>If I see a native Canadian beat the shit outta
>someone.....I'm gonna avoid using the word 'savage' or the
>phrase 'savagely beat the guy'. I wouldn't be as careful to
>avoid using the term if it was a white guy beating someone up.
> It's not hard to do....and it ensures that someone doesn't
>ascribe any sort of racist intention to what I'm saying.
>
>I suppose I could claim that I'm not using 'savage' in a
>racist way in a situation like that....but why create any
>doubt? After all....we say words to be heard....not for the
>sake of saying them. So it matters how other people interpret
>what we say regardless of our intentions.
:

Personally, given the reality of the way it is often interpreted in that instance, I also would try to avoid using it, so as not to be misunderstood. I do have to say, though, that when you're speaking on something you see someone doing, you're not always going to be thinking about their ethnicity in the moment. So while its "not hard" to pick another word, its also easy to forget to pick another word or to not really be as aware of the finer details of ethnic politics.

And to that point, while its the speakers job to do their best to be understood how they intend it, its also the listener's responsibility to not INSIST they meant the worse interpretation and to believe them when they say "I didn't mean x, I meant y".

Communication requires speaking as clearly as you can and hearing as fairly as you can