You should add Folks to the list. That slur refers to people in general. I am not a person in general. I am a unique person and not in any general sense, and I consider it an offensive personal attack against me that you would use the word Folks, as if to group all of us together.
Can’t tell if serious or trolling here, in all honesty. If the latter, then you may ignore the next few statements I will make regarding this post.
Merriam-Webster Definition:
folks : people in general
—used to talk to a group of people in a friendly and informal way
: a certain kind of people
I use this word frequently. I refer to my family often as “my folks,”, large groups of people, generally speaking as “folks” (as per the definition of the word), or people associated with a certain group or collective mindset. ALL of these uses are per the dictionary definition of it.
And I’m sorry, but if you really think that it is derogatory to refer to someone as a member of an associated group, you may as well also consider any inclusive but broad reference to you as an entity aside from explicit referencing by preferred name and title – insulting, because that’s precisely what these words were created and defined to be used for; it is impossible to name every individual entity – and requires far too much effort if all are indeed known – associated or included in a collection.
To make such a ludicrous claim that you may not be generalized among other people is contrary to exactly what you’re preaching regarding a a polite society, for it implies you are to be treated as separate from all others on the basis that a word’s interpreted meaning of assertions of affiliation with others because you consider that affiliation as degrading; I.E., directly imposing that all others are beneath you.
I absolutely condemn this thread, for it demonstrates and enforces the ideals of a limited number of individuals upon the rest of many, and immediately assumes that anyone who may use these terms is doing so incorrectly or using them as a means of insult.
In fact, I would go as far as stating that this thread – by design – is toxic (yes, I went as far as to use the term); it not only promotes the removal of the liberty of promoting free speech of using terms which in it of themselves are not insulting and attempts to spread such ideology for no apparent reason, but also goes as far as trying to unite a mere portion of players to rebel against their use for what is really an undetermined reason while also indicating an air of superiority and status to those which support the cause. The intent I believe is good, but it is not satisfying the desired condition to be met.
I promote using words as they are intended to be used, and detest slurs, but none of the these are part of a real vocabulary, and as such, all of them are synonymous with otherwise-unoffensive terms which even when used in their place would not breach the forum use agreement, and frankly if to be enforced, would indicate that people are taking actual offense to the term due to association with historical events which re-raise psychological trauma and reverberate those associated feelings. Simply, the aforementioned words at this point in history due to their generic use towards no particular group of individuals, do no qualify for such enforcement.
