If you get offended at something Snoopy says I think that's on you not Snoopy, now if you were to tell Snoopy that a certain word offended you and he kept on using it then that would be on him.

What offends one person might not offend another person.

In this day and age people seem to get offended a little to easy, in my opinion.

And yes I do realize there are some words that everyone should know are offensive.

I keep forgetting that people get offended by things, it's too late to edit that post, but it may be offensive to some. So ::Warning::

That's my point.

When discussing racial issues, it angers me when people insist that others should not feel offended over certain things. You can dispute facts and policies and word definitions all you want, but you cannot dismiss someone's feelings of hurt. You can't argue them away by insisting that they have no grounds for feeling offended or hurt and in fact, when you try to explain for them the reasons they should not feel affected, that belittles them even more.

I just typed a lot and deleted it. I get tired of arguing the same things around here. I feel like I'm the only female in a fire department in this thread.

I didn't mean that people shouldn't be offended by things. I just meant to say that I am not offended by certain words. It's not my place, nor anyone else's place to tell someone they can't be affected or offended by something. I don't remember ever saying that, or hearing anyone else say that on here, but I didn't re-read the thread before posting this so I could be wrong.

I was gearing my response more toward Snoopy, Ith. He and I sometimes go head to head on race threads and a lot of people cite him as, "the voice of reason." I am of the mind that families are still raised in this area to believe that white bread is normal and everything else is suspect. I believe that will fade out in generations to come. Since you're as young as not able to fathom Bowie, maybe you represent that change.

I've got to agree with you on that, Heather. It's unfortunate, but it definitely seems to be the case around these parts.

Heather, you have the right to feel any way you want. That doesn't necessarily make it rational or reasonable, though. I'm here to tell ya that, IMO, it is not reasonable to think me racist simply because I assumed "cracker" to refer to a plain white cracker, any more than it makes you racist to think (also wrongly!) it referred to the cracker of a whip.

Now sometimes if several people tell me the same thing I re-think my position on something again. Does anyone else here think it is, "racist for y'all to have not considered, "cracker," to be anything more than a saltine cracker"????

Here's an interesting article on the origins of the word "cracker" as a pejorative.
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fc...s_a_cracker.htm

Not sure if I understand the question, could you rephrase? This might even be better discussed in a new thread since it's really not about Imus is it?

I disagree.

But then, perhaps my family was/is different.

Fortunately, the only 'racism' I've ever encoutered that was directed personally AT me, has been on this very forum.

Unless you want to count one particular, vulgar young black soldier who called me a "white bitch". After he peeled himself off the wall I had backed him up against, he apoligized.

He was right about the bitch part anyway.

I'd count that incident.

I don't know, if you look for racism hard enough you will probably find it anywhere. I feel like over generalization is occurring. I wouldn't call this area racist. Just because a family or parents feel a certain way doesn't mean the children will agree or be that way. I haven't noticed it, but then again I haven't been looking, and that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Am I racist because I thought the racist term "cracker" came from saltines (saltines are white, like white people), and not a whip cracker, cracking the whip on black people?

If you are, then I am too. Crackers are actual products, food, they exist. Other racist names are derived from things or thought up, you can't go to the store and buy an n word, or eat it, or whatever, crackers though, they do sell them at the store. I personally like crackers, especially town house. The onion crackers are good, I forget the name, but there are only a few in a box, and are too expensive.

Edit: Also, now that I think of it-I got a generic brand of club crackers and they were regular unsalted plain crackers. I thought club crackers were buttery! I used to eat them off salad bars at restaurants and steal 5 packs of them to take home, and those were buttery. Strange.

I don't believe racism or racial intolerance can be measured or determined based on the information provided.

I think my wife has complained that I'm too "plain vanilla" and "white bread" at times (especially dinner time and when picking out clothes). I wonder if that makes her racist! That bi^ch! Oh...wait...that's wrong, too!

Thanks, Ith. Consider me enlightened. Honestly I never knew it was a racial term. I won't be using it anymore to describe what I see while walking around downtown Hagerstown on a hot summer afternoon. However I am at a bit of a loss as to what term I'd use to describe the front-porch-loitering people now. Any ideas? Front-porch-loitering-people just isn't short enough. Three syllables or less would be good.

And yes, I consider club crackers to be buttery too. Saltines, not so buttery.

I'm more of a Stoned Wheat Thins girl myself. They have some nice chewy grainy pieces mixed into the standard cracker dough. Is that right? dough?

lazy bums or 1st of the monthers! short and sweet

Yet <pick your favorite racial slur and insert here> is measured right away by <insert race here>. Correct?

It's ok, as long as whitey doesn't say it. That is what I tend to get from the race relations in America.

That is also what I was trying to get at, when discussing the comedians.

'stoop squatters'..

txex and samy, you came through for me! great suggestions. so many options now -- but i think i like stoop squatters best. and i won't be unintentionally racist anymore. thanks!

I disagree on calling people who sit on there porches any names.

Maby just maby if you think about it. These people rent an apartment with no back yard and no front yard.
Now if you were them and wanted to sit outside and enjoy the weather. Where would you sit outside to do so?
On the front porch.
Just looking at it from there side.

You have a good point. The ones that get me are the ones who look very capable of holding down a job but are sitting on the stoop with a beer in hand at 11AM.

When I was younger, I thought it would be cool to sit on one of those little teeny stoop-porches. Our porch was so big, always moving the damn chairs around to get the best view, and having to mop and sweep a big, concrete porch was NOT my idea of teen-age fun.

Now, I appreciate (and miss) that great big porch - and the stoop ain't looking very appealing either.

I would, however, like a little balcony or widow's walk outside my bedroom.

ya just can't make this woman happy!! I tell ya!

I can be happy.

All it takes is Johnny Depp, a bottle of wine, a soft, sandy beach and my body about 20 years ago.

Oh shit, you're right.

I'll never be happy again!

Just gonna say the same thing... I always assumed a white saltine cracker! Crack-er... I get it. Makes perfect sense... Thanks, Heather for the info!

Have you tried those half pretzel, half cracker things??? They're yummy!

Yep, they're pretty tasty, but confusing to my taste buds. They taste different depending on which side is up. Also, have you tried the Pepperidge Farm Pretzel Thins? They're all pretzel dough, but are pressed very thin like a cracker. And they look like flattened pretzels. Verrry buttery-tasting and good with hummus or cheese.





These are the people I was thinking of. Of course I feel sorry for the people who are outside only to get a breath of fresh air because it's 100 degrees inside and they can't afford an A/C. But I don't feel sorry for those people who sit out there because they're too lazy to work, and have nothing better to do than say nasty things to people who walk by minding their own business...

Haven't tried the pretzel things, but if I wanted pretzels I'd get pretzels. I like things on their own, but not mixed together. For example, pineapples are good, ham is good, together, not good. Pineapples are good, pizza is good, not together. See?

I don't like any type of stick, it seems too dry and not enough good-ness

Are you one of those that has to have a place for everything on their plate? And can't have the food touch??? My oldest is like that - drives be bananas! (mixed with peanut butter!)

I bet she is.

Y'all are cute.

Yes, of course I am. See the gravy on the mashed potatoes can't touch the green beans, or anything else. I get extremely upset if there is syrup on anything other than pancakes, waffles, and the like. There will be NO syrup on my eggs or bacon! EW!

Pineapple on ham is good though.

Warm pineapple is foul.