"Pimping": It's terribly ironic that people should use such an offensive word for the purpose of pointing out other people's supposedly "inappropriate" behavior.

Why do we need to reference "pimps" and "whoring" and "bitch-slapping" to do the editorial work of running a progressive blog? "Pimp" is literally a four-letter-word. When an expression literally denotes things that are vulgar and offensive (like forced sex and having sex to make money for someone else) then why use it? Isn't there another way to express ourselves without such vulgarity?

A household in which children use four-letter words all the time is either a house in which children have all of the power or a house in which adults don't know what's appropriate and what's not.

Can words that refer to forced sex and sex to enrich others be less vulgar than well-known slang words that simply refer to sex organs?

Don't we tell our children to learn to express themselves forcefully and appropriately, without the use of four-letter words? If "pimp" which references sex for sale is alright, can users also use here all of other four letter words that reference sex and sex organs? Can users assert that people ARE those other four letter words? If not, then why not?

Isn't "whore" one of the most negative stereotypes going, both for Black women and for women in general So why has "Blog whoring" become such a popular phrase? (Someone brought this to my attention this weekend.)

Whites in the South certainly insisted that there was nothing offensive about calling Black man "son" and "boy," but everytime they used these words, they manifested and reinforced the subjugated status of Black men. They said, "We know you don't like this word that we call you, but there's nothing you can do about it." The use of the word constantly reminded Black men that they were subjugated and reminded them to "stay in their place".

Let me talk about how I feel. I am offended when anyone accuses this Black man of "pimping". I worked very hard for my law degree, and accusing me of "pimping" is an effort to demean me and discount the work I did. I would not EVER call ANY woman a whore, even if she sold herself on the street. Its OFFENSIVE! It's a word that is used with the intent to be offensive rather that merely descriptive.

Even assuming, arguendo, that the word "pimping" is not an allusion to a skin-color group, it's still accusing someone of selling a license to use women's flesh sexually.

Does the use of these words that are offensive in other contexts limit the audience of "progressive" blogs? Why would we ban so many other four-letter words, but carve out a special exception just for these particular ones?

As far as I'm concerned, by insisting that they need to use these four-letter sex words like "pimp", while steadfastly censoring and banning people for using other four-letter sex words, people like Michael are being arbitrary and capricious and, much worse, they are childish and hypocritical.

Here's the bottom line: I say that constant references to sex for hire, for the purpose of offending people, offend me personally. You say they are alright.

I say they are unnecessary. You, I think, will concede that they are unnecessary, but since some people revel in the four-letter words that offend others, you permit them.

I would urge you to consider that if we are to continue using the four-letter "pimp" sex word for the purpose of offending others, then you should authorize me to respond with other four-letter sex words that offend me less than the word "pimp" does.

"Only after we change that which seemed essential do we realize how natural the "new normal" really is and how inevitable it always was."

www.francislholland.blogspot.com
francislholland@yahoo.com