Would you be offended?

@clrumfelt (5490)
United States
December 29, 2008 8:08am CST
Would you be offended if a person of another race called you "Whitey?" Why or why not?
4 people like this
9 responses
• United States
29 Dec 08
don't even get me started on this one!hell yes i would get offended.do i have to say why?whitey!i wish some one would.then i would call them names of their ethniticity.no,not a good idea to call someone out by anything other than their name at all.
3 people like this
• Philippines
29 Dec 08
you will surely make the person realize that you are no pet of his/hers, marquitafox. i believe though that there are no more persons around who do this type of no respect name callings. years ago, yes. but everyone has been made to understand that it is not pleasing at all to be called whitey. if the guy doesn't know your name yet, then at least he can address you with respect in so many other ways...and to call someone whitey is not within that list.
3 people like this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
29 Dec 08
Thanks for responding. May I assume your frustration over this is because there seems to be a double standard that it is apparently okay for some people to use racial slurs without negative repercussions by society, while others can use them and not get any negative attention? Perhaps you have another reasoning altogether, but there seems to be a hyper-sensitive segment of people who will scream foul if people use racially negative words toward them, and then there are a lot of people who simple shrug off such comments and don't really care.
• United States
29 Dec 08
yes i do think there is a double standard when it come to this.i been called worse though,and by way better probly.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
29 Dec 08
Yes I would. I am a white lady, I am of the Caucasian part of the human race, I am European-Canadian, but calling me "whitey" is the same if I called an African-American a c*on or a ni**er. By the way, why is that not on the list of myLot's offensive words? There are some that are, that should not be. It is a wonder that D*ck Cheney has not written a letter to myLot administration complaining.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
5 Jan 09
And what about that animal that lives in the States, and looks like a bank robber? Am I supposed to write "animal with a black mask over his eyes, has a stripe tail, and is always taking things?" or maybe I should look up its Latin name? So why is it all right to insult us white people, unless you happen to be those EAst Enders living near the Bow Bells of London (the coc*kneys) had to put in the asterisk, because if you write the first four words without getting the myLot warning. All right you guys get out your pencils and start going through all the English dictionaries in the world. Have fun!
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
5 Jan 09
I agree it is rude to call someone a name based on their race, and their shouldn't be a double standard in regards to which race is being referred to with the name-calling. MyLot should re-examine its list of offensive words and update them.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
29 Dec 08
no one will call me that because i am of brown race descent. but, if i were caucasian and i hear someone call me that, i will definitely be offended. it is as though i would feel being addressed/called like a dog. i have a name, if he does not know what my name is, at least i can be called 'hey, buddy', or 'hey, somebody'. besides, addressing anyone whitey, is very racist...
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
29 Dec 08
You're right it is a racist term probably referring to the days when many white folks in the USA lorded their racist advantage over others. To use it nowadays as a racial slur would be stereotypical perhaps indicating the person classes all whites as racist and abusive.
1 person likes this
• United States
29 Dec 08
Yes I sure would! As dark as I am anyone calling me "Whitey" would have to be using it in some derogatory way! Seriously though, any Caucasian should be offended if this term is used to describe them. "Whitey" is just as incensatory as the n-word. It implies that a Caucasian person is somehow racist towards other races. Some black people think they have the right to use it in any situation that doesn't favor them, just because of our past. What we need to remember is not every White person is racist, just as not every black person is a thug.
2 people like this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
5 Jan 09
Thanks for your comments. I agree racial stereotyping is offensive. It brings division by rejecting someone solely based on what they look like rather than who they are.
@judy43 (299)
• United States
29 Dec 08
Yes I would be offended because I dont like to be called anything but my name. I also dont like people to call me honey or darling
2 people like this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
5 Jan 09
That's what our names are for. People not close enough to us to know if we have racial attitudes or have a sweet disposition are showing undue familiarity when using such judgements. There is something to be said for getting to know a person before labeling them.
@AnakSuNamun (2084)
• United States
29 Dec 08
I wouldn't get offended because I'm not white! lol Few people have actually white skin but it still looks different from black and/or yellow. As long as it's just a statement it's OK and even if not,there are words much worse.
2 people like this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
29 Dec 08
You're right there are many other words that would be more offensive and if someone called me whitey, it would depend on the attitude with which they'd said it on whether I would think they were using a racial slur. However, if that happened and they were attempting a slur, I'd just shrug it off as they are having a bad day or that the problem is theirs and not mine.
1 person likes this
• United States
29 Dec 08
This is a hard one to answer. I wouldn't be offended to be called "whitey". The why of the matter is a lot harder to deal with. I understand that racism has brought about a lot of tension and figure that that is what you are really trying to drive at. However, there are some truths in descriptive words. I am "white" (and even whiter then a lot of "whites") and understand it to be a decent descriptor for myself. While there are very few people dark enough to be called "black" it is still a descriptor word. The problem is the power and offense that we put into words.
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
5 Jan 09
Thanks for responding. I think the attitude when the comment is spoken surely has more to do with whether offense is intended than the words themselves.
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
29 Dec 08
Yes, I would be offended, because most likely anyone who had the nerve to call me that would not be doing so in a kind fashion. He/she would be trying to get my goat or to offend me. It's no different than someone who is white callin someone who is not bad names.
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
5 Jan 09
I agree, if people are going to treat one another that way there is no room for a double standard. However, it is extremely rude to relate to others in that way. A good coping strategy with such a situation is to remember that it is the other person who has the problem, not you. Best to just let it go.
@jordan04n (463)
• United States
30 Dec 08
Yes, I have a name so use it or ask what it is or use a generk (SP)name that is not racist. It is degrading . I don't us these types of name and any one with an education should not either unless they are racist and mean to the core.
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
5 Jan 09
I agree people should refrain from calling people names that are likely to offend them. It is rude and insensitive toward others and my guess is that most people are not racist and would resent being unjustly classed with those who are.