"Monkey"--a racial slur?

 The kids were in a tree, climbing and she called them monkeys. It has nothing to do with race.

  I was not even aware that monkey refered to any paticular race, it would either be a comment directed at your ability to climb well or perhaps a slur on your intelligence.

sillysally

Five bucks says the Clintons are behind it......

Sorry but I would not take that bet, you are most likely correct

I didn't see anything racial in that article - in fact, I used to call my own kids little monkeys when they were climbing all over something. I seriously doubt that the Clintons were behind that.  It sounded to me like the neighbors just got their knickers in a twist over nothing at all.
Definitely too much PC.

Joyce

I'll try to be diplomatic, 

That is indeed a racial slur...archaic perhaps...but a slur just the same. It was typically proceeded by another word or words, and it is extremely hateful when used in a hateful manner. If you watch old skool cartoons you will often see monkey-like beings that are intended to represent Blacks...it is a part of history and it does sting to hear it directed at you when you are of color. I say this as a person of color.

Again...Mom was perhaps too sensitive...but, I can see how she might feel having her kids referred to by in such a manner by someone she has a negative history with, especially.

rwbeagles

That is indeed a racial slur...archaic perhaps...but a slur just the same.

Very true.  It was used by the ultra extremists, Nazi's come to mind, I believe they used that sub-human thing against both blacks and jews. 

I guess i am probably going to have to stop using "rug rats" and "yard apes".  Don't want to offend anyone.

timsdat

Don't want to offend anyone

I think not offending anyone is an admirable tho unattainable goal. I certainly don't go out of my way to offend anyone but sometimes it happens. What's important is your intent when you are speaking with someone...and tho some things people say to me, may hurt inside...if the intent is not present it's not truly anything to take to heart.

I try to remember that when things like race and religion come up...people are just so very different...and respect is not such a terrible, horrible thing to desire...not respect meaning reverence but more simply just acknowledgement of your humanity and abilty to feel pain. Not so very much to ask...or to give, really.

See, I have heard the term "porch monkey" used in this area as a slur, but the context was totally different.

I guess I consider it kind of a stretch to say that in this particular context--a woman who is such an Obama supporter that she is one of his delagets, telling a bunch of kids climbing in trees that they are acting like monkeys--was intending to hurl a racial slur.

My mom, grandma, and aunts all referred to my cousins and I as monkeys when we were climbing around and jumping on stuff..... 

sillysally

My mom, grandma, and aunts all referred to my cousins and I as monkeys when we were climbing around and jumping on stuff..... 

Sometimes it takes a life led in a different skin to feel differently about things, that's just not a term used in that way...in my household...which was one of color, many colors actually..LOL. Nor is it one I use in that fashion now come to think of it...

There was a big furor between the Australian cricket team and the Indian cricket team over using that word as a racial slur not long ago. I don't even remember who called who a monkey, but I think it was directed at an Australian, but then, the Aussies were under fire for sledging and being bad sports as well.

I hate commercial sportsmen! 

I think this is ridiculous. My mother called me a monkey all the time and because I climbed around like one.

Here's the deal, I can totally understand someone taking offense IF it was meant to be offensive. But this woman has a picture of a black man for president in her front yard! She was working on his team toward having our first black president! Do we really think she's going to sling a racial slur at the neighbor kids?

Or is she supposed to educate herself on all racial slurs used in the past and be sure to be extra careful around black people so she doesn't accidentally offend anyone?

I feel so sorry for this woman. She had to step down from something she was devoted to.

You know, if you add a word to the front of monkey, you get a racial slur. If you add a word to the front of "bunny" you get a racial slur. If she called the kids "bunnies" because they were hopping around in the yard, would we be as sensitive? Is it possible the mother of these children, admittedly having trouble with this woman before, just wanted to make life hard for her?

Bah! I hate this!  It's so stupid!

 It *is* stupid... but until we as a species can stop treating people hatefully, we also can't expect old wounds to heal overnight. As I learned in college, studying stereotyping and prejudice for my psych classes, comparing black people to apes was a sadly popular and "funny" form of racism many years ago. Because some people were jerks and called other people savage animals (which IMO apes aren't, but anyway), these people later are hyper-sensitive to anything reminding them of the insults. Sad, yes, unnecessary, probably, but still...

We don't know the history between these neighbors, either - if they were best buddies, I'm sure there wouldn't be an issue. Who knows what other conflicts have come up between them over the years? Obama supporter or not, who knows, maybe this woman does have some reason to feel persecuted.

BTW, who tells someone else's kids to stop climbing a tree when they're not even on good terms with the kids' mother? That to me seems pretty obnoxious - if it's not your tree, not your kids, and not your friend, why would you butt in like that?

Here is my take as a person of no color...

Yes, I call Riley a little monkey when she is jumping around on crib mattress and acting all goofy like.

Now, I would never ever call a person of color or refer to them as a monkey, climbing a tree or not, because I KNOW when directed at a person of color it can be deemed racial.  How do I know this?  Remember Howard Cosell and Monday night football back in the 80's, he stopped doing it because he used this exact word in a phrase that was EXTREMELY racial.  I won't repeat it, you can google it if you are that interested.  As a child I remember thinking, holy poop I can't believe he said that!  If a little girl knows its racial than its racial.

I may be more sensitive to racial issues (not that anyone here is more or less than me) because I come from an area (Metro Detroit) that is extremely racial diverse and sensitivity to racial differences are very high topic.  I also live in an area now that is extremely racist (one of the key reasons we can't wait to get out of hear) and hear things like this (sorry Milwaukeans). 

I have friends of many races and there are things that although you don't necessarily mean in a racial context, you still don't say.  I.e. I would never call my best friend's son a monkey (even if he was hanging from a tree) since he is half African American and that word although I would never mean it in that context is a racial slur, but I wouldn't hesitate to call Riley one when she is acting like a goof ball.  It's called being racial sensitive.

I read something in the story about a ticket...?? I think that pursuing it further than the two women involved speaking or indeed...agreeing NEVER to speak again...is a bit much.

I think what the woman said was taken a certain way and that is true and regardless of her intent the other woman was hurt and or upset by it...BUT that's for those two women to work out...not anyone else.

Thank you Cita for your words on the history, it does sting...but I can certainly see how folks have a hard time seeing the insult.

Cita

we also can't expect old wounds to heal overnight.

Cita

We don't know the history between these neighbors, either - if they were best buddies, I'm sure there wouldn't be an issue.

If there wouldn't be an issue between friends, why is it an issue just because they don't get along? Their relationship doesn't automatically make it a racial slur! Either it was meant offensively or it wasn't. The relationship between them doesn't matter.

Cita

why would you butt in like that?

I agree. She did butt in. Especially since the kids' parents were there. It was none of her business. So she poked her nose in someone else's business. I'm not arguing with that. But that doesn't mean that she is guilty of a racial slur. She got fined $75!

Ramirez Sliwinski, who is Hispanic, was issued a citation alleging that she violated a village ordinance prohibiting disorderly conduct. The ordinance bans conduct that disturbs or alarms people, and one of the boys told police he was scared by Ramirez Sliwinski's comment,

Source

Oh, please! This is political correctness run amok. I'm more upset with Obama's campaign for asking her to step down.