Guest guest Posted November 13, 2000 Report Share Posted November 13, 2000 I personally do not like the word Midget, but as an average size person, some people dont know the correct word to use.Before Tara was born, I would have no Idea what a LP prefers....Now that I have a lp daughter, I prefer lp...some people ask, and I tell them that most people find " midget " to be offensive...and they are surprised...its something that they would have never known if I didnt tell them. I have taught Tara that it depends on how the person is saying it....I have a few friends that call her munchkin...it reminds me of the wizard of oz and I dont care for it at all....but because it is used in a way that is " comforting " to Tara....Like a nick name...she loves it.....just my 2 cents. Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2000 Report Share Posted November 13, 2000 quartznh@... writes: < I know I may be causing Trouble, here, but I would like to know " Why is the " M " word so offensive? " I don't know why people can't just overlook it.> I have a problem with " midget " when it's used in an obviously derogatory way and it doesn't seem to bother BP friends who witness it. I am on another mailing list where someone told a vulgar " midget " joke and no one, not even those whom i considered to be close friends, responded. And yet, I know without a doubt, if it had been either posted by a stranger rather than one of the regulars, or was racial (or another PC topic), they would have been up in arms. I still post there, but the incident added another layer of cynism about the group as a whole and made me think twice about those whom I've known for years. I guess we're not always as accepted as we may think that we are... that " it " is always there, to some degree. luthien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2000 Report Share Posted November 13, 2000 Why is it so offensive? Because when some pebble-headed creep in the everyday outside world needs to display their cruelty/total lack of self-esteem (so they can feel bigger), the term of choice is to say " HEY MIDGET " in a very ugly voice. It's like they KNOW that that word can be used as a weapon to hit you in the psyche like a coal shovel broadsiding you in the face. -marty >>> <quartznh@...> 11/13/00 08:49AM >>> I know I may be causing Trouble, here, but I would like to know " Why is the " M " word so offensive? " I don't know why people can't just overlook it. Most people when they are talking to me, they dont KNOW what word is apporpriate to use. I know if I was average sized, I wouldn't know that Midget would be offensive. I don't mind people asking me which word is better to use. I tell them, in a nice way, that most people find " midget " (and yes even " Dwarf " )offensive. They prefer Little person, or Short statured. And yes, EVERYone prefers being called by their names. I never had a problem with the " M " word, because I know most people don't KNOW it's offensive. Most people don't know that " Cripple " is offensive, and " Wheelchair bond " etc. Why don't they know? Because for one, as soon as people know what's is the correct term, it's outdated and offensive. It keeps changing. Just like computers. I'm not arguing here, or I'm trying not too, but I just can't see why people can't see past the word and see how it's being used instead. See it from another person's point of veiw. You want them to see it from you point of veiw. Now it's our turn! a <<let me just say that these constant discussions over whether the " M " word is acceptable are BORING and USELESS and UNBELIEVABLY REPETITIVE. What is the point of beating it into the ground here? We already know it's offensive!>>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2000 Report Share Posted November 13, 2000 but.,.................... not all of us BP's are like that......... do we all have to pay the dues? whims Re: Ok, ... Why? > Why is it so offensive? > Because when some pebble-headed creep in the everyday outside world needs to display their cruelty/total lack of self-esteem (so they can feel bigger), the term of choice is to say " HEY MIDGET " in a very ugly voice. It's like they KNOW that that word can be used as a weapon to hit you in the psyche like a coal shovel broadsiding you in the face. > > -marty > > > >>> <quartznh@...> 11/13/00 08:49AM >>> > I know I may be causing Trouble, here, but I would like to know > " Why is the " M " word so offensive? " I don't know why people can't > just overlook it. > Most people when they are talking to me, they dont KNOW what word > is apporpriate to use. I know if I was average sized, I wouldn't know > that Midget would be offensive. I don't mind people asking me which > word is better to use. I tell them, in a nice way, that most people > find " midget " (and yes even " Dwarf " )offensive. They prefer Little > person, or Short statured. And yes, EVERYone prefers being called by > their names. > I never had a problem with the " M " word, because I know most > people don't KNOW it's offensive. Most people don't know that > " Cripple " is offensive, and " Wheelchair bond " etc. Why don't they > know? Because for one, as soon as people know what's is the correct > term, it's outdated and offensive. It keeps changing. Just like > computers. > I'm not arguing here, or I'm trying not too, but I just can't see > why people can't see past the word and see how it's being used > instead. See it from another person's point of veiw. You want them to > see it from you point of veiw. Now it's our turn! > > a > > <<let me just say that these constant discussions over whether the > " M " word is acceptable are BORING and USELESS and UNBELIEVABLY > REPETITIVE. > What is the point of beating it into the ground here? We already > know it's offensive!>>> > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2000 Report Share Posted November 13, 2000 as had been discussed before........ i'm relatively sure that the majority of the BP's on that list were completely clueless that the " joke " was offensive. however, its apparent that you , luthien, have still harbored a grudge over their perceived lack of support. whims Re: Ok, ... Why? > quartznh@... writes: > < I know I may be causing Trouble, here, but I would like to know " Why is > the " M " word so offensive? " I don't know why people can't just overlook it.> > > I have a problem with " midget " when it's used in an obviously derogatory way > and it doesn't seem to bother BP friends who witness it. > I am on another mailing list where someone told a vulgar " midget " joke and no > one, not even those whom i considered to be close friends, responded. And > yet, I know without a doubt, if it had been either posted by a stranger > rather than one of the regulars, or was racial (or another PC topic), they > would have been up in arms. I still post there, but the incident added > another layer of cynism about the group as a whole and made me think twice > about those whom I've known for years. I guess we're not always as accepted > as we may think that we are... that " it " is always there, to some degree. > > luthien > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 Thank you!!!!!!!! That was wonderful!!!! I could not agree more. This is coming from the mother of a little person, who sure knew nothing about the difference between a midget and a dwarf until Hagan was born. And I sure do not think that it is my fault that I did not know this, and I CERTAINLY did not ever say the dreaded " M " word to hurt anyone's feelings, to me, that was what little people were. So maybe if we would all get out there, in a positive way, and stress to the people how some of you feel about the " M " word, (in a positive way), the average size people would know better, they would be more educated. And to be honest with you all, (this coming from an average sized person) some of you people are so rude when one of us, not knowing any better, refers to you as the " M " word, get called a whole lot worse!!!! If your reaction to the average size person was a positive one though, then you would get a whole lot further. I am sure that 99% of the people out there that say the " M " word, are not meaning it in a mean way, and just have not been educated on the right thing to say, so why dont you just give us a break, and try to educate us. I am sure your response from the average sized person would be a whole lot beter. Thank you for your time, and not to bring up an old subject, but I have been away for a while, and this is the first that I see of it. Shan, Hagan's mom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2000 Report Share Posted November 14, 2000 When I was young I read a book which said that " midgets " were what we would call proportional dwarfs today, and a " dwarf " was non- proportional. Well, the word " midget " is considered offensive these days--maybe it conjures up images of " circus or sideshow midgets " -- thus, it would imply that little people are freaks (just my theory as to how the term became offensive, and I certainly don't picture LPs as freaks--though some folks do). So " little person " , " dwarf " , and " short " would be better choices. A 3'6 " man I met on the Net calls himself " small " . I guess that would work, too. Of course, as the saying goes " labels belong on jars, not people " but LPs need some sort of " name " to use in describing themselves. Maybe we should think of each other as people first, and then use modifiers. A person who happens to be short. Or tall. Or average- sized. I fall into that last category (5'9 " or so) and I say " average-sized " because most adult men are roughly that height. Some are shorter, some are taller, but I fall into the " average " . I say people are " average-sized " instead of " normal-sized " because " normal " implies that anyone who's shorter or taller is " abnormal " and that would make people think, " freak " . That is not so, but people do get that idea, I would think. And most non-dwarfs are uninformed about the status of the word " midget " . Maybe you should tell them nicely " well, we don't use the word 'midget' because it's considered offensive--call me a little person, or short, etc. " My guess is that when you tell people this tactfully they will realize this and will gladly stop using the term. > Thank you!!!!!!!! That was wonderful!!!! I could not agree more. This is > coming from the mother of a little person, who sure knew nothing about the > difference between a midget and a dwarf until Hagan was born. And I sure do > not think that it is my fault that I did not know this, and I CERTAINLY did > not ever say the dreaded " M " word to hurt anyone's feelings, to me, that was > what little people were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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