From: dsh@odin.ece.ncsu.edu (Doug Holtsinger)
Subject: On the use of a racial epithet
Organization: North Carolina State University
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 22:52:50 GMT

In the newsgroup talk.abortion, we seem to have a little controversy
over someone's use of the term "fat black ass".  I've always thought
this term was highly offensive, and I remember hearing that the term 
"black ass" had some sort of hidden meaning attached with it.  I can't 
remember what the hidden meaning was, but I was hoping that someone
might be able to come over to talk.abortion and post an explanation.
I was going to post this to alt.discrimination, but I saw so much junk
posted there I figured that nobody would see it.  I apologize 
if this is not the correct newsgroup to raise this issue.  

Below is the original article which started the controversy:
(Stephen Chaney, the person who the comment was directed to,
has stated that he is an African-American). 

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From: HUMPHRY@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (Get it *right*, Dennis.)
Newsgroups: talk.abortion
Subject: Re: Who was "Dennis Hall"?
Date: 16 Aug 1992 05:22:28 GMT

In article <1992Aug16.003415.17098@csus.edu>
chaneysa@nextnet.csus.edu (Stephen A Chaney) writes:
 
>
>In article <Bsy4qz.9vE@rice.edu> patrick@is.rice.edu (Patrick L Humphrey) writes:
>
>                Shhh, Scott.
>                We know you're posting as Pat Harumphrey because
>                you both lie the same way.
 
What a hoot.  If that was the case, the finger would be pointing straight
at you -- you're far and away the best known liar in *this* newsgroup,
even more so than Rasmussen himself.
 
Come on, Steve.  Let's see just how much of a boy you are.  March your
fat black ass down here and tell me I'm a liar, to my face.  (I hope
you don't mind doing it in the presence of a few witnesses, and I hope
you like being humiliated.  On second thought, why should *I* care what
you think?  What you get, you won't expect.)
 
--PLH, thankful he's not a parent to such a waste of DNA as one Steve Chaney
 
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And here's just one of several responses that I saw (to Steve Chaney)
which appeared to me to defend the use of the term "black ass". 

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From: mills@uga.edu (Kathi Mills)
Newsgroups: talk.abortion
Subject: Re: All discrimination is not equal -- or wrong
Date: 27 Aug 92 21:57:53 GMT

> eeb1@midway.uchicago.edu writes:  

>The same kind of discrimination that leads friends of yours, like PatricKKK
>Humphrey, to refer to people like me as "black ass".

I am just going to make oe statement about this comment of Patrick's.  While
I agree that his tone was rude and demanding, let's think about this for a
minute.     

His statement, as I understand it, was "Get your black ass down here" or 
something to that effect.

Now, while Patrick has no right to demand that you go anywhere, if you did
indeed go, would you not be taking your ass with you?  Are you ashamed that
you have a "black" ass, as opposed to some other color of ass?  If not, why
do you balk at the suggestion that your ass, which may happen to be black,
accompanies you wherever you go?

I suggest that you have taken advantage of the sensitivity that most people
have about being labeled a racist, and applied that to one of your most
rational, logical foes since it is so pathetically clear that you cannot
match his reasoning.

I agree that Patrick may have gone below the belt with that comment, but I
cannot blame him for becoming frustrated with a person who continually 
insists that the sky is green, even when confronted with a moutain of
evidence to contradict him.  Knowing how long Patrick has been on t.a.,
dealing with twits like yourself, I can only marvel at his self-restraint
for going on this long without sinking to that level.

If Patrick's short comment is the worst discrimination you experience in
your life, you will be a wildly lucky person.

-- 
"A woman voting for a Republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders."

Ferrari (mills@rolf.stat.uga.edu)

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Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american