NationStates Jolt Archive

I do not want any action taken on this particular post, that's not the point. The point is that calling me an "Old man" is apparently acceptable behavior.

Would mods not take action if someone called another poster a "******?" Or a "kike?" Or a "wop?"

Same damned thing!

http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10912882&postcount=4

You are comparing "old man" to "******, kike, and wop?"

Eutrusca. Get a grip already, and adjust your perspective.

It was said in non-serious tones, in a non-serious topic. I feel that you are being too easily offended.

If being called an 'old man' offends you so much, perhaps you should have a quiet work with the person in question. I'm sure they'll gladly apologise.

Wow. You're right Eutrusca in not asking for action to be taken. Even bringing it up is a bit much frankly.

If anything, "old man" could be likened to the use of the word idiot on the forums. A very mild insult. Heck, in your case, it's truly accurate.

I call you old too. Don't be mad at me Eut :(

If anything, "old man" could be likened to the use of the word idiot on the forums. A very mild insult. Heck, in your case, it's truly accurate.

Is this paragraph really meant to be quite so ambiguous?

I'll give Eutrusca this much on this topic--he's been consistent in his complaints about ageism. It obviously means a lot to him. I don't quite agree that it rises to the level of ethnic slurs, but I can see why he'd get upset about it. At the very least, might you consider asking the player in question to knock it off, just as you might if he/she were repeatedly calling someone a moron or an idiot or something similar?

(And damn, twice in a row connecting with Eutrusca. Have I been replaced with a pod person?)

You are comparing "old man" to "******, kike, and wop?"

Eutrusca. Get a grip already, and adjust your perspective.
Back during the 60s, a rather radical young man named Jerry Rubin was, as I recall, the author of a pamphlet entitled, "The Student As '******.'" In retrospect, he had an at least marginally valid point.

Some people, usually those with weak personalities, need easily identifiable "others" upon whom to look down in order to feel superior to someone. Since most of society now seems to at least agree in principle that it's uncool to look down on racial minorities, and since the same thing seems to be happening with regard to gays, the only ones left which are easily identifiable are the aged.

We live in an age-and-death-denying society, and the older each of us gets, the more apparent this becomes. There are several on NS General who even question my right to be here, since by daring to even post amongst those much younger I somehow offend. It's these few, primarily very young men, who constantly resort to what they consider an insult: "Old man."

Have I been replaced with a pod person?
No doubt.

Eutrusca's a big boy, Nazz... a big boy with a big chip on his shoulder, that is...

I must agree with Nazz and Eut. Let's face it: as young people, we cannot truly understand what age does to a person. We cannot understand because we do not share that point of view. I remember once, a few years back, we had an 82 year old substitute for my math class. He was quite eloquent and was absolutely fascinating with his knowledge and experience. But no one else in the class would even listen to a word he said, because he was "too old" to paraphrase a former acquaintance of mine.

Of course, it's still not up there with ethnic slurs. It is, however, much more offensive than one might believe, and as such at least warrents them being told to knock it off, so to speak.

No doubt.

Eutrusca's a big boy, Nazz... a big boy with a big chip on his shoulder, that is...
No doubt, but in this, I believe he has a valid point. I think he's overstating it, but he does have a point.

...granted, but he undermines himself by making frequent, spurious claims of forum abuse at the drop of a hat. Now that he's turning his sights on the young, he's entering the realm of the "fearful aged mall-shopper vs. disrespectful teen punk" - two of Nature's more traditional adversaries - and I'm just not keen to see that particular National Geographic documentary play itself out in text format here on NS.






Now, you and Leonard Nimoy just back away from that cooler door entrance while I figure out some way to escape the city. Damn pod people...

Wow. You're right Eutrusca in not asking for action to be taken. Even bringing it up is a bit much frankly.

If anything, "old man" could be likened to the use of the word idiot on the forums. A very mild insult. Heck, in your case, it's truly accurate.
And you are how old again?? :rolleyes:

...granted, but he undermines himself by making frequent, spurious claims of forum abuse at the drop of a hat. Now that he's turning his sights on the young, he's entering the realm of the "fearful aged mall-shopper vs. disrespectful teen punk" - two of Nature's more traditional adversaries - and I'm just not keen to see that particular National Geographic documentary play itself out in text format here on NS.






Now, you and Leonard Nimoy just back away from that cooler door entrance while I figure out some way to escape the city. Damn pod people...
So we should just accept ageism? I don't think so. While I do see what you're getting at, I don't think that acknowledging that ageism is bad would cause it. After all, treating kids like idiots just because they're kids is ageism too. If anything, it just shows more social progress.

Further, just because Eut has a tendency to overreact on a lot of things doesn't mean he does not deserve respect.

just because Eut has a tendency to overreact on a lot of things doesn't mean he does not deserve respect.
Sure it does.

Sure it does.
Why? It does reduce my respect for him, but respect is earned through many things. His service in the military, for instance, earns a lot of respect from me right off the bat. Furthermore, he is an educated man who is quite knowledgeable and has a great deal to teach via his experience. I certainly do not agree with all of his views, and do not think he needs to react the way he does on most issues, but he still has my respect, and still deserves it, in my opinion.

Why? It does reduce my respect for him, but respect is earned through many things. His service in the military, for instance, earns a lot of respect from me right off the bat. Furthermore, he is an educated man who is quite knowledgeable and has a great deal to teach via his experience. I certainly do not agree with all of his views, and do not think he needs to react the way he does on most issues, but he still has my respect, and still deserves it, in my opinion.
And if opinion was universal, he'd have mine too - but I don't happen to share your values, and Mr. Horn doesn't get pass cards from me on the basis of Kyronea's opinion.

Like I said before, he's a big boy. He, and perhaps more than anyone else here - on the basis of his longer life-experience, really - ought to be able to handle himself properly in a crowd.

I don't have your sympathy for the man. I'd say I'm sorry, but that'd be lying.

And if opinion was universal, he'd have mine too - but I don't happen to share your values, and Mr. Horn doesn't get pass cards from me on the basis of Kyronea's opinion.

Like I said before, he's a big boy. He, and perhaps more than anyone else here - on the basis of his longer life-experience, really - ought to be able to handle himself properly in a crowd.

I don't have your sympathy for the man. I'd say I'm sorry, but that'd be lying.
Alright. I understand your viewpoint.

I do, however, ask that you still consider the basic idea of frowning on ageism-based insults, as they can be quite offensive, and are thus unnecessary.

Alright. I understand your viewpoint.

I do, however, ask that you still consider the basic idea of frowning on ageism-based insults, as they can be quite offensive, and are thus unnecessary.
And while I am conversant with yours as well, I reject your idea of frowning on what Eutrusca perceives as "ageism-based" insults. Time and again he has shown us all just how fragile and sensitive he claims to feel, and time and again he has shown us he's no stranger at all to delivering insults of his own.

I say a man with a lifetime of experience to draw upon can take as good he gives. I'll give you this much, Kyronea: Chauvinism, in its' myriad forms, is something to strive against - worthwhile to fight. This isn't worthwhile fighting.

And while I am conversant with yours as well, I reject your idea of frowning on what Eutrusca perceives as "ageism-based" insults. Time and again he has shown us all just how fragile and sensitive he claims to feel, and time and again he has shown us he's no stranger at all to delivering insults of his own.

I say a man with a lifetime of experience to draw upon can take as good he gives. I'll give you this much, Kyronea: Chauvinism, in its' myriad forms, is something to strive against - worthwhile to fight. This isn't worthwhile fighting.
Alright then. We've both had our say. It's up to the mods to decide.

Back during the 60s, a rather radical young man named Jerry Rubin was, as I recall, the author of a pamphlet entitled, "The Student As '******.'" In retrospect, he had an at least marginally valid point.

Some people, usually those with weak personalities, need easily identifiable "others" upon whom to look down in order to feel superior to someone. Since most of society now seems to at least agree in principle that it's uncool to look down on racial minorities, and since the same thing seems to be happening with regard to gays, the only ones left which are easily identifiable are the aged.

We live in an age-and-death-denying society, and the older each of us gets, the more apparent this becomes. There are several on NS General who even question my right to be here, since by daring to even post amongst those much younger I somehow offend. It's these few, primarily very young men, who constantly resort to what they consider an insult: "Old man."

This all sounds like a persecution complex, and an inability to face your own age. You are "an old man," compared to most other people here. And to exaggerate this breach of etiquette in mentioning your seniority by comparing it to "******, kike, and wop?" Preposterous, and quite demeaning of the actual slight that the words "******, kike and wop" contain and the actual persecution of the people for which they were used. For shame.

And while I am conversant with yours as well, I reject your idea of frowning on what Eutrusca perceives as "ageism-based" insults. Time and again he has shown us all just how fragile and sensitive he claims to feel, and time and again he has shown us he's no stranger at all to delivering insults of his own.

I say a man with a lifetime of experience to draw upon can take as good he gives. I'll give you this much, Kyronea: Chauvinism, in its' myriad forms, is something to strive against - worthwhile to fight. This isn't worthwhile fighting.


Are you seriously saying that on this forum it is OK to use a slur against some people but not against others depending upon whether they themselves insult others? Worse yet that if a man has a "lifetime of experience to draw upon" is ALWAYS open to ageist remarks?

Its OK to refer to him as "old man" instead of his name or a pronoun because he is one? I suppose it was OK to call a black man "******" instead of his name at one point because he was one. At first I thought his whining about ageism was baseless and frankly over the top PC. But now it makes a little more sense.

Oy, geez, people, why don't you all marry each other, you sound like my erstwhile downstairs neighbors squabbling. ;)

I'm perceiving mixed signals myself. While it is very clear here on this thread that Eutrusca is taking offense to being called old man (and for that reason people should have the decency to knock it off) I seem to remember, in the past and in other threads, seeing him refer to his age in a joking manner, or even as an indicator that his greater experience gives him greater insight into the matter at hand.

It reminds me of a couple of youths calling each other "******" and then taking offense when someone outside of their group does it.

Good rule of thumb, though... if someone asks you to stop, STOP.

This all sounds like a persecution complex, and an inability to face your own age. You are "an old man," compared to most other people here. And to exaggerate this breach of etiquette in mentioning your seniority by comparing it to "******, kike, and wop?" Preposterous, and quite demeaning of the actual slight that the words "******, kike and wop" contain and the actual persecution of the people for which they were used. For shame.


There is a difference between calling him "an old man" and calling him "old man". It's subtle but key.

If you are not an old man, the description is irrelevant. If you are an old man, it is an accurate description.

If they were calling you a worn-out wreck or an insane old codger I could just about understand it, but we're not going to take action over 'old man' any more than we take action over someone calling a school student 'kid.'

End of line.