[NFB-Web] Terminology shift

[Bryan Schulz]

Hi,

I've tried to remain silent but this is pure pc crap!
I never thought a webmaster owned slaves!
The best post on face book I have seen was if you need to place a color in front of lives matter then you are the racist!
So you are saying a carpenter can't say he is remodeling the master bathroom?
Being more sensitive to someone's race is one thing but topics like this have gone too far!
Bryan Schulz


-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Web <nfb-web-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Skye via NFB-Web
Sent: Monday, July 6, 2020 9:35 PM
To: nfb-web at nfbnet.org
Cc: Skye <Starry_sky at live.com>
Subject: Re: [NFB-Web] Terminology shift

I did not realize there would be a need to explain why the group should make this overdue change on a racist/superiority/sexist term.  This is not a new revelation. People of color have been long aware that terms like this one are meant to indicate a level of superiority and/or draw a connection to slavery.  Women have also been long aware that so many terms are skewed male.  But it took until now for some people to really pay attention and make the effort to change. And it seems that some people still will not.

I guess there will always be people who are happier with the way "things have always been" - a world where white men were the only ones allowed to vote (and own property); where human beings could own (aka master) other human beings; where wives are property of their husbands; where one (master) race could slaughter and torture people of another race, indigenous tribe or religious group; and where there were no laws to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities.

Yes, the term webmaster has always been offensive and recognized as a racist and sexist term.  In addition to the obvious racist and superiority connotation, the term also disregards women in valid roles. Too many male based terms are either the standard or else a mutation of the term is created just for women.  And neither the term or even the internet itself has been around long enough to try to use that as a justification.  Would there still be an objection if the term had previously been established as webmistress or webslave?  Or if the terms whitelist or whitehat represented negative and dangerous concepts but blacklist and blackhat were the positive and safe concepts?

We evolve as a society...or at least some of us do. Universities are changing their references away from house masters.  The real estate community will no longer call the owner's bedroom a master suite.  Tech organizations like Drupal, Twitter, etc. changed the terminology way before the protests began.

When the NFB issued a recent statement to denounce racism, was it only an empty statement just for show?  Will history record that the members and supporters of the NFB are a close-minded group that refused to evolve?

Sorry for the long explanation but hope this helps anyone on the fence...



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