There are ways to insult people without using racial, gendered, or other slurs.

[lightningandsnow]

As I posted as a reply in another thread, they include such things as: asshole, loser, twit, nincompoop, jerk, dumbass, tool, dipshit, asswipe, jackass, ass clown, turd, troll, bonehead....

Mature? No. But at least, if you really must hurl insults at someone, this way you can do it without insulting entire groups of people based on race, gender, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, or disability.

A lot of people use slurs, but that doesn't make it right. And it doesn't make it right when it's targeting someone we don't particularly like either, because when you insult an entire group of people like that, you end up hurting people who are your friends, family members, and allies.

[seabeyond]

1. agreed nt

[w4rma]

2. Men can't be sluts? (nt)

[yesphan]

14. Yes they can

I'm living proof.

[TorchTheWitch]

21. when a man is called a slut it's a compliment not a slur

In the extremely rare instance when a man is called a slut it's never used as an insult and is normally accompanied by much laughter and backslapping and high-fives between the name caller and the name callee who are normally not strangers to each other. Surely you see the difference.

[Brickbat]

3. I find it hilarious that people are bemoaning the fact that Ed Schultz has to apologize for

"fighting back." If calling someone a lazy insult is "fighting back" and "being courageous," our side is in a lot more trouble than I thought.

[bobbolink]

18. Yes, we are. You are exactly right.

[Fumesucker]

4. In an old B/W cowboy movie I saw once a "dude" challenged a local to an insult contest..

He said something like "Your odor has caused the skunks in nine counties to commit suicide from pure shame." and then went on from there in a similar vein.

I think I was about 12 when I saw it and I laughed so hard I actually puked.

[tonybgood]

5. Hurling insults shows that you have lost your perspective and your argument.

When you must resort to such tactics, it says more about you than it ever says about the person you think you're insulting!!!

[luckyleftyme2]

7. what is the greatest turn off

when you resort to a superior attitude you have already lost the agument!

[HereSince1628]

16. Derisive expletives do not have much meaning for rhetoric

and truly won't win an argument. As we acquire language our family generally makes us aware that tossing around insulting terms is undesirable bad conduct. Mom had that correct.

But expletives do satisfy various syntactical requirements of language and are often used for negative emotional emphasis.

Insulting expletives and pejoratives are an almost inescapable part of language because of the urge speakers have to identify the position of their "self" relative to social "objects" including ideas and other persons. As we've seen, that positioning has social importance (and consequences).

Within the broad membership of a language's users, subgroups can become identified with usage of specific expletives and those terms become signals of membership in subgroups and subcultures with their own rules about word use.

The rhubarb over Schultz's use of the s-word seems to stem from the inherent conflicts between all these basic features of expletives.

His intention to express emotional derision to an 'Other' ran afoul of the generalizable acceptance of that term as a signal of the words acceptance by "Us," by which I mean groups who identify as being associated with him (simultaneously his employer, members of his audience, DU'ers and more broadly both democrats and republicans who follow the punditry).

Sociologically, here at DU objections to Schultz's use of the word become a threat to feelings of group cohesion; sides are taken; and arguments stated in the process of sorting out our relationships to the word, to Ed, and to political adversaries.

[emilyg]

27. +1

[Lint Head]

6. Why wasn't Ted Nugent condemed and investigated for threatening

Obama Hillary Clinton? I would say that is worse than repeating a SNL skit Danny Ackyrod did in the 1970's on NBC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNLmi0_216g

[RaleighNCDUer]

19. Is that what the broohaha is about?

I saw Ed's apology last night and thought it must have been something horrific - but he was really just mimicking the SNL "Jane you ignorant slut" rebuttal?

If that's all it was, his biggest failing was in thinking that 30 year old skit jokes would have any resonance today.

[iwishiwas]

8. yes there are. Thanks for the post.

[HopeHoops]

9. "I faahht in your general dirrection. Your mother was a hampster & your father smelt of elderberries

Like that?

[no_hypocrisy]

10. What about attacking what was said or printed instead of personally attacking

whomever went on record with the offensive statement?

[bobbolink]

23. Its not done that way anymore. A cursory reading of DU will demonstrate that.

Non-violent communication has gone the way of the do-do bird.

Do you miss it?

[Fleshdancer]

24. That would certainly be refreshing, wouldn't it?

Both here and on cable news.

[MatthewStLouis]

11. I think the worst thing about namecalling is that it is distracting.

What is more harmful: calling someone a name or spreading lies and right wing propaganda?

[Shagbark Hickory]

12. "Slut" is not a slur IMO.

And if anyone doesn't believe me, they should listen to the song in this youtube video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uoAJw9VFCk

[raccoon]

13. Well, IMO it is. nt

[Shagbark Hickory]

15. Raccoon is a slur IMO.

IF the mods where to suspend you from the forum because of your username, frankly, I'd understand why.

[Ichingcarpenter]

17. Let's hear your best insults then.... I'm curious

give me 5 of them.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BlueIris]

22. In other news, water is wet. nt

[Iggo]

25. You pick your fightin' words. I'll pick mine.

When I insult someone, I'm not trying to win an argument. I'm trying to start a fight.

[Obamanaut]

26. Is it *really* necessary to be insulting? nt

[GeorgeGist]

28. As a good slut ...

I am truly offended.

[hifiguy]

29. There's always this site for reference:

The Elizabethan Insult: http://www.museangel.net/insult.html

A bit Olde Englishe, of course, but remarkably creative and universal.