* * * This message was from Mac Breck to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.m * * *
         * * * and has been forwarded to you by Lord Time * * *         
            -----------------------------------------------             

{at}MSGID: 
{at}REPLY:
 On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 15:36:09 -0400, "Mac Breck"
>  wrote:
>
> >"Amy Guskin"  wrote in message
> >news:0001HW.C1398DCF02AA2454F0407530{at}news.verizon.net...
> >> >> On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:47:21 -0400, Jan wrote
> >> (in article ):
> >>
> >> > In article
,
Amy
> >Guskin
> >> > says...
> >> >>
> >> >>>> On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 10:48:04 -0400, phil wrote
> >> >> (in article
):
> >> >>
> >> >>> On 17 Sep 2006 18:14:34 -0700, "Joseph
DeMartino"
> >> >>>  wrote:
> >> >>>
> >> >>>> phil wrote:
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>>> unless the last person to work on your
kitchen sink drain was
an
> >idiot
> >> >>>>> who Africian American engineered ...
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> Now *there's* a term that belongs on a
civilized discussion
> >group.  Any
> >> >>>> other stupid ethnic stereotypes you'd like
to get off your
chest,
> >phil?
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> And before you deny that you're a bigot, let
me explain
something
> >to
> >> >>>> you. If you USE that phrase, you ARE a
bigot.  Casually
> >trafficking in
> >> >>>> degrading stereotypes if one of the symptoms of that
particular
> >> >>>> disease.
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>> Joe
> >> >>>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> You don't _know_ me; you've never met me or
spent any time in
> >> >>> conversation and yet _you_ can parse my comment
to conclude
that I
> >am
> >> >>> a bigot; well _I_ can just as easily parse your
statement to
> >conclude
> >> >>> that you are a bloviating buffoon, but _I_ wont.
> >> >>> It was just such ad hominem assaults  combined
with my illness
> >that
> >> >>> caused me to pull back from this group some 6
months ago.I see
> >_now_
> >> >>> that was the right decision.
> >> >>> you have _no_ idea of how badly that idiot butchered this
house;
> >don't
> >> >>> know his name or race, don't really care>  <<
> >> >>
> >> >> Phil, to be fair to Joe, _you're_ the one who said
"African
> >American
> >> >> engineered."  Now, I have no idea what that
means, but I don't
see
> >how it
> >> >> can
> >> >> be taken as anything _but_ a racist comment.  And if you don't
know
> >his
> >> >> race,
> >> >> why would you call him that?
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > It took me a minute but I can only assume that
"Africian American
> >engineered"
> >>
> >> > is
> >> > a supposedly sanitized way of saying
"n****r-rigged".  Blech.  I
> >need to go
> >> > wash
> >> > my hands now. <<
> >>
> >> Uh...
> >>
> >> Gosh.  It's no wonder I didn't know what he meant.  I have never
heard
> >that
> >> term in my life.  After reading the initial post causing the furor,
I
> >went
> >> and looked up the sanitized term on urbandictionary.com but
couldn't
> >find it.
> >>  This one, I found.
> >>
> >> But again, I don't know how that can be taken as anything but
racist.
> >
> >Maybe you're just not old enough.  If you were, you might just
instantly
> >translate it in your head to someone doing a substandard job that
looks
> >awful and is prone to fail immediately, or in the near future, and
you
> >wouldn't even dwell on it as an ethnic slur.  I personally don't use
it,
> >but neither do lecture others that do use it.  In fact, I can think
of
> >no other phrase that conveys that exact meaning in only two words.
To
> >me, it just means someone, ANYONE, doing a slipshod, substandard,
ugly
> >job, usually using too many parts and/or parts not suited to EVER
> >perform that particular function, and/or cheap, junk parts.  Think
> >"shoemaker" (cobbled together) or "Rube
Goldberg" or jury-rigged
> >(although the latter implies solely out of necessity, i.e.
> >MacGyver-ized, not out of being incompetent/stupid/shortsighted).
>
> I'm 58, sir - and it was offensive to ME!

Well, some people are very easily offended.

-- 
Mac Breck (KoshN)
-------------------------------
"Babylon 5: Crusade" (1999)
Galen: "There is always hope, only because it's the one thing that no
one has figured out how to kill yet."
(Galen's obviously never met Warner Brothers, TNT-Atlanta or Sci-Fi.)

"Brimstone" (1998)
Angel: Oh, there's one more thing you should know. Your fate was never
determined until you killed Gilbert Jax. All in all, you've led a good
life, Ezekiel. Have faith. Your work's appreciated.
                                                                           
                            
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