The rules clearly state that "we are not going to accommodate a dislike of one group/race/kind of persons." This is a good rule in principle; no one should feel unwelcome because of their race, religion, or anything that can be used to separate them from the community. But this rule is not followed.
In the chat it is not uncommon to see users making fun of Jews and other minority groups, yet moderators and administrators allow this to slip by time and time again. Why is this sort of behavior tolerated or at least ignored in some cases, but moderation is so quick to attack anyone who uses a slur? The point here is not that it is acceptable to discriminate against minority groups, but that slurs seem such a trivial matter—especially considering how their offensive nature is contingent on how they are used—compared to a major issue like this. It's time that we put our money where our mouths are and apply this rule to all areas of the site, not just those we choose.
If someone utters a word like "gay" in a context another does not like, we recoil in horror. The solution is to instantly ban the offender rather than recognize the word for what it is—a word. Yet we read and write stories involving adult subject matters such as child abuse, rape, and disembowelment. Even a simpleton can see the enormous contradiction. Have we become so sensitive to the utterance of a word that shock overcomes reason?
It is not difficult to witness the irrational implications of banning slurs. "Tranny" has long been used to describe someone who has changed his or her sex, but under our current set of rules, anyone who uses it must be banned. Must we go through the trouble of saying "a person who has changed sexes" to avoid offending a handful of people when instead, for the sake of simplicity, we could say a six-letter word?
This brief essay has demonstrated how the wiki has chosen rules which are only followed in part. Feelings have taken precedence over what is practical, and our judgment has been clouded as a result. Thus is the purpose of this proposal: abolish the ban on slurs. The wiki will be better for it.
Update: I'll keep this thread open because people are actively discussing it and we haven't received an official response from Wikia staff, but I am officially neutral on my own proposal. ImGonnaBeThatGuy gives some of the best reasons for opposition, so I recommend anyone who is on the fence to read his posts.
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