Tech official resigns over slur, school says (referred to NO evacuees in Greenville as "yard apes")

Greenville News ^ | 9-15-2005 | Ben Szobody

[Terabitten]

I guess it depends on where, exactly, we grew up, and who, exactly, we were around. It seems that at least a couple of us on this thread would consider that term to be racist, some wouldn't consider it racist at all. It just depends.

[MEG33]

http://www.tumalo.com/unruly.htm

unruly, ill-mannered, yard apes
a childfree by choice site



one black..two white kids pictured

I have never heard the term period..

[Publius6961]

Sounds rather like some of the talk around here of late.

Sure. You can take offense if that's your thing.
I'm not prepared to let the bottom of the gene pool decide what is my choice of language, simply because they assume the shoe fits.

[Godebert]

A black girl from England once called me a "cheeky monkey". I thought it was funny.

[Mears]

Beverly Cleary used it in the "Ramona" books and it was NOT a racial term.

[PowderJ]

Of course this is a derogatory reference. Just because some of you refer to children as "yard apes" or "monkeys" doesn't make this appropriate.

I'm far from PC, but even if their isn't a racial component to her comments, why denigrate the people affected by Katrina--especially in front of your staff.

[MEG33]

---

[Middle English histoire, from Old French, from Latin historia, from Greek histori, from historein, to inquire, from histr, learned man. See weid- in Indo-European Roots.]

[dighton]

Google turns up numerous references to kids, also some racist toxic waste.

[Shalom Israel]

Beverly Cleary used it in the "Ramona" books and it was NOT a racial term.

That's the one! Thanks for the reference. "Ramona Quimby, Age 4" if my memory is jogged right.

[I Drive Too Fast]

This school is in {Greenville} South Carolina.

[Publius6961]

Wow, she's stupid.

The thing a thread like this brings out, and always surprises me, is the depths of provincialism that Freepers are prone to.

That you consider it offensive in your little universe does not necessarily make it offensive in other countries or even other states.

Knee-jerk faux outrage about any side of any issue is simply humorous.

[Revolting cat!]

That's so niggardly of her. Oops sorry, can't say that either around here!

[justshutupandtakeit]

That is fine but irrelevant to this issue.

BTW the word in DC was "niggardly" and second this was not a reference to kids but young adults.

[Cagey]

I guess it depends on where, exactly, we grew up, and who, exactly, we were around

I think you're right on the money with that thought. I've never heard the expression before and it was only about ten years ago when I first heard the term "porch monkey" and I've been around more years than I care to admit.

Many of these terms are regional and may mean different things to different people. An earlier poster said the correct thing would be to have told this woman that it was an inappropriate term at this institution and to refrain from using it. Should she use it again, fire her. This zero tolerance crap has gone beyond sanity at times.

[Havoc]

Liberal moronicism run amok. I'm white. Me and my brothers and sisters were referred to jokingly by my parents as their "yard apes" when we were younger. Thank liberals for the thought police...

[Shalom Israel]

Thank goodness she didn't use "jungle bunnies".

Or maybe "moon crickets".

[ScreamingFist]

Thank goodness she didn't use "jungle bunnies".

Exactly. I could post about 7 racial slurs for blacks and about 5 for whites, right now off the top of my head. None of them are "yard monkey". Last time I heard yard monkey, it meant the guy driving the short truck hauling semi-trailers around the docking yard.....and he was white.

[lunarbicep]

ping

[Nam Vet]

Same garbage was thrown up when some poor guy used the word 'niggardly' (Function: adjective 1 : grudgingly mean about spending or granting : BEGRUDGING 2 : provided in meanly limited supply synonym see STINGY)

I've also heard the 'yard apes' term throughout my life and it was directed at kids .... any and all kids.

Nam Vet

[Publius6961]

Same here. My Mom must be the most racist lady in the world. She called my brother and I yard-apes all the time.
But don't let me get in the way of a PC lynching...

This last line expresses my feelings precisely. Misinterpret, then run with the low-IQ "outrage"