I'd like to continue this conversation in an intelligent and respectful manner, but it seems (maybe I'm wrong) I can sit on the respect given the turn of the comments above, and I don't intend to engager childish bickering and troll the topic with this type of derailing.
Well, I am not exactly sure of what this part of your post means, if it's directed at me. As to the rest, I also am pushing 60, and have lived in, visited, and worked in a larger than normal number of states in this country. I grew up in the Bronx, in a less fortunate area of that borough in a time where the problems were legendary. I've been blessed with an interesting career in IT for thirty years, and was in the military before that, and saw much of southeast Asia while stationed in Okinawa. I am not some kid spouting crap from my parents' basement. Take that as my bonafides, or not.
I mean what I say about derogatory terms, having spent much of my first 20 years learning to weaponize language in order to provoke response. I enjoyed fighting and enjoyed conflict, and had a lot of anger. I've spent a lot of time trying to learn to be a better person, but words are triggers, even if we don't want them to be. "Reclaiming" words are difficult, and while you might bandy the word bitch around with those close to you, anyone who casually overhears will not likely have the same opinion of your words as what you intend. This conversation is rather like the "N" word. My black friends might or might not use the word among each other like it was a friendly term, but if I was to do the same it would definitely generate a different reaction (I'm not black). Other African-Americans hate that word with every fiber or their being.
Me and my friends would call each other some pretty horrible things, and we would intend it to be irreverent but fun. Sometimes feelings would get hurt, even though the intent was not for that. I'm not denying that you and those close to you use the word affectionately, but that is not the norm, and you wouldn't call a stranger that, without expecting shit to get real.
I know that the written word in a forum does not always make meanings, humor, or nuance clear, and can be taken multiple ways. I was mostly joking about the word "cunt". That was about the worst thing you could call a woman in my day. It was the "C" word (just like the "N" word), while bitch didn't have a Capital Initial. I was really into British gangster films for a while, and "cunt" was bandied about, and not generally about women or their parts. That's what my statement was regarding, though I didn't explain it as such.
I generally am not shy about being strong spoken in a general sense, and I love engaging in debate and conversation. I don't like unintentionally offending anyone. I certainly didn't mean to offend you, though you have my interest. I'm not sure if I should feel offended by your comment. Please make it clear either way, and we can discuss privately.
