Groups Sue to Change Name of 'Jap Road'

[Robato]

I hope you're posting from the U.S., because if you're living in Japan and paying $50,000 dollars in American Federal taxes, you need a new accountant. There are plenty of ways to legally reduce your tax burden when you're living abroad.

If you're living in the U.S. and paying that much in Federal taxes, you need to contribute to some charities or something. Paying your fair share is one thing: getting taken to the cleaners by a poor accountant is something else altogether.

I travel back and forth every 6 months from one country to the other (because we have family in both)
....but my 3 cooperations are all in florida.
Actually, I owed $76,000 the year before last and switched to the current accountant that I have....which did an amended tax return...which is why I could cut down on previous owed taxes that year. I dont feel I have a poor accountant at all.

One big problem is that I dont pay quarterly because I owe so much in back taxes each year....I still havent caught up....when I do, I am sure paying quarterly will cut down my taxes a few thousand. (Its still going to be sky high though..I am in a pretty high tax bracket)

It appeared in a car lovers mag with a backdrop of a historic site where Japanese troops invaded China. Because of the staggering casualties on the Chinese sideChinese side, I'd say that's one reason why, as you said, none who actually went through the invasion are still alive today. And the ad copy of 'Prado - You've got to respect it' is not reading in between the lines, it's just in bad taste, period.

I wouldn't say thats one reason at all. IT happened 70-80 YEARS ago!! Unless you were a 1 year old on the front with a machine gun....YOU DONT REMEMBER IT....cause you weren't there.

Besides, you think that is the only place the chinese died??? Hell if Toyota can use a backdrop where Japanese killed Chinese....they cant use ANYWHERE in china AT ALL. You got to forget about shit thats happened a century ago....its old news. Its a fresh new day, look at the sun rise!!

Im sure the 20 year old advertising consultant for Toyota wasn't there to remember it. (which I think was most likely a chinese man too) Its the god damn Marco Polo bridge...take your "that was the only place that Chinese died during the invasion" crap out of here.

The chinese blow up about something Japanese every 3 weeks. ALL OF WHICH I FIND VERY INNOCENT.

The Chinese didn't just blow up at this....they blew up that Japanese students did a silly play at a university...then a few days later at another university there was a riot with guys raping and beating Japanese students that had nothing to do with the play because they hate Japanese so much.

The point which you miss is that one is an ad that has nothing to do with war and the other is a street named a derogatory word toward people who pay for that road.

Anyway, I will disagree with your point on the ad in the ad thread.... this thread is talking about tax dollars paying for racism in America.

[GuyJean]

GTS - It's ok, man. The world won't end tomorrow because a street name is changed. You can still think and say all the racist things you want.. Just not on road signs.

I understand your complaints, but are you Japanese or of African descent? So a big-boned white guy from Oklahoma is going to decide what offends the minorities? Will you not be commiting the same evil the federal government is?; imposing an outsiders view on the local state. Or in your case, the offended minority..

I thought two of the tax-paying locals that complained were Japanese. Are they not locals?

Unless Okies are a race and fat people have their own culture, in my view, it aint the same.. Power usually enters the racism equation. I don't recall, in modern history, where fat white people were powerless under another race in our great USA... Unless you're Irish.

And I guess I missed the chapter in history class where the Nazi's forced everyone to think the same so they wouldn't offend the Jews.

So you're an advocate of States rights over the Feds, correct? What's your opinion of an Iraq governed 100% by Iraqis, without ANY influence from the US government? So you're cool with it becoming an Islamic fundamental country governed by the Koran if the Shiite majority choose so? They ARE the locals..

GJ

[devicenull]

i have much love for gargoyle right now

[GargoyleTS]

GuyJean: I forgot that line, yes it was filed on behalf of 2 Japanese-Americans. I am just sick of the reverse-antagonism. Everyone is a victim these days and it sickens me. I don't mean everyone has to "grow a pair" or "toughen up", but there are alternatives to being the victim.

An I ain't big-boned, I'm fat. Dinosaurs were big-boned. So I can't be a victim-class person because I am white regardless of other status? I can't claim to be a minority from Indian blood cause too many people here in Oklahoma have it too. Irregardless, my feelings were more about people acting the victim for popularity instead of for actually being one. I know I was kind of unclear on that.

And no, I can't decide what offends people because they won't let me. Darn free will and all that! But I am saying there is a reason you can't call an American a racial slur: We just never cared. Maybe its from some misplaced superiority coimplex, or perhaps we are just crazy, but we don't care what you call us. Cracker, honky, whitey, , red-neck, ghost, Blue-eyed Devil, etc we just don't care. I can't tell them what to be offended by because they can only be offended if they accept it. I could start calling all people who are bi-lingual "fosh-tongues", but it wouldn't do a bit of good even if it did catch on in daily language unless they decided to be offended by it.

Where did Americans gain Power over the Japanese and force them to accept a shortening of their country's name as a racial slur? A serious qestion: Do Japanese get offended by the word Jap coming from non-Americans? I do not know and would think the answer would clarify things for me.

What I meant about the Nazi's was they understood the key to controlling people's action is controlling their thoughts. They didn't care what Jews thought because the were going to kill them anyways. But the cared a great deal about loyalty to the cause, blah, blah, blah. Propaganda is pretty much the same thing (but you get to sleep and have regular meals without extra-chemicals).

Actually, I would rather see a bit more of the Federal government involved in State issues. This whole electronic voting thing could be worked out and implemented in time for next years presidential elections, but how people vote is determined by each individual State, so its going to a slow, peice-meal process with lots of problems.

I think the Iraq debacle was a huge mistake. America should never have gone in until the whole UN was behind it. We would have had a chance to learn more about Saddam's setup and planned our hits better. Bombing the living crap out of suspected places of hiding is NOT a strategy. Or rather, its a 10 year olds strategy and not something I expect from a leader. If we had decisively killed the leaders involved, we would not have as much trouble right now. Problem is, half these guys in the Iraq forces were supposedly ex-terrorists, so they know how to operater in small groups and have studied (or at least seriously talked about) how to demoralize an enemy. But to address your quesiton, yes, I would rather see the US uninvolved. They took care of themselves for hundreds of years without us, and we have our own oil if the greedy bastards in charge would ever use it. (or maybe we could start actually trying to switch to electric!)

[maraboutslim]

two points:

1. the person to whom a term is directed is the only one who gets to decide if that term is hurtful and should not be used. it matters not the intention of the person saying the word: if the person to whom it is directed doesn't like it, then the people saying it should show some damn respect and knock it off. Therefore, I don't give a shit what white folks think about the word "Jap" nowdays or what anyone used to think about the word in the past: Current Japanese don't like it so knock it off and stop using it and change road names or whatever it takes.

2. to whomever said they live by dead indian road. i assume that's in oregon, right? that road and the surrounding roads out by the howard praire lake and whatnot is so much fun to drive on! every summer we have a 4 day vintage car rally up there and go absolutely wild on those roads: just gotta watch for the occasional cow in the road way (apparently oregon never got hip to fences).

-Slim

[GuyJean]

I am just sick of the reverse-antagonism. Everyone is a victim these days and it sickens me.

I agree with you there.. But I lean towards being sickened by people these days blaming others for a situation they created themselves. I don't see that in this 'Jap Road' example: A road was named to honor someone]So I can't be a victim-class person because I am white regardless of other status?[/quote]
Well, that's a good question. But I don't think if you're in the majority of both numbers and power, you can technically be a victim of racism.. It's kinda like women can't be sexist unless they're in a position of power.. I think. Not sure on that one; talk to a lawyer.

But I am saying there is a reason you can't call an American a racial slur: We just never cared. Maybe its from some misplaced superiority coimplex, or perhaps we are just crazy, but we don't care what you call us.

Again, I think that has to do with power. And, at the moment, we are the hegemon. Add a little bit of arrogance with ignorance and sprinkle of hegemony, you get some proud Septics (Australian for Yank)

Cracker, honky, whitey , red-neck, ghost, Blue-eyed Devil, etc we just don't care.

Interesting. Americans are only white?

Where did Americans gain Power over the Japanese and force them to accept a shortening of their country's name as a racial slur?

Internment camps, psycholical warfare, atomic bomb]A serious qestion: Do Japanese get offended by the word Jap coming from non-Americans? I do not know and would think the answer would clarify things for me.[/quote]
A good question that I discussed before in a poll; Keep in mind 90% of the pollees were white.. Not Japanese.
http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4088

Actually, I would rather see a bit more of the Federal government involved in State issues.

Ew.. I wouldn't. We Oregonians like our medicinal marijuana and euthanasia.. Not necessarily in that order

This whole electronic voting thing could be worked out and implemented in time for next years presidential elections, but how people vote is determined by each individual State, so its going to a slow, peice-meal process with lots of problems.

I don't think electronic voting is the answer]I think the Iraq debacle was a huge mistake.[/quote]
I'm with you there.. But from our why ask why mentality and the neo-conartists screaming "dirty liberal" at anyone questioning a policy, we're destined to make past mistakes over and over and over and...

and we have our own oil if the greedy bastards in charge would ever use it. (or maybe we could start actually trying to switch to electric!)

It'll never happen with the Carlyle Group running the country. They're lucky Americans are scared enough to swallow any cup of bullshit they're fed..

GJ

[GuyJean]

2. to whomever said they live by dead indian road. i assume that's in oregon, right? that road and the surrounding roads out by the howard praire lake and whatnot is so much fun to drive on! every summer we have a 4 day vintage car rally up there and go absolutely wild on those roads: just gotta watch for the occasional cow in the road way (apparently oregon never got hip to fences).

Howard Prairie lake is beautiful; A little small but really nice. We go water skiing up there when I head back.. I'm from the Ashland area.

GJ

[jez]

Everyone is a victim these days and it sickens me.I don't mean everyone has to "grow a pair" or "toughen up"

Think for yourself. Your opinion doesn't have to fit one extreme or the other. So, one person keeps complaining about being a victim? And that one thinks minorities should just put up and shut up? How about an independent, personal opinion. Like, "I am against prejudice against minorities, and I am against unnecessary thought control.."how about that?

But I am saying there is a reason you can't call an American a racial slur: We just never cared.

So why is it no one can criticise US policy without being accused of being anti-american by someone? Could it be that term was manufactured by political players...?

Do Japanese get offended by the word Jap coming from non-Americans?

My ex was pretty pissed off when some louts shouted "Jap!" at her in Scotland.

What I meant about the Nazi's was they understood the key to controlling people's action is controlling their thoughts.

Comparisons don't always make sense. This is a case of a false analogy: just because the Nazis used thought control doesn't automatically mean that those calling for the road name to be changed are also exercising thought control.
It's always best to use one's own common sense, or to use a less sickening term, to make one's own mind up, based on one's own experience, ideas, feelings.

[GargoyleTS]

Well guys, its probly just me then. I am tired of the whiny-ness, and especially the negativity. This is an issue that could have been resolved peacefully by local campaigning. I don't like the spin on this issue.

[Robato]

GuyJean: I forgot that line, yes it was filed on behalf of 2 Japanese-Americans. I am just sick of the reverse-antagonism. Everyone is a victim these days and it sickens me. I don't mean everyone has to "grow a pair" or "toughen up", but there are alternatives to being the victim.

My wife isnt a victim. She would just bust your right in the mouth if you called her jap to her face. Dont confuse not putting up with shit with being weak. She has a pair and will use it when you want to be little her with words.

An I ain't big-boned, I'm fat. Dinosaurs were big-boned. So I can't be a victim-class person because I am white regardless of other status? I can't claim to be a minority from Indian blood cause too many people here in Oklahoma have it too. Irregardless, my feelings were more about people acting the victim for popularity instead of for actually being one. I know I was kind of unclear on that.

Its nice to recognize ones short commings, but being Japanese is not a short comming. Again dont confuse the two

And no, I can't decide what offends people because they won't let me..

Good thing too....I mean who makes you the authority on anything?

But I am saying there is a reason you can't call an American a racial slur:We just never cared.

I get very offended when I hear europeans and australians call americans stupid lazy fat yanks

Maybe its from some misplaced superiority coimplex, or perhaps we are just crazy, but we don't care what you call us. Cracker, honky, whitey, , red-neck, ghost, Blue-eyed Devil, etc we just don't care.:

what about black americans?

I can't tell them what to be offended by because they can only be offended if they accept it. I could start calling all people who are bi-lingual "fosh-tongues", but it wouldn't do a bit of good even if it did catch on in daily language unless they decided to be offended by it

This comment is just silly. Its not even remotely close to being the same thing.

Where did Americans gain Power over the Japanese and force them to accept a shortening of their country's name as a racial slur? A serious qestion: Do Japanese get offended by the word Jap coming from non-Americans? I do not know and would think the answer would clarify things for me.

I think it came about from the slogan "Lets bomb them damn Japs!" or "Look at them crazy japs" rather than forcing them to shorten their name from winning the war.

To answer your question, the North Koreans were refereing to the Japanese as Japs during the last UN meeting and the UN and Japan smacked them down for using that word. So yes, they mind that word comming from non Americans...the only problem is that its rare to see such ignorant racism other than from americans in official places such as the UN. Thank god for North Korea or I wouldnt be able to point anything else out to you.

(lets not forget though that we are not talking about Japanese....we are talking about US citizens that have Japanese blood....people who may not know anything about Japan or speak japanese....people that have to drive down Jap road, feel mocked and belittled by it, and pay taxes to repave it.

[ramchop]

I think it came about from the slogan "Lets bomb them damn Japs!" or "Look at them crazy japs" rather than forcing them to shorten their name from winning the war.

But that happened a long long time ago. Doesn't that mean it's now irrelevent like the Chinese example?

[GargoyleTS]

Robato:

1) Sounds like your wife isn't a victim. Therefore, not someone I was talking about.

2) There appears to be confusion here. Let me explain. I do not think being Japanese or any other race is a shortcoming. Continually acting the part of a victim is a personal shortcoming far too many people exhibit today. Hell, it's damn near trendy.

3) I am not the authority. No one is.

4) Stupid fat lazy Yank is, while offensive to some, not a racial slur. Americans are white. Europeans are white. We came from them, we are the same race.

5) I was wrong to use the term Americans and should have said White-Americans.

6) Racial slurs are silly. Not liking someone based on the color of their skin is truly absurd. Trying to use it as an insult against them is the height of idiocy. But like the person who listens to fools, who is more absurd: The person trying to use someones race as an insult, or the person who lets them?

7) It became an insult from WWII American propaganda. We Americans seem to love giving enemies names as well as friends. Again, its that arrogance issue. I don't need proof that it offends in the press, I accept your word that it does offend. I just don't have any Japanese aquaintances around here I can ask.

Again though, I take issue with how they are portrayed as going about this. There is no back story as to how long they have been trying to have the name changed, no mention of methods tried before or anything. Maybe I should have more sympathy, but US television seems to have bled all that kind of blood from me. I seem to be guilty of jumping to conclusions, and for that I apologize. I am not racist, I do not condone it either. But some people are and will continue to be until they have no weapons left to be racist with. I advocate taking away those weapons. Taking those hurtful words and defusing them through either changing their meanings or ignoring them until the fall out of use.

Funny story about the worst insult I ever heard: Used to hang out with this guy and his 2 younger brothers (they were twins) and play Magic all the time. The twins would argue over the dumbest stuff imaginable constantly. This included bouts of colorful name-calling that would then last throughout the night, mumbled under breath and cast as one left the room etc. One night we are playing and it just goes ballistic. There are like 9 people in the house when they start this crap and everyone winds up just staring at them as they shout more and more obscene things at each other until the good one (they were one good one bad) hurls this little gem: P*ssy-F*cker! And the entire house was silent as everyone just stared at this supposed insult reveberating in the air about us...and then busted out laughing. All of us, even both twins, were dying laughing at this! Now this insult isn't bad because its Evil Words, its bad cause it was pretty much non-sensical. Bad twin wasn't gay, so it wasn't meant to strike at that. It was just a flustered, I-am-losing-this-fight, made-up-on-the-spot insult that had zero sting. I would love to see the day when racial slurs are thought of the same way: non-sensical, with zero-sting, and laughable because everyone would know that you can't use race to insult someone, cause that's just dumb! Maybe I'll even get to see it in my lifetime, who knows!

[Robato]

I think it came about from the slogan "Lets bomb them damn Japs!" or "Look at them crazy japs" rather than forcing them to shorten their name from winning the war.

But that happened a long long time ago. Doesn't that mean it's now irrelevent like the Chinese example?

Blacks were slaves even a LOOOOOONGER time ago, yet for some reason that word "nigger" just doesnt cut it....just as much as "chink" doesnt cut it.

If you want to bring up the ad again, bring it up in the ad thread. As I said before, if the ad said "this car killed a lot of worthless chinks." that would be racist. If the car is shown driving through china doesnt mean its racist...... just because a lot of chinese died in china during that time...doesnt mean thats what the car represents. Get it?

Dont get confused between the two, they are universes apart.

Robato:

1) Sounds like your wife isn't a victim. Therefore, not someone I was talking about.

2) There appears to be confusion here. Let me explain. I do not think being Japanese or any other race is a shortcoming. Continually acting the part of a victim is a personal shortcoming far too many people exhibit today. Hell, it's damn near trendy.

6) Racial slurs are silly.

So lets let these people who will not accept being the victim get rid of this sill racial slur in their neighborhood.

[Aarve]

Hi, have anyone experience of the web buildingtool at http://www.sectorflash.com ?
It looks cool and interesting and I want to have contact with people using it.

Best regards
Aarve Svendsen

[jez]

I repeat: just because you are fed up with some people acting like victims all the time, doesn't mean it's ok to use racial slurs. For Aussies, calling me a 'Pom' is not necessarily meant in a bad way. However, some people are going to be offended by nicknames based on race, nationality, origin. As has been pointed out many times on this thread, no-one can decide what offends better than the person the word/phrase is directed at. Maybe at the time, 'Jap' wasn't meant in a bad way(though it certainly displays arrogance-and that is bad enough), but the fact is now it is(and it has had a negative meaning for a long time).
I think, just as some are obsessed with PC, others are obsessed with anti-PC. As I said, think for yourself, for goodness sake!

[Robato]

Hi, have anyone experience of the web buildingtool at http://www.sectorflash.com ?
It looks cool and interesting and I want to have contact with people using it.

Best regards
Aarve Svendsen

Looks like a cookie cutter template site builder for people who want a fancy site that looks the same as all the other sites made by this company. Do youself a favor and either learn to make your own site or hire someone to build it for you.

I mean its pretty retarded to have a "grid" option....why is that even a MAIN option??

oh yeah, I almost forgot.....whats your take on the subject of the thread?

[maraboutslim]

Damn it you guys...it makes no difference if you "mean" something to be an insult or slur or a compliment. It only matters what the person hearing it thinks, what they feel when they hear it directed towards them. If they don't like you doing it, and you continue and claim that you don't really many anything bad by it, then you are a total jerk!

-Slim

[gkanai]

FYI, J-A-P Road is no more.

HoustonChronicle.com - Jefferson County decides to rename Jap Road

"I have known that this road sign has been an issue for many decades," U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii wrote to the commissioners. Dr. Norvin Parr, whose wife, Diane Tanamachi Parr, has ties to the area, read the letter to the court.

Inouye wrote that when the road was named, "undoubtedly the Japanese immigrants must have been proud to be accepted by Texans as one of their own. However, time has changed the meaning of 'Jap,' and it now has a derogatory, insulting connotation. ... To be called a 'Jap,' or to condone the use of the word 'Jap,' no matter how innocent, is an affront and insult to an ethnic group."

Those in favor of keeping the name were equally passionate.

Jimmy Norton, who lives on Jap Road, said that if people knew the history, they would be no more offended by the name "Jap Road" than they are by the "White House."

"There is nothing racial about it," he said.

Martin Cominsky, southwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said "There is no getting around the fact the word is a racial slur."

[Big Booger]

FYI, J-A-P Road is no more.

HoustonChronicle.com - Jefferson County decides to rename Jap Road

"I have known that this road sign has been an issue for many decades," U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii wrote to the commissioners. Dr. Norvin Parr, whose wife, Diane Tanamachi Parr, has ties to the area, read the letter to the court.

Inouye wrote that when the road was named, "undoubtedly the Japanese immigrants must have been proud to be accepted by Texans as one of their own. However, time has changed the meaning of 'Jap,' and it now has a derogatory, insulting connotation. ... To be called a 'Jap,' or to condone the use of the word 'Jap,' no matter how innocent, is an affront and insult to an ethnic group."

Those in favor of keeping the name were equally passionate.

Jimmy Norton, who lives on Jap Road, said that if people knew the history, they would be no more offended by the name "Jap Road" than they are by the "White House."

"There is nothing racial about it," he said.

Martin Cominsky, southwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said "There is no getting around the fact the word is a racial slur."

who cares..

[American Oyaji]

I just want to know what the NEW name of the road will be.

[AssKissinger]

I just want to know what the NEW name of the road will be.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=583&e=3&u=/nm/20040729/od_nm/road_dc

Texans living on "Jap Road" decided the best way to remove the racial slur from the country lane would be to rename it "Boondocks Road" after a defunct catfish restaurant, officials say.

WTF ever, boondocks is also a derogatory term

1----Boondocks

A place that is considered out-of-the-way or lesser in social status.

EXAMPLE: The hillbillies live in the boondocks.

Boondocks was borrowed from Tagalog (Philippines).

ETYMOLOGY: From Tagalog bundok, mountain.

Like the word 'Jap', 'boondocks' is a term that was coined by military boys stationed in a place they didn't like.

[Andocrates]

Bunch of freaking Texas babies, it's so obviously racist. They had no problem changing names like Jigger Mill Road and Nigger Lane.

[amdg]

after a defunct catfish restaurant

Couldn't they name the new road after the jewfish? Oh no, that names been changed too...http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?DOCID=1P1:44707081&refid=ip_encyclopedia_hf