Posted by Rick Denney on June 30, 2003 at 16:32:06:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: isn't this is a good thing? Re: VPO posted by Also evil on June 30, 2003 at 15:16:08:
I said, "Any term can be distorted and used to insult people". It seems to me the motives of the user of a term should be taken into consideration. If that user is clearly not intending insult, then the worst they deserve is gentle correction. I find the motives are pretty easy to read in practice.
I'm happy to call people what they want to be called. They just have to tell me what that is. You see, they have motives, too, and those motives have to stand the same test of avoiding insult as those of the user.
With your (assumed) sarcasm, you are suggesting that the motives of the person to which you are responding are different than what they clearly are. Furthermore, I think you know that to be the case, which means your sarcasm is in bad faith. Is that worse than using an obsolete term? Could be.
Rick "taking responsibility for his views" Denney