Re: tlug: August 8th Meeting Announcment (revised)

[Rob Bickel <rob@example.com>]

Warning:  This has very little to do with Linux, so feel free to delete
away.

On Fri, 31 Jul 1998, Michael Chiu wrote:

> > On Fri, 31 Jul 1998, Rob Bickel wrote:

> I think you guys need to take a chill pill... or else go out to Oakland
> and enroll in a class for Ebonics... African-Americans actually rallied
> for the Oakland school district to teach Ebonics (Jive) to the students,
> thus I hardly find it offensive.

These is a distinct difference between some who has speaks in a certain
way naturally, and a person who imitates another person's way of speaking.  
In addition, simply because "some" African-Americans rallied to for a
certain cause, does not imply that "every" African-American feels that
way.  Finally, the rally was not "to teach Ebonics", but "to teach by
using Ebonics".
 
> > 
> > 1) A filter that produced a parody of "Japanese English"
> > 
> > 2) A filter that produced a parody of non-native Japanese
> 
> Obviously, you guys have not lived in very multicultural
> neighborhoods... 

Here you are just making an assumption about which you know very little.

You guys say that you understand that Scott made the
> jive version in fun, and not to be offensive, yet you all feel
> offended??? Gimme a break... 

I made that comment to let Scott and Joe know that I am not offended by
them personally, that I know they are good guys and simply didn't think
it thru before posting.  That is all.  

Maybe it's just where I came from, but
> normally, we can make the distinction b/w a joke and a racial ephitet
> (sp?)... and b/c of the ability to make that distinction, we do not take
> offense when something was done in jest... 

The problem is not whether it is a joke or a not.  Even if it is a joke,
it is not appropriate for this list.  This is not a conversation amoung a
couple of friends.  It is broadcast to several hundred people who have no
idea who the author is.  They have no background with which to place this
type of comment in relation to the author.  Just ask youself one question.
If you were Black and the first message you read on the TLUG list was 
the announcement for the meeting, who much would you feel like attending?

> 
> Therefore, IMHO, someone making a parody in Japlish in itself is not
> offensive... a person making parody in Japlish as a way to show how
> stupid Japanese people are is offensive, and someone making a parody in
> Japlish b/c he is the class clown is just making a joke... 
> 
> Oh yeah... I am also hella-anti-PC, so you can see where I form my
> opinions... :D  

This doesn't have anything to do with PC or anti-PC.  That is a red
herring anyway.  The fact of the matter is that this is a mailing list 
dealing with Linux and is simply not a forum for spreading stereotypes
whether they be in jest or not.

Rob

****************************************************************
Robert Bickel, Lecturer, Dept. of Mechanical Systems Engineering
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo, JAPAN 184-0012
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          e-mail: robbickel@example.com
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In Japanese
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