I have said some terrible things I’ve regretted, and it was mostly because I knew it was the thing that would hurt someone the most, or get under their skin. I can think of a few examples right now that make me cringe.

How many of us can say we’ve never used that completely inaccurate and homophobic phrase for suggesting something wasn’t cool; “that’s gay”? My guess is not many. It was a pretty big trend when I was growing up. But does that make someone anti-homosexuals because they said it? Probably not. (Please note… I am speaking strictly of using this phrase to describe something they don’t like, or whatever… not when people actually use it as a slight toward sexuality.)

I struggle not to use the term “retarded” to describe something I think is dumb (mostly because I use it for dumb things, and not to describe people with different capabilities or chromosomes). I’d hardly say I harbor bad feelings towards the groups that tend to find that term insulting.

In fact, I’d say calling something you don’t like “gay” is pretty “retarded”. Interesting though, as we all have our own interpretations and probably topics that we are touchier about than others (clearly, I can manage to get heated up about sexism more than I’d have ever thought possible, given my poor relations with people that identify as feminist). I’m pretty sensitive to classism as well.

Not sure what I think should be done to Terry… I still have to get my head around the fact that saying a racial slur is something punishable in court. I don’t think it’s okay and he certainly deserves punishment if found guilty, but not sure what I would find to be fair (maybe because it just isnt a crime here- I don’t really have precedent). And while I believe in the concept of innocence until proven guilty, I’d have a hard time supporting someone and then instantly abandoning all of it because of a trial I wasn’t involved in. I’m perhaps a little too attached to things to change my opinion so quickly, sometimes. I suppose I’ll just have to go on the word of the court case, and what the club deems appropriate action.

There’s my novel for today! Yay!