I'll keep this brief.
Unless you actually mean to cause offence, there really isn't... The word's meaning has evolved.
Actually no. That's what gives the word power in the first place. **** doesn't just mean "disastrous defeat" out of nowhere - it's directly coming from the connotations to sexual assault.
Sure, it can stir up bad memories, but as cold as it is... that's more the victim's problem than everyone else... Are they also going to complain when they hear the word on the news, etc...?
The news is supposed to be a factual report of an event. Literal **** happens. It's another thing to use the word to say "he got comboed really hard... comparable to forced unconsensual sex."
I have an ex-girlfriend who was ***** as a child, and after I was told I was happy to avoid saying it in front of her as a personal respect thing - but just as I am fine with 'gay' being used as a derogatory term, while many gays aren't, I'm sure there are victims out there who honestly don't mind.
In that same vein, and in the same manner you offer to respect your ex, I think it's important for the community to try to be compassionate towards those individuals.
It's all very subjective though, of course, and depends on how far we should go to cater for people's triggers (for example, I doubt anyone would suggest avoiding the word 'Disney Land' because a few people have been ***** or assaulted there).
It's one thing to be
ignorant of the history of most people, making such examples unavoidable, but it's another to be
aware of these connotations, and yet be too lazy to care.
Like I said, you can't look out for everyone, gotta draw the line somewhere or we won't be allowed to do anything out of fear of hurting someone's feelings.
The lines are here. They are very easy to follow.
**** means horrible traumatizing sexual assault. Try not to trivialize it.
Gay means homosexual. Try not to use it to mean "bad".
Two or three other words, and that's about it.
I personally find it hard to sympathize with people who are offended by the mention of ****. but that's just the way I've been brought up; sticks and stones, etc... I can still put myself in the shoes of at least the sympathizers, but I can't really do the same for victims - I think I'd just shrug it off if I were in the same position.
I don't really want to respond to this part. But
god.
In total seriousness, If Smash wants to consider itself a mature, inclusive, and tolerant community, we need to ditch these completely uneducated opinions.