We can all agree that name calling is nasty and is meant to hurt the person on the receiving end of those words. So we don’t say “N—-r” instead we say “Blacks” write “N-word” and everyone know what that means. “Jew” is not acceptable so we say or write “Jewish person.” For Mexicans “Tonto” is a word often used if you want to say that someone is not very intelligent or has done something remarkably silly. Estúpido/a can be used interchangeably, but it is somewhat less common than tonto/a.
NAME CALLING or STEREOTYPING: Giving a person or an idea a bad label by using an easy to remember pejorative name. This is used to make us reject and condemn a person or idea without examining what the label really means. Examples: “Republican”, “Tree-Hugger”, “Nazi”, “Environmentalist”, “Special-Interest Group”.
Propagandists use this technique to create fear and arouse prejudice by using negative words (bad names) to create an unfavorable opinion or hatred against a group, beliefs, ideas or institutions they would have us denounce. This method calls for a conclusion without examining the evidence. Name Calling is used as a substitute for arguing the merits of an idea, belief, or proposal. It is often employed using sarcasm and ridicule in political cartoons and writing.
How to end this post? James Cagney never actually said “You dirty rat,” but a line in his 1932 film “Taxi!” probably came closest. At least that wasn’t against any group.
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