36fffcd0   
   From: b.scott@csuohio.edu   
      
   On Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:33:43 +0100, Catja Pafort   
    wrote in   
      
   in rec.arts.sf.misc:   
      
   > Brian M. Scott wrote:   
      
   >> I can't bring myself to care   
   >> very much if someone is offended by the mere appearance of a   
   >> word on the page/screen, irrespective of the context in and   
   >> likely intent with which they're used.   
      
   > But that means denying the existence of offensive words;   
   > and I cannot believe that you mean to do that.   
      
   It's more a matter of placing an upper bound on the possible   
   *inherent* offensiveness of a word and holding certain   
   expectations about reasonable behavior.   
      
   As I see it, the offensiveness of a word lies in the context   
   in which it's used and people's reactions to it, not in the   
   word itself.  Offhand I can't think of any word to which I   
   have a stronger reaction (sans context) than distaste, but I   
   recognize that this is by no means the case for everyone,   
   and I'm not saying that it should be; I'm just saying that   
   barring pretty unusual circumstances, I've very little   
   sympathy with reactions so strong that they cause the   
   context to be ignored.   
      
   [...]   
      
   Brian   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)