[ale] OT: Security code on Credit/Debit cards revisited

[Lightner, Jeff]

Sorry all but I have to agree with Mike on this.  The comment he mentions struck me as off color as well.

As to racist:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=racism

If you look at all the definitions there as well as the synonyms shown in the Thesaurus entry at the bottom you'll understand Mike's use of the word was correct.  

To those who tried to distinguish between words I'd invite you to look at definition 2 that clearly ties them together:
"2.  Discrimination or prejudice based on race."

In America we tend to think of race mainly as different ethnic groups but for much of the rest of the world race and nationality are synonymous.   In fact the most jarring example of misuse of the word race I ever heard was when Winston Churchill made a comment about "the American race" while lauding our nation.   

The clarification by Scott that he was in fact speaking about "Mexican" restaurants in the U.S. clearly put it in the realm of racism based on ethnicity as it is used commonly in this country.


As to pretending that common usage has nothing to do with "real" meaning that is just silly.  Is the word "gay" used in our society today the way it was in the "gay 90s" (1890s)?  Would you blithely tell someone asking you for a recommendation of a colleague that his is a gay fellow with the hope that the comment would be construed in its original meaning?  Or would you expect the person listening to either deem you a homophobe for bringing it up or possibly not hire your colleague because the person is a homophobe?

I will say that request for an apology later seemed unneeded since Scott had already clarified that he didn't intend the slur and that should be sufficient.  Having a politically correct bent that suggests no retraction is sufficient unless the utterer has been publically flogged is too much.

Political correctness how now gotten so far out of hand that comparing someone to Hitler is somehow no longer considered hyperbole against the target of the comparison but rather somehow an attempt to diminish the impact of the holocaust.   IMHO only the most unreasonable mind could make that leap yet I've seen national level discussions on such hyperbole.

Let the flames begin!

-----Original Message-----
From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of Michael B. Trausch
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 1:48 AM
To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run Linux!
Subject: Re: [ale] OT: Security code on Credit/Debit cards revisited

On 03/24/2010 01:30 AM, Damon L. Chesser wrote:
> Disagree.  I don't like mexican food.  I am prejudiced against
> trying new Mexican food.  That does*not*  make me a racist.  I don't
> like Mexican cultural.  Again, that makes me prejudicial against some
> cultural practices in Mexico but does not make me a racist.

Wow.  That's the worst argument I've seen in days.  The quote that 
spawned this whole thing has nothing to do with *food*.  "We pay cash at 
restaurants especially ones of certain nationalities."  With the context 
being about debit/credit cards, we are clearly talking about people and 
making the insinuation that "certain nationalities" are more trustworthy 
and honest than others.

> I hate Mexicans makes me a racists at worst, a Nationalist at best.

Only in the sense that Hoffer discussed.

Nice red herring post.

	--- Mike

-- 
Michael B. Trausch                                    ☎ (404) 492-6475
_______________________________________________
Ale mailing list
Ale at ale.org
http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
 
Proud partner. Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
 
Please consider our environment before printing this e-mail or attachments.
----------------------------------
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail may contain privileged or confidential information and is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this information is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this electronic transmission in error, please reply immediately to the sender that you have received the message in error, and delete it. Thank you.
----------------------------------