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<p>"Coon" is often used as a shortened name for the animal. If you
can definitely tell from context that that is what is meant, it
isn't (usually) seen as a racial slur. But you do need to know
your audience. If you don't, it's almost certain that a major
fraction of them will consider the slur as a plausible meaning.
And that's when the context implies that you mean "raccoon".<br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 02/12/2018 08:52 AM, Chris Duesing
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAMbPveP1odd_6hi0QXDwGFhh8t=DGzwr80h5H7LSC8PcwR0Nzg@mail.gmail.com">
<div dir="ltr">I can't believe this "discussion" is happening.
Coon is a racial slur, there is no other use of the word. The
fact that a bunch of white Europeans are pointing out that the
dozen people involved in this thread aren't offended simply
shows the lack of diversity in the mailing list. The "oh I'm
butthurt because other people get offended by things" is fucking
ridiculous. It is a racial slur, period. If this isn't a library
only intended to be used by racist fucks then rename it.</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 10:28 AM, nx <span
dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:nx@nu-ex.com" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">nx@nu-ex.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">For what it's worth, the first thing I
thought of when I saw the title of this thread was "that
is a racist slur". I've also never heard anyone call a
raccoon a coon.<br>
<br>
The news that cowboy was named for "cowboys kill apaches"
is disappointing.</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div>
<div class="h5">
<div dir="ltr">On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 11:22 AM Fred
Hebert <<a href="mailto:mononcqc@ferd.ca"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">mononcqc@ferd.ca</a>>
wrote:<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<div class="h5">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>What I'm saying is that it does not matter
how I interpret things. I asked and the author
said publicly it was a raccoon. I'm okay with
that explanation and I'm ready to believe it.<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>My point is that other people won't ask the
author, won't know who he is, and will pick an
interpretation and stick with it. They won't
need the context, they won't need anything.
They'll just do it. The name can be interpreted
in a racist way, and so it's pretty much
guaranteed that it will be eventually
interpreted that way. The author is free to go
ahead and keep the name, and the users and
onlookers will be free to read whatever they
want in that name.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>That is 100% my point.<br>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at
11:17 AM, Krzysztof Jurewicz <span dir="ltr"><<a
href="mailto:krzysztof.jurewicz@gmail.com"
target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">krzysztof.jurewicz@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0
0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc
solid;padding-left:1ex"><span>Fred Hebert
writes:<br>
<br>
> Anyone is of course free to name their
software whatever they want. Picking<br>
> a racist name is however never going to
be consequences-free as this e-mail<br>
> thread first shows on the first day of
release, and adoption figures may<br>
> also reflect it.<br>
<br>
</span>Merriam-Webster online dictionary
(naming itself as “America’s most-trusted
online dictionary”) says that there two
meanings of “coon”:<br>
<br>
⒈ raccoon;<br>
⒉ offensive — used as an insulting and
contemptuous term for a black person.<br>
<br>
I presume that context matters. What makes you
think that in this context this word means ⒉?
Wikipedia in the article about raccoon says
that is also known coloquially as “coon”, so I
guess this is not a very uncommon usage.<br>
<br>
Or are you saying that non-racist usages of
words that have also racist meanings should be
eventually abandoned?<br>
<br>
(I’m not a native speaker, so bear with my
eventual ignorance).<br>
</blockquote>
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