05-01-2003, 08:38 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-01-2003, 08:41 AM by evil_admin.)
While I can understand the viewpoints of the previous posters, I think you are all missing something regarding the use of such words as ######, ######, (filter addition I'm Stupid for Swearing) etc.
I don't know this for a fact but my guess is that the vast majority of HL players(and probably other online games also) are WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants). Add to that completely heterosexual and mostly males.
You don't hear any words used that would characterize white males in a determinental manner. When players use the above words to characterize another player as 'bad' they are actually empowering those that are truly racist and homophobic and which to spread their beliefs to others. If one hears something enough, one will believe it especially if they have no counter opinions to think about.
It is well known that most people do not vote and those that do, do not study political issues before they vote. In 1992 in Colorado, an amendment passed that allowed legal discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered individuals, perceived or real. Anyone would have been able to deny employment, housing, service etc. to anyone who they thought might be ######. How could something like this pass? It was pretty easy as most people equate ######=bad because they had never met a ###### person and believed what they thought everyone believed. Try to imagine being in a class of people who could be legally discriminated against for no other reason than who you are. If you can truly empathisize then you would say that using such words has nothing to do with being homophobic or racist.
What may seem on the surface as just typical 'trash' talk, is really destructive to humanity.
I don't know this for a fact but my guess is that the vast majority of HL players(and probably other online games also) are WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants). Add to that completely heterosexual and mostly males.
You don't hear any words used that would characterize white males in a determinental manner. When players use the above words to characterize another player as 'bad' they are actually empowering those that are truly racist and homophobic and which to spread their beliefs to others. If one hears something enough, one will believe it especially if they have no counter opinions to think about.
It is well known that most people do not vote and those that do, do not study political issues before they vote. In 1992 in Colorado, an amendment passed that allowed legal discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered individuals, perceived or real. Anyone would have been able to deny employment, housing, service etc. to anyone who they thought might be ######. How could something like this pass? It was pretty easy as most people equate ######=bad because they had never met a ###### person and believed what they thought everyone believed. Try to imagine being in a class of people who could be legally discriminated against for no other reason than who you are. If you can truly empathisize then you would say that using such words has nothing to do with being homophobic or racist.
What may seem on the surface as just typical 'trash' talk, is really destructive to humanity.