TBD

[Justin Tonation]

People are allowed to self identify. If black Americans want to be referred to as "African-American" that is their call. If they want to change to some other term that is their call. If you want to be referred to as "Italian-American" that is your call. It is basic respect to use the term preferred by an individual or group. People who are not black and American do not have the right to assign some other term to black Americans. Don't like it? TFB

[RatBastard]

ratbastard, do you object to being called Caucasian?

I have no concern what-so-even what others call me.  It has zero impact on me. 

agreed.  so why do you take issue with the term "african-american"?  it doesn't affect you, you aren't part of that group.  it's a term that african-americans are comfortable with and self-identify with, so why would you care?

or is there another, deeper issue here?

Although by the technical definition of eh term I am not a member of that group.

Definition of CAUCASIAN (from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caucasian)
1:  of or relating to the Caucasus or its inhabitants
2:  of, constituting, or characteristic of a race of humankind native to Europe, North Africa, and southwest Asia and classified according to physical features ?used especially in referring to persons of European descent having usually light skin pigmentation

oh look, it has two definitions (AKA a subtlety).  referring to "whites" as Caucasians is accepted use.

On a side issue, I would find it rather silly to refer to me as European-American.

you know what's silly?  calling European-Americans "white."  you (and i) are not white.  we are peach, or pink'ish, or whatever... but compare your skin to a piece of paper and you'd have to be blind to think that you are white.

this is my new cause.  i shall not rest until the term "whites" is never, ever used again to describe Caucasians.  JUSTICE SHALL BE MINE!!! I HAVE TRUTH ON MY SIDE!!!

1) I was taking issue with the fact that we were not discussing africans of any sort, we were talking blacks v. non-blacks.

2) The primary definition is paramount.  Note that I said the "technical definition".  There is a difference between that and 'accepted use'.

3) I'll be sure to refer to you as an off-white guy form now on!

[RatBastard]

ratbastard, do you object to being called Caucasian?

I have no concern what-so-even what others call me.  It has zero impact on me. 

agreed.  so why do you take issue with the term "african-american"?  it doesn't affect you, you aren't part of that group.  it's a term that african-americans are comfortable with and self-identify with, so why would you care?

or is there another, deeper issue here?

Although by the technical definition of eh term I am not a member of that group.

Definition of CAUCASIAN (from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caucasian)
1:  of or relating to the Caucasus or its inhabitants
2:  of, constituting, or characteristic of a race of humankind native to Europe, North Africa, and southwest Asia and classified according to physical features ?used especially in referring to persons of European descent having usually light skin pigmentation

oh look, it has two definitions (AKA a subtlety).  referring to "whites" as Caucasians is accepted use.

On a side issue, I would find it rather silly to refer to me as European-American.

you know what's silly?  calling European-Americans "white."  you (and i) are not white.  we are peach, or pink'ish, or whatever... but compare your skin to a piece of paper and you'd have to be blind to think that you are white.

this is my new cause.  i shall not rest until the term "whites" is never, ever used again to describe Caucasians.  JUSTICE SHALL BE MINE!!! I HAVE TRUTH ON MY SIDE!!!

I care because it doesn't make sense.  I have a friend who is from Africa who and moved to the United States.  He is an African American but he is not black.  What if you have a black person who was born in the US who moves to Sudan.  Is he an African-American-African?  They picked a name several times before.  I don't like the constant changing of terms.  And if they are going to use terms use ones that actually make some sort of sense. 

Point is that he is an American. 

[i am gay and i like cats]

salsa'd

[James Ford]

So how do you guys feel when you hear black people call each other "nigger"?

[sweetcell]

1) I was taking issue with the fact that we were not discussing africans of any sort, we were talking blacks v. non-blacks.

2) The primary definition is paramount.  Note that I said the "technical definition".  There is a difference between that and 'accepted use'.

3) I'll be sure to refer to you as an off-white guy form now on!

to take issue with the use of the term African to designate "blacks" (again, they aren't black) is assinine.  what percentage of "blacks" can point to the african continent as their origin?  100%.  prior to the 1500's, there were no African in the New World.  it's all good and fine to say they're "just americans" now, but the fact is that they - and many others - do form a visible minority.  groups have the right to self-identify and it's the height of disrespect to second-guess they're preferred term.

the primary definition is not paramount.  a pen can be a writing tool or an enclosed area where animals are kept.  both definitions are correct, neither is paramount.  because one word comes from another it doesn't make the second word subordinate.  origin of a word doesn't ascribe it's "value" or rank.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COLOR I AM!  DON'T YOU EVER - EVER - CALL ME ANY COLOR!  DON'T PAINT ME IN A CORNER!!!  

[sweetcell]

Don't even get me started on the racist institutions in our society such as the Congressional Black Caucus, NAACP (kind surprised they have not changed their name to the NAAAA), BET, Miss Black America, et al. 

wow.  so much to pick on here, but i'll limit myself to: BET?  really?  so african-americans can't have anything that is focused on themselves as a group? 

fine.  i'm willing to advocate in favor of banning BET, as long as you advocate for the dismantling of FOX and the republican party (since we're apparently defining "racism" as "being focused on, or for the benefit of, only one racial or ethnic group" ).

[atomic]

Don't even get me started on the racist institutions in our society such as the Congressional Black Caucus, NAACP (kind surprised they have not changed their name to the NAAAA), BET, Miss Black America, et al. 

wow.  so much to pick on here, but i'll limit myself to: BET?  really?  so african-americans can't have anything that is focused on themselves as a group? 

fine.  i'm willing to advocate in favor of banning BET, as long as you advocate for the dismantling of FOX and the republican party (since we're apparently defining "racism" as "being focused on, or for the benefit of, only one racial or ethnic group" ).

Well they should change their name to AAET.   This whole thing is so comical.

[James Ford]

Ratbastard, how do you feel about the United Negro College Fund?

http://www.uncf.org/

[RatBastard]

1) I was taking issue with the fact that we were not discussing africans of any sort, we were talking blacks v. non-blacks.

2) The primary definition is paramount.  Note that I said the "technical definition".  There is a difference between that and 'accepted use'.

3) I'll be sure to refer to you as an off-white guy form now on!

to take issue with the use of the term African to designate "blacks" (again, they aren't black) is assinine.  what percentage of "blacks" can point to the african continent as their origin?  100%.  prior to the 1500's, there were no African in the New World.  it's all good and fine to say they're "just americans" now, but the fact is that they - and many others - do form a visible minority.  groups have the right to self-identify and it's the height of disrespect to second-guess they're preferred term.

the primary definition is not paramount.  a pen can be a writing tool or an enclosed area where animals are kept.  both definitions are correct, neither is paramount.  because one word comes from another it doesn't make the second word subordinate.  origin of a word doesn't ascribe it's "value" or rank.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COLOR I AM!  DON'T YOU EVER - EVER - CALL ME ANY COLOR!  DON'T PAINT ME IN A CORNER!!!  

By your logic we are all Garden-Of-Eden-Americans...

Pen (writing tool) and pen (cage) are different things and not bastardizations of a single term...  Definitions are listed in the order they are for a reason.  They are not merely randomly ordered.  It's like the word velocity.  Baseball jocks tend to mistake that word to mean speed when technically velocity is a vectored measure of speed, a measure of speed and direction.  I laugh when I hear baseball announcers say things as silly as "that pitch didn't have much velocity but it had a lot of movement".  That is mutually exclusive!

I could not care less what color you are, your height, your weight, your eye color, your hair color, or who you choose to sleep with.  Besides I can't paint, seriously I can't!

[i am gay and i like cats]

rb . . . first you disappear for a while, then you come back, shot out of a cannon.  does someone need a hug?  i like hugs.

[atomic]

Ratbastard, how do you feel about the United Negro College Fund?

http://www.uncf.org/

See this is my issue.  Pick a name and stick with it.  United "Negro" College Fund.  National Advancement of "Coloured" People.  "Black" enterainment network.

[Justin Tonation]

The Hipster Police

[atomic]

So the trip to Paris is off.  My wife doesn't want to leave the country and I need to save up time for the baby.  I am trying to think of going somewhere in the US that is warm for a shorter time.  I wonder how much money it costs to change mileage award tickets.

[James Ford]

Congratulations on the baby!

I'm sure there will still be more great vacations in your future!

So the trip to Paris is off.  My wife doesn't want to leave the country and I need to save up time for the baby.  I am trying to think of going somewhere in the US that is warm for a shorter time.  I wonder how much money it costs to change mileage award tickets.