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Richards
That's a a common argumentative tactic from someone who refuses to debate the merits of a position. Discredit the messenger and ignore the message. Shall I take your statement that "if I haven't walked in someone's shoes I can't comment" to its logical conclusion? 1. You can't comment on the military unless you have been in the military (which leads to the obvious conclusion that civilians should not control the military since they are not fit to judge). 2. You can't criticize a president unless you have been a president (or insert any political title you wish). 3. You can't criticize a doctor unless you have gone to medical school. 4. You can't critize a white person unless you are white. The list goes on and on. Obviously there is an objective truth that can be discovered without everyone in the world having the same experiences as eveyone else. That's why we use reasoning, deduction, and critical thinking to evaluate the merits of positions. An art that is lost in today's rush to insult anyone with an opposing point of view (which is, by the way, the primary weapon of political correctness).
Richards
While I don't think that Michael Richards used the best judgement, I have to question why there is such a double-standard when it comes to using racial slurs. If a slur is a bad word, why is it OK for a member of that ethnic group to use the same slur? Isn't that word off-limits to EVERYONE? In other words, Richards is a "hate filled racist" because he says the N-word, but it is OK for a black teenager to use the same word? But let's assume for the moment that there IS a difference between a black person saying the N-word and a white person saying it. Why then, it is OK for that same black person to use white derogatory slurs in their comedy acts and every day language? Did you notice in the video that the nice young man, who was reportedly "only" playfully mocking Richards during his ENTIRE comedy act, called him a "cracker mother f*cker"? Why doesn't anyone condemn THAT hateful slur? Ever watch Dave Chappelle or Mancia? Ever count the number of times that they say the words "cracker" or "whitebread" or "milk toast"? Why is there no outrage over this? I'll tell you why. Because white people don't care. They don't get offended at the use of a single word. They don't let a simple word be justification for labeling someone a racist (hmm...I always thought actions were more important than words?). Only when people stop allowing works to have power over them will be be able to move past this garbage.
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