Racial slurs and derogatory terms

[Mildred Echesa]

With the current evolvements in people's mindsets. A few would find the words used offensive because words don't sound so offensive. I, therefore, wasn't offended by any terms used by the author

[Amelia-Lily]

The author complains, and rightfully so, about the use of racial slurs ("Some were even taunted by hearing the N word openly..." )
However, he uses the derogatory term "redneck," (i.e. "They thought nothing of beating down any redneck who disrespected them.")
Do you think this is incongruent? Or could it be attributed to the social climate of the time, in which political correctness was not a priority?

I would have to agree with you on this one. And may I comment that most people tend to see certain problems, especially those that affect them before they see other problems.

[Macha Marumo Mphela]

Prejudice and what people consider racial slurs are a tough subject to navigate. On one hand, "redneck" may be considered derogatory, but on the other, it may not because there's no history of the word being violently used against a group of people. For instance, a white man calling a black man "boy" can be seen as micro-aggressive whilst a black man saying it to a white man may be seen as nothing more than what it is. The former reaction has history backing it up.

I believe it might be an issue of the degree of violence. As far as I investigated, it is indeed a derogatory term, although some folks have reclaimed it and are using it in a different way. It was intended to be offensive and to describe poor white people, specially the ones living in the South, but also even Communists. However, the degree of violence that a verbal insult implies can't be compared with the immense suffering associated with the N-word.

I hear you. It's definitely used in a derogatory manner, whatever the case. Thanks for engaging.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

With the current evolvements in people's mindsets. A few would find the words used offensive because words don't sound so offensive. I, therefore, wasn't offended by any terms used by the author

I wasn't offended either because I don't belong to the social groups affected, but I think we can still have empathy and realize that some things could be hurtful even when they don't personally affect us. For example, I don't belong to the LGBTQ+ community, but I still recognize that calling someone a "fa$%&t" is hurtful.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

While the term may not be explicitly derogatory, words have associated meaning, especially when they come from a particular group of people. Would have been best he didn't use such terms either after complaining about them.

Exactly. I think that especially someone that has experienced how devastating discrimination can be would develop empathy towards other groups that are often a target of discrimination.

[Inks and Quills]

This is a great question. I think the severity of the two terms greatly differs but the similarity does exist at a high level. I was not offended at the use of the term redneck because of the general tone and subject matter of the book, but I could see how it could be offensive to others.

[Gabriela Contreras]

I do not think he is incongruent. Derogatory terms are more than a word, they have a history and a connotation that makes them derogatory.
Being hypersensitive is also important, while I do not judge anyone, or would label a reaction as hypersensitive, we cannot assume everyone will feel the same about a word. Some might find redneck offensive but I do not consider it like that as (to my knowledge) there is no discriminative or offensive background to it. The same can be said about so many words, including shorty (when talking about a short person), or fat (that I do consider derogatory as it is commonly used like that). I will not include racial examples as I do not wish to offend anyone even with an example.

[MsH2k]

It was definitely a different social climate at the time, but I do not think this was necessarily incongruent. Calling someone a “redneck” could be deemed derogatory, but it did not equate to calling someone the n word. There are various levels of vitriol when using derogatory phrases. I think the n word has now morphed into a nebulous term that is used in music and entertainment by some in a congenial manner but cannot be uttered by others because it is deemed offensive. During the time period in the book, and still for African Americans of a certain age, calling someone the n word was more than just a slur. It was implying someone was still a slave, less than a person (3/5 in fact), property. Because of the meaning and the history behind that word, there was no equivalent name a Black person could call someone else that would cause them as much anguish.

Thank you for your question.

[Suzer6440 xyz]

I am not a fan of the language and racial slurs in this book. It is an issue of the times but I definately do not feel comfortable . My opinion is that the author should have been more sensitive to the people who would think to read this

[Kristin Zenz]

I agree with you. Although some slurs tend to be seen as worse than others, the author needed to be mindful of what he was writing. It could have been a product of his time, as you suggested, but if you're going to complain about something or state that you think it's inappropriate, don't then turn around and do the same thing yourself!

[Unsullied]

I agree with you that the use of the word redneck was so unnecessary, especially after having raised concerns over the use of the 'N' word. It should have been the responsible thing to not use it.

[Sharon Christanto]

In my opinion, I agree that this is incongruent. Even though the term 'redneck' is used to point social working-class (not racial slurs), it's still derogatory word. The author should be more careful, since this term might hurt other people's feelings.

[RajvirxSandhu]

While the term may not be explicitly derogatory, words have associated meaning, especially when they come from a particular group of people. Would have been best he didn't use such terms either after complaining about them.

Exactly. I think that especially someone that has experienced how devastating discrimination can be would develop empathy towards other groups that are often a target of discrimination.

I agree with both of you. Since the author himself had gone through such an experience, he should have avoided anything that would make it seem similar to another group. There is a history of "redneck" being used as an insult; whether one believes it's a derogatory term or social, it depends on how it was said to what type of person. However, I think the author should have been more mindful of readers' point of view, especially considering he is stating his own experiences in a similar setting.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I think, as @Inks and Quills, @Gabriela C 1, and @MsH2k say, that the violence implied in "redneck" cant be compared to the one that the N-word implies. However, I always strive to not do anything that I wouldn't want to experience myself. Some religious people call this "the golden rule" but I think it can be simplified as a matter of congruence. This is why I think that, though I don't judge the author because the time, place and culture were different, I would've expected more empathy from someone who has experienced how hurtful some terms can be, a point in which I agree with @Sharon Christanto, @Unsullied, @KristinZenz, and @Suzer6440 xyz.

[Pauline Parnell]

The word "redneck", when used in describing white, is just as vulgar as the "n" word when used in describing black However, recently the word "redneck" is used in a more positive term such "redneck" heritage. No such positives for the "n" word.