But I'll defend to the death your right to say it."* Sigh, those French sure had a way with words.
Speaking of words, seems the NY City Council has a problem with them. Shortly after voting to "ban" the N-word, several members are now seeking to ban "bitch."
Now, you won't catch me defending (or using even for example's sake) the N-word in any circumstance. BUT I do own an adorable little girl puppy that breeders non-pejoratively refer to as a bitch. So in some cases a cigar is just a cigar. But, admittedly, in other cases it isn't and hopefully most people are intelligent, considerate and informed enough to use discretion in those other cases. And honestly, if someone is going to call someone a nasty name in the first place, a ban on said word is unlikely to stop them.
So, courtesy, maybe? How about that?
* My one exception to the free speech rule would apply to a certain NY Sun columnist whose last name rhymes with Poland minus the D. Oh, and Ann Coulter.
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I also think they have to take the reclaiming of the word into consideration. I suppose some might say that the N-word has been reclaiming by black Americans, but I think there is so much hatred piled up behind that word that it really can never be used without someone seriously flinching. Bitch, however, has become a word that feminists use to describe themselves--which I would argue is also a difference from the N-word--in a bold assertion of the power and satisfaction women feel in being agressive. These days a self-proclaimed bitch is someone who feels the need to express how she doesn't conform to the sweet, quiet girl that society used to expect us to be.
Also, aren't there much worse words for them to ban? Feels like a waste of their time.
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