about things, not liked each other, and entertained bad thoughts of others, never mind what race, color, or political persuasion each may have been? And no matter how civilly they address each other, they may not agree or even like each other? The real issue is how one really feels, not necessarily what he says. It would be nice if we could judge people by what they say, but the smart money goes on what they mean. And that can cut both ways.