Hate Speech-Erin Goldberg 8

Our discussion of hate speech in class last Thursday was interesting, if not a little bit intimidating. I really began to see how comfort with language was a personal thing, not a culturally agreed upon idea. Words like the N-word, the S-word, Kike, Fag, and Dyke are often debated upon. Note that in the past sentence, I use "N-word" and "S-Word" to describe those words, but I will say things like Fag or Kike. This is because they are words that associate with myself and my community, and therefore, they have different meaning to me. I think that the same applies for members of the African American and Hispanic American community. Yes, I agree with the statement that was made that words only have as much power as we put into them, and that the people who say them are the real problem. However, the significance of hate speech, used in a hateful manner, is to put another person down. It is very different when it is used by members of a certain community directed towards other members of their community.