Arizona Republican refers to Black Americans as 'colored people' in House floor debate

politics @lemmy.world – 596 points – 12 months ago

Arizona Republican refers to Black Americans 'colored people' on House floor

Rep. Eli Crane used the derogatory phrase in describing his proposed amendment to a military bill. Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty asked that his words be stricken from the record.

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Then what makes you believe that it's "progressives" that are responsible for changing the "name of the cohort every few years?"

It's been one of the traits of the movement since the 1970s.

What if progressives are just more accepting of the notion that groups of people should be able to decide what they like to be called?

That isn't the point, it is about smugness. They want to feel superior to others by changing the cohort name and shaming those who don't follow their changes. It's been studied if you would like to look more into it. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2749204

Alright.

I've gone to the trouble to download that article. Just for reference, here's the abstract:

Labels plays an important role in defining groups and individuals who belong to the groups. This has been especially true for racial and ethnic groups in general and for Blacks in particular. Over the past century the standard term for Blacks has shifted from "Colored" to "Negro" to "Black" and now perhaps to "African American." The changes can be seen as attempts by Blacks to redefine themselves and to gain respect and standing in a society that has held them to be subordinate and inferior.

and I see nothing in the article itself that would say otherwise.

In other words: this is talking about the Black community deciding for itself what they wish to use as preferred terminology to refer to themselves.

There's nothing in there about "progressives." There's nothing in there about progressives "feeling superior to others." There's nothing in there about progressives "shaming those who don't follow their changes."

That article is from 1992 and shows the history of the progression of the cohort names. I invite you to go down that rabbit hole, it is very interesting. Good Luck!

That article is from 1992 and shows the history of the progression of the cohort names.

Yes, it is, and it describes how the Black community has moved through various iterations of preferred terminology.

What it doesn't support is the claims you've made: that these terms were invented by "progressives" (rather than by the community itself), that "progressives" came up with those new terms in order to feel superior, that "progressives" came up with those new terms in order to shame those who don’t follow their changes.

You've also implied that you don't have a problem referring to a community using the terminology they themselves decide to use in order to refer to themselves.

So on the one hand it would appear that you perceive changing etymology as an attack by progressive on you, on the other hand you claim you're okay with a community deciding for itself what terminology to use (and presumably also to change that terminology).

Those two things seem contradictory.

Well, the writers are probably progressives. 😅 They're not just going to pop out & be like, "WE, the progressives, love to feel superior to others. We bask in our smugness!" There might be a call to shame others that don't partake or view them as less than, but this one is free from that.

I just came to say, I'm just pretty sure that terms like "African American", "Native American" came from the goddamn US Government. This isn't a case of people defining themselves; it's the conquerors & enslavers that look at them & say, "We have decided this is what you'll be called now". These labels are so stupid & lazy/disrespectful, even inaccurate at times. So of course it makes sense that they originate from the government.

I genuinely think the owners, rulers of the world enjoy separating us into different categories, highlighting our differences, and making us fight & bicker amongst ourselves. It makes us weaker, more divided, easier to manipulate & control.