1. Something that I agreed with Hornsby on slurs is how they were described, there are neutral counterparts aside from the derogatory parts of the use of the words. Such as the fact that "Nigger" could mean something not derogatory to some users. For example meaning something like dark skinned or African. In another case as Hornsby states that "Politically active African Americans use the word ‘niggers’ of themselves" and "enables a word to take on a new meaning"(Hornsby 2001, 134) in account of a different attitude of use. So it seems to me that there are multiple counterparts to slurs rather than just the derogatory.
2. Something that I disagreed with in Hornsby's account of slurs is the uselessness of slurs, specifically when it is said that "..there are other words that suit us better" then derogatory words. I disagree because it isn't the words themselves that give their derogatory meanings but the ways speakers use it. There seems to be a mentality that those slurs are hurtful and discriminating because of how people use them.
3. Attributing to the last disagreement, the thing that I had an objection about in my mind was the fact that Hornsby said that slurs were useless. When people use slurs they put forth an attitude by using those derogatory words, usually anger or harmful intent. Therefore I question how Hornsby sees how derogatory words are "useless" when in fact they hold a emotion behind them.
Hey. I have a same problem in capturing his idea of uselessness in the use of derogatory words, yet I think he indeed illustrate certain perspective of derogatory words that may seem its function is not useful. I would give my understanding of the text, and please correct me if I am wrong. I think, through, provide two ways to understand the meaning of derogatory words, Hornsby try to convey the idea that the the meaning of derogatory words can not be fully fixed through either means. In this way, derogatory words are useless as mere words which primarily serves as the vehicle of meaning or reference. Thus, derogatory words are useless due to fact that it does not function as a regular word, which, upon encountering one, people usually react in a way to grasp its meaning or its implicatum. Instead, derogatory words has incorporated large amount of the speaker's negative or vicious intention, making it function not as a carrier of meaning, rather it serves as a label that fixes the target of the speaker's negative intention. In this way, derogatory words are useless qua WORDS, yet it is useful in such a way as to pour negative intention onto designated entities. In a simple way, derogatory words are useless as words, people mostly use them like a gesture or signal to express their feeling or emotion.
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