Some words not meant to be used in jest or at all

“Hey b**ch!” “What’s up h**?” How many times have you heard these greetings across campus?

Or how often have you read about a girl labeling herself as the “baddest b**ch?”

Day in and day out, ladies address their friends and themselves as bitches and hoes.

Many don’t really understand the magnitude of the reputation they are giving themselves.

Ladies will easily argue this point and say they “don’t mean these phrases in a negative way,” or “it’s just a saying.”

Well it is a saying that comes with a lot of baggage and negative effects.

The reality is, a person doesn’t have complimentary thoughts when he or she hears you being called a b**ch.

A person who has a bad attitude, is promiscuous or is arrogant and selfish may even come to mind.

A garden tool and a female dog are rarely, if ever, associated with these words in the minds of people today. Calling yourself and your friend’s derogatory names, even if it isn’t meant to cause harm, gives others the permission to do the same.

The second a guy calls a girl a b**ch, he’s deemed disrespectful and rude.

He is forever known as the bad-mannered guy who talks trash to girls.

The same girl may have welcomed a female friend calling her the same offensive word a while earlier.

There is no difference. If it is just a saying, then guys should be able to openly address ladies that way without a problem, right?

Ladies will repeatedly say that when men say it, it doesn’t’ mean the same as when they call themselves b**ch.

If that’s the situation, guys should forget names and just call girls “b**ch” and “trick” from now on.

Girls will never allow that though because then it’s insulting. There is a fine line between being sassy and being plain ignorant.

Ladies, we have to start representing ourselves in better ways.

Some people don’t realize the truth until it is turned around on them. There is a big lack of respect for people among our generation. Values and standards seem to diminish more and more every day.

Finding a chivalrous gentlemen or a sophisticated, classy young lady is difficult these days.

Morals seem to be thrown out the window while distasteful behavior is openly welcomed.

When ladies call each other derogatory names it is the same concept of same as using the “n” word.

Hurtful words are thrown around freely without consideration of any consequences for your own social group.

But the first instance an outsider uses it, that person is wrong and has no respect.

Does it really have to be pushed up against your face for you to realize the real meaning of these words?

Whether it’s the “n” word or “b**ch,” used by guys or girls, offensive words should not be used against friends or people in general.

It doesn’t matter how covered up these words may be, those words have one meaning and that meaning is never positive.

Skyy Sandifer is a sophomore magazine production student from Miami. She can be reached at skyysandifer@yahoo.com.