I have a 3 day ban over on Reddit for saying (n word, then homophobic f word). I wasn’t implying anyone was inferior. Reddit lacks a rule expressly saying I can’t use slurs in any context, although they have racism and homophobia banned. Was I being racist and homophobic just by mentioning the word?
Here is the context: I said on /r/monkeyspaw: "Granted. Your username is now “/u/nf.” uncensored. In response to
“I wish I was able to change my username on reddit.”
If your intent wasn’t racist I wouldn’t claim you are. However, you gotta read the room man. And when the room is the entirety of Reddit it’s best to snuff out a joke like this before it hits the web you know? I don’t really know anyone that this would land well with.
I have, however, known a few people who have faced similar confusion as you are now. They ended up being neurodivergent, and it was hard for them to comprehend that even with clean intentions, some things shouldn’t be said. Please don’t take this as an insult or me being accusatory of you, I just think it might be worth looking into based on the little information I’m working with here.
I live in New York and new yorkers swear like drunken sailors. F-bombs every other word and the n-word gets slung around in every sentence, especially by black people. It’s baffling to me that this should be a problem in a country that supposedly respects free speech. People act like they have the right to not be offended and they don’t. There is no safe space in the Constitution, and yes our free speech applies online.
I’ve seen some people claim that free speech doesn’t apply on servers like reddit because they are privately owned. So Constitutional rights don’t extend to private property? Does that mean I can own slaves as long as I shackle them inside my house and can never escape? Because the 13th amendment wouldn’t apply inside my house? The bill of rights applies everywhere, including privately owned servers. No one has the right to be protected from offensive speech.