[ale] OT: Security code on Credit/Debit cards revisited

Richard Bronosky Richard at Bronosky.com
Fri Mar 26 20:33:32 EDT 2010


On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 9:21 AM, Lightner, Jeff <jlightner at water.com> wrote:
> If you look at all the definitions there as well as the synonyms shown in the Thesaurus entry at the bottom you'll understand Mike's use of the word was correct.
>
> To those who tried to distinguish between words I'd invite you to look at definition 2 that clearly ties them together:
> "2.  Discrimination or prejudice based on race."

Jeff, most modern dictionaries shift to stay relevant to modern
vernacular. There is a good and bad side to this:
Good - You hear a word used and look it up for clarity. You find a
definition that expresses the speaker's intent.
Bad - You are trying to communicate a very specific concept, but
changes in the meaning of words makes it difficult to do so.

In this case it is particularly bad because for the sake of humanity
we need to be able to communicate these differences with clarity.
Genocide is a modern reality. There are people in this world who are
actually working to solve social problems like genocide. It is
imperative that they be able to communicate with clarity toward that
end. If the differences between the words I mentioned earlier (to
which I should have added bigotry) are unknown, blurred, or ignored it
makes resolving these social problems impossible. The way you address
a group of people who are slaughtering another may vary based on the
offender's rationale. If they believe that they are exterminating a
genetically inferior group, that is different than if they are
vindicating an offense on their ancestors. I truly hope no one here is
childish enough to accuse me of being pro-genocide.

I hope I'm starting to make this complicated point clear. I'm trying
to get you to understand why it is important to use proper terms. Even
that single definition 2 that you quoted is flawed! For "prejudice
based on race" use "racial prejudice". For "discrimination based on
race" use "racial discrimination". There is a difference between
prejudice and discrimination. That difference is very important and
should be understood. Race is sometimes applied to culture, but it
should be reserved for matters of genealogy. That would allow a
clarity of "racial prejudice" vs. "cultural prejudice". An example of
the former would be having a preformed opinion about people with dark
skin regardless of their attire or demeanor. An example of the latter
would be having a preformed opinion about a person who wears sagging
pants regardless of skin color. Is this making any sense at all.

I've not tried justifying any behavior. I feel very strongly about
racial sensitivity. I believe that racism must be eradicated from the
modern world. Racists believe they are justified in their abuses
because their victims are below them in the way a dog is below them.
You can't negotiate with a person like that. However, a person who
holds an entire race or culture accountable for the actions of a few
(aka: stereotyping) can be convinced to change. That requires
excellent communication skills, patience, and the humility to surpress
your own emotions.

(not directed at Jeff...)
Many of the members of this list have failed at this. You can see that
in Scott Castaline's reaction. If your agenda was to pontificate
angrily and arrogantly you have succeeded. If your agenda was to have
a positive impact on the community (which is the reason why many of us
are involved in software freedom), then you would have been better
served by showing some tact.

-- 
.!# RichardBronosky #!.



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