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Which Words Are Offensive?
The Harris Poll ^ | July 11, 2007 | The Harris PollĀ® #68

Posted on 07/22/2007 9:33:38 PM PDT by flowerplough

Most Groups, Especially African Americans, Find Use Of Some Words In These Situations Extremely Offensive

Before asking for people’s reactions to these situations, they were first queried to determine their willingness to participate in the survey. The question was: "Some of the terms we present to you to evaluate in the next few screens you may find offensive. Would you be willing to answer this section or do you want to skip this section?" Nine in ten (89%) said that they would be willing to answer the questions while one in ten (11%) opted to skip the section.

These are some of the results of a Harris Poll of 2,383 U.S. adults surveyed online between May 8 and 14, 2007 by Harris Interactive.

Which Events Found to be Most Offensive

The survey explored which of the following events by celebrities generated the most offense. Almost two-thirds (64%) found radio personality Don Imus’ calling Rutgers’ female basketball players ‘nappy-headed hos’ to be offensive with 29 percent saying it was extremely offensive.

Seven in ten (69%) said that actor/comedian Michael Richards’ use of the ’n-word‘ was offensive (30 percent extremely offensive);

Six in ten (63%) found actor Mel Gibson’s use of Jewish slurs to be offensive (22 percent extremely offensive);

Over half (54%) felt that actor Isaiah Washington’s use of ‘faggot’ was offensive (18 percent extremely offensive);

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh’s reference to Senator Barack Obama as ‘Obama Osama’ was thought to be offensive by 50 percent (16 percent extremely offensive);

A lower 37 percent said that politician George Allen’s use of the term ‘Maccaca’ at a political rally was offensive (12 percent were extremely offended).

(Excerpt) Read more at harrisinteractive.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
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To: flowerplough; Travis McGee; dixiechick2000; WKB

PC Codewords and phrases offend me. (are there any white slurs that are allowed to offend?...I doubt it....cracker and honkey...are sorta lame let’s face it)

ok....

mysoginist......I hate that word....it offends me..invented by some angry urban gal who couldn’t keep a boyfriend so she whines about it in her book

religion of peace......a lie....it offends me

barefoot and pregnant.....like what’s wrong with that?....ringworms maybe

sexist.......oh gawd!

bigot.........where are they pray tell?

racist.........the new scarlet letter

prejudiced..........those who use don’t even know what it means

anti-semite......anti-Jewish....is much more accurate...not really a PC tool unless Morris Dees or Abe Foxman is using it...and yes....there are real bogeyman out there on this one....exterminators...still, a messed up phrase from the getgo

environmentally sensitive........which means I’m jealous I’m not rich enough to own a Hummer or guilty I do

open minded..........an empty one usually

progressive........ain’t nothing progressive about Godless Bolsheviks

hater..........puhlease.....what’s wrong with a strong dislike?

donor husband..........huh?

homophobic..........no, I just think they are all neurotic

moderate.......really a lib

neocon.........used to be a lib....a civil rights type who grew to hate the very crap they created....now they are doing the same shite to conservatism....(see Wideawakes)

woman’s rights/reproductive rights/choice...........infanticide.....why not just call it baby murdering for birth control that the pill was supposed to fix but “we’re too lazy to remember to take the damn things” so we kill babies instead...makes sense to me

sexual orientation......”I’m a homosexual”

sexual preference.....what positions I prefer...to me anyhow

civil rights.......lord.....this one sure got some mileage

tolerance.....you must not complain if I’m a pedophile....see *hater and *civil rights

multicultural........this really means any culture is better than the “white” one....whatever that really is(?)

afrocentric........this means the Egyptians were really black...even that lying Greek beyatch Cleopatra

diversity.......I may hate(sorry I’m hater don’t ya know) this one the worst......like something is inherently wrong and inferior about homogeneous unless it’s non-white homogeneous then it’s nirvana....the goal really

victimized..........isn’t everyone?....it’s called life

nation building..........so foolish...a lesson we haven’t learned

kinder and gentler sex......maybe the myth of all myths and sure coined by someone never married...they are softer and prettier and God love em but kinder and gentler my arse.....they will cut your throat while you sleep if you rile them

meterosexual........can’t say for sure but it looks like most American men today under 35 are queer or French at least....we need to fix this soon


21 posted on 07/22/2007 11:01:13 PM PDT by wardaddy
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To: flowerplough
I don't associate with N-Words, Jews, or Faggots because they are so offended by everything, I simply avoid them all together.

Maccaca's ♠ are still cool to hang out with.

22 posted on 07/22/2007 11:04:56 PM PDT by Major_Risktaker (Global Warming is a cover story for Peak Oil.)
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To: Prokopton
"Blacks use the "N" word all the time"

You know we live in a topsy turvy world when saying the "N" word out loud gets you fired but saying the "F" word doesn't.

I think that the tiptoeing around the "N" word, even calling it the "N" word, is stupid.

Still I won't write it here, because it will get me banned.

But I just said it aloud at home 25 times. May the word police come find me here at 11:05 PM PST.

23 posted on 07/22/2007 11:04:56 PM PDT by tom h
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To: flowerplough

How about “white boy” or “cracker” no? Those are OK right?


24 posted on 07/22/2007 11:25:10 PM PDT by vpintheak (Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. Prov. 25:26)
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To: flowerplough

I just fired off an email to Harris regarding the misleading example regarding Rush Limbaugh. I gave them the original quote by Teddy Kennedy, the citation, and even the dang Youtube link to him making the comment.


25 posted on 07/22/2007 11:32:36 PM PDT by GOPyouth (De Oppresso Liber! The Tyrant is captured!)
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To: spotbust1

“The ony thing that offends me is when people carelessly curse around children. Can they not see the kids right in front of them.”

I agree! And the crude bumper stickers for all to see, young and old.


26 posted on 07/22/2007 11:42:33 PM PDT by peggybac (Tolerance is the virtue of believing in nothing)
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To: flowerplough

I find the words “Homophobia” and “islamophobia” offensive.

Phobias are irrational fears and we treat all phobics sympathetically as we accept that their phobias are involuntary.

not so in the case of so-called “homophobics” or Islamophobics”.

Neither dislike is based on anything irrational, and neither are tolerated by the left. Therefore , those using the terms are bigoted. They are being judgemental and intolerant of the rational choices of others.


27 posted on 07/22/2007 11:49:20 PM PDT by Wil H (So just what IS the Globe's optimum temperature?)
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To: vpintheak
I prefer beige boy.
Alliteration are awesome.
Sometimes I check the other box, but I fear if I do this ti often it will cause me to have an identity crisis.
28 posted on 07/22/2007 11:55:42 PM PDT by ThomasThomas
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To: wardaddy

Now that is a good list. I don’t think most people have even thought to be offended at these words because they haven’t been told to be offended by the MSM.


29 posted on 07/23/2007 12:04:47 AM PDT by dan1123 (You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. --Jesus)
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To: flowerplough
The following is from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, 7/18/07.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/07/family_fumes_over_councilmans.html

Family fumes over councilman’s ‘hate letter’

The mother of a Cleveland teen charged with drug trafficking accuses Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek of threatening her son in letter that refers to the 18-year-old as a “crack dealing piece of trash” and closes with “go to jail or the cemetery soon.”

...Winston’s mother, Tonya Lewis, said she plans to speak to her attorney, former city councilman George Forbes, about filing a lawsuit against Polensek. She said she also has written a letter to black activist Al Sharpton.

...She also said he referred to Winston as “dumber than mud,” which she considers a racist remark.

Let me repeat that... she considers “DUMBER THAN MUD” to be a racist remark. Why?. Because mud is BLACK AND DIRTY!. Sheesh!.

More here

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1869286/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1868982/posts

30 posted on 07/23/2007 12:08:49 AM PDT by ADemocratNoMore (Jeepers, Freepers, where'd 'ya get those sleepers?. Pj people, exposing old media's lies.)
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To: flowerplough

They didn’t include the word that makes my blood boil most: “heterosexist”.

Radical feminism and the homosexual agenda rolled into one.


31 posted on 07/23/2007 12:13:21 AM PDT by dan1123 (You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. --Jesus)
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To: flowerplough

The most offensive word in the history of the world is Whitey.


32 posted on 07/23/2007 12:15:50 AM PDT by PhilipFreneau
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To: flowerplough
You can make any word offensive. Can't you low level, egg sucking, dog loving, gun toting red neck, truck driving, fool.
Just a darn minute.
I don't know about the low level part but I love eggs (and bacon), wouldn't beat my dog if you paid me, gotta have a gun, got a slight sun burn on my neck, love my truck and guess you can call me a fool occasionally.

33 posted on 07/23/2007 12:29:19 AM PDT by jongaltsr (Hope to See ya in Galt's Gultch.)
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To: ThomasThomas
I prefer beige boy.
My ex used to call me "tomatillo" because I'm more pink (flesh colored) than white or brown.
34 posted on 07/23/2007 12:33:53 AM PDT by jongaltsr (Hope to See ya in Galt's Gultch.)
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To: All

this article is wrong and all the freepers are wrong.....

why is anyone discussing the “n” word....

it is dead!!!! the stupid (”n” aa “c” p) had a funeral for the “n” word recently....

please do NOT even use the “n” word niggardly!!!!


35 posted on 07/23/2007 3:22:05 AM PDT by nyyankeefan
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To: freespirited

Excellent point.

So much of this is “inside baseball”, it’s not funny.


36 posted on 07/23/2007 3:41:41 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Guns themselves are fairly robust; their chief enemies are rust and politicians) (NRA)
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To: wardaddy; dixiechick2000

Don’t insult my little bit
of intelligence with words like:

Walk behind lawn mower= PUSH
Pre-owned Cars= USED
Gay= queer, there ain’t nothing gay about it.


37 posted on 07/23/2007 3:45:15 AM PDT by WKB (It's hard to tell who's more afraid of Fred Thompson; The Dims or the rudibots.)
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To: freespirited
"The most useful piece of information in this survey: 74% of respondents were not familiar with the Macaca Moment."

Disagree. The most important info is that 64% don't think speech (even offensive speech) should be regulated.

38 posted on 07/23/2007 3:48:32 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel-NRA)
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To: bannie

How about DEMOCRAT


39 posted on 07/23/2007 4:07:54 AM PDT by ballplayer
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To: bannie

How about DEMOCRAT


40 posted on 07/23/2007 4:08:12 AM PDT by ballplayer
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