Don’t you get it? Damn!

The Primary Contradiction has an extremely useful explanation about offensive language, who can use it, and why.

The blogger, Y. Carrington, starts off by citing Secret Asian Man and proceeds to pose a shopworn question,

"If words like 'nigga,' 'bitch,' and 'fag' are okay for oppressed folk to use, the question goes, why is it not okay for 'everybody?'"

She argues that "if you are not part of the oppressed group in question, you should never utter the slurs used to demonize that group—in any context". I agree with this position 100%—click through to read Y. Carrington's entire post, "Brother, you don't get it? Damn!"

Be sure and read the blogger's comment policy, "The Ground Rules, Dammit", before commenting at that blog.

Did you know that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month? Neither did I; it's eclipsed by National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which also takes place in October.

But luckily Angry Black Bitch wrote a post about it, in which she includes domestic violence telephone hotline numbers that are open 24 hours a day, as well as links to internet resources.

There are some fascinating comment thread conversations taking place over at Bitch|Lab and Women of Color Blog, prompted by "Veilgate" or "Burqa-gate".

At Women of Color Blog, see "One last rant on the burqa mess."

Over at Bitch|Lab, see "If it looks like bullshit, smells like bullshit, then it IS bullshit.", which responds to a post and the comments thread at Punkassblog.com.

I found Nanette's perspective, in comment 14 at Bitch|Lab, particularly interesting.

And here she is commenting at Women of Color Blog (eighth comment from top):

"I think that some (especially white feminists, but also others) have trouble with this stuff is because it doesn't revolve around them… not coming to save the day, not using the power of their privilege to effect change, not being the center of the action, not being the ones to decide what the important things are, and what they are not."

I encourage readers to read the complete comment.

Related links:

"Domestic Violence Awareness Month", National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADM)

"Echo Chamber", Groundhog Day