Patrick Reed's Homophobic Outburst

[newtogolf]

If Reed directed it at someone else, it would be a concern, the fact he said it to himself during a moment of anger is not a concern except for the PC police who would like to brain erase any non-PC word from our brains.

I've golfed a very short time compared to many of you but I can't count how many times someone has made a reference like "nice hit " or some other reference that would indicate that the stroke was made with less than a "manly stroke" when you leave the ball short of the hole.

It's going to take a while for some terms or phrases to be erased from our subconscious, until they are, you have to determine the intent of the person saying it.  As @Ernest Jones wrote, it was juvenile thing to say but he probably didn't even consciously realize he said it.

[iacas]

Seems like a fairly important part of the story no?

Yoda would have left that part in...

No kidding.

OT, too.

[rb72]

I called my brother a gay slur one morning at the kitchen table when I was about 8 years old. Didn't have a clue what it meant but I had heard kids at school say it so I knew it was meant to be derogatory.

Next thing I knew my mom hit me in the side of the head with one of those big wooden kitchen spoons and said "Don't you ever call him that again!"

I thought wow that word must be a lot worse than I thought it was. The kitchen spoon must have done the trick because I can't recall ever saying it again.

For the most part I try to not say anything that I think is going to offend anybody but I also think a lot of people could use some thicker skin and could stop looking for ways to be offended.

Sounds like child abuse to me. Just ask A. Peterson.

[No Mulligans]

He had an emotional outburst, it was directed at himself, he's 24 years old.  I discount what he said by 99%.

Imo, writing he had a homophobic outburst is the same as saying he is homophobic.  Writing that on an internet forum with no further evidence than this one emotional outburst of his is much, much, worse than what he did.

[Lastpick]

I don't know the inner thoughts of Patrick Reed, but I was not offended because I just think it was an emotional outburst that is in poor taste.  He will be fined by the tour.  I don't see it as any different that the plethora of other curse words used by the touring pros that range from sex to religion.  The issue with Reed is that he is a slow player by tour standards.  This is what is unforgivable.

[Ernest Jones]

I don't know the inner thoughts of Patrick Reed, but I was not offended because I just think it was an emotional outburst that is in poor taste.  He will be fined by the tour.  I don't see it as any different that the plethora of other curse words used by the touring pros that range from sex to religion.  The issue with Reed is that he is a slow player by tour standards.  This is what is unforgivable.

You'd have to be moss to be a slow player by Tour standards. Those guys may be good but they take their sweet ass time.

[tristanhilton85]

This is basically where I stand.  I've had moments of juvenile twittiness in my past too.  You get angry, you say or do something stupid, immediately regret it, and then try to do better next time.  I grew up saying faggot, homo, retard, and other things like that.  It was quite "accepted" not all that long ago.  I've realized none of those words are acceptable anymore, and do my best to never say them, but it'll still happen on that rare occasion.

It's also less of a deal because he was talking to himself.

Is Reed a homophobe?  Heck if I know, but I know that this one comment does not make him one.

I'm not really going to waste my time begrudging anybody who wants to make a big deal out of this, but I'm not going to be one of them.

I was going to type a response, but you said it pretty well, so I'll just copy yours.

[9424tm]

Take Reeds statement and replace "faggot" with "nigger" and let me know what you think. The word nigger was fairly acceptable too at one point. Regardless of context or meaning that would be completely unacceptable.

[MS256]

Sounds like child abuse to me. Just ask A. Peterson.

If it is I'm glad I was abused.

Take Reeds statement and replace "faggot" with "nigger" and let me know what you think. The word nigger was fairly acceptable too at one point. Regardless of context or meaning that would be completely unacceptable.

And yet the African American community uses it all the time referring to themselves.

[Golfingdad]

Take Reeds statement and replace "faggot" with "nigger" and let me know what you think. The word nigger was fairly acceptable too at one point. Regardless of context or meaning that would be completely unacceptable.

I suppose you are probably right, but ... so what?  He didn't say that word.  'Faggot' (and to a slightly lesser extent, but in the same ballpark, 'retard') does not have nearly the history of the other one.  Nor has it been nearly as long since people have been conscious of how bad of a word it is, and been actively trying to curtail its usage.

Your word was a huge taboo long before I was even born, but those other two have been widely "accepted" as insults amongst kids up until quite recently.

[9424tm]

I suppose you are probably right, but ... so what?  He didn't say that word.  'Faggot' (and to a slightly lesser extent, but in the same ballpark, 'retard') does not have nearly the history of the other one.  Nor has it been nearly as long since people have been conscious of how bad of a word it is, and been actively trying to curtail its usage. Your word was a huge taboo long before I was even born, but those other two have been widely "accepted" as insults amongst kids up until quite recently.

1. It's not "my" word. 2. It was not a huge taboo. It was used in everyday language. It was also widely accepted among youths. 3. So what you are saying is we just wait it out until the word faggot has been around just a bit longer. Then decide it's not ok. How about just stopping now?

[9424tm]

And yet the African American community uses it all the time referring to themselves.

And 2 wrongs DO make a right?

[Ernest Jones]

1. It's not "my" word.

Figure of speech, obviously...

2. It was not a huge taboo. It was used in everyday language. It was also widely accepted among youths.

I believe @Golfingdad 's point was about recent history. Yes, it was widely accepted and used in everyday language, wasn't even considered a slur in fact, but that was quite some time ago. It has been considered taboo since before I was born.

3. So what you are saying is we just wait it out until the word faggot has been around just a bit longer. Then decide it's not ok. How about just stopping now?

I don't think anyone is saying that, certainly not Golfingdad.

Look, I get your outrage. I hate homophobes, racists and anyone else who doesn't respect human beings for who they are (hell, I've been put in the Penalty Box for calling them out), but you're really choosing the wrong guy to take issue with. I think perhaps you haven't read many of Golfingdad's posts.

[newtogolf]

1. It's not "my" word.

2. It was not a huge taboo. It was used in everyday language. It was also widely accepted among youths.

3. So what you are saying is we just wait it out until the word faggot has been around just a bit longer. Then decide it's not ok. How about just stopping now?

There would be no reason given the circumstances for Reed to use the "n" word so let's not just insert the PC word of the day and make this a bigger issue than it is.

Secondly, the term he used, while offensive, was / is associated with effeminate males and he was directing the comment at himself, no one else.  Would you feel better if he used wimp, homo, mary, nancy, woman or lil girl instead?   Are we going to label any term associated with weak or effeminate men as being offensive?

What's next, ban the use of "stupid", "dumb" or "idiot" because low IQ people are offended?  How about "geek" and "nerd", should those terms be banned too because the high IQ people consider them offensive?

We're on a slippery slope here with no end in sight, at some point context has to come into play or we'll end up banning half the words in the dictionary.

[Golfingdad]

1. It's not "my" word.

Just to add my responses to @Ernest Jones (which pretty much nailed it) ... I realize that, but I'm not feeling like even typing it out and typing "the 'N' word" just makes me chuckle and think of Louis C.K.

2. It was not a huge taboo. It was used in everyday language. It was also widely accepted among youths.

What Ernest said.  Of course it wasn't a huge taboo, but that was well before I was born (1973 in case you're wondering).  A long time ago.

3. So what you are saying is we just wait it out until the word faggot has been around just a bit longer. Then decide it's not ok. How about just stopping now?

I'm all for stopping its use now.  In fact, I'm actively trying to never use that word (or 'retard' - which has been harder to erase from the vocabulary) as of several years ago.

But, like somebody has previously said, I don't expect people who grew up with those words to stop using them as easily as it should be for kids today.  Kids, who hopefully, will never start using them.

To relate it to "your" word , wouldn't you agree that it's slightly less unacceptable (or perhaps, at least more understandable) to hear a 90 year old man from Alabama say it, than it would be to hear a 15 year old white teenager from California say it?

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And in all of our silly arguing, lets also not forget that this guy was mumbling to himself.  That does matter.

[Jeremie Boop]

There would be no reason given the circumstances for Reed to use the "n" word so let's not just insert the PC word of the day and make this a bigger issue than it is.

Secondly, the term he used, while offensive, was / is associated with effeminate males and he was directing the comment at himself, no one else.  Would you feel better if he used wimp, homo, mary, nancy, woman or lil girl instead?   Are we going to label any term associated with weak or effeminate men as being offensive?

What's next, ban the use of "stupid", "dumb" or "idiot" because low IQ people are offended?  How about "geek" and "nerd", should those terms be banned too because the high IQ people consider them offensive?

We're on a slippery slope here with no end in sight, at some point context has to come into play or we'll end up banning half the words in the dictionary.

I am not sure that any of what you just posted is going to be received well.

But related to part of what you wrote, I've never taken offense to the term "nerd" or "geek" really. I label myself as such a lot actually.

[newtogolf]

I am not sure that any of what you just posted is going to be received well.

But related to part of what you wrote, I've never taken offense to the term "nerd" or "geek" really. I label myself as such a lot actually.

I do too, but it seems the way these offensive terms work is that only people that belong to the actual group that should be offended by them get to use them.

[acerimusdux]

Imo, writing he had a homophobic outburst is the same as saying he is homophobic.  Writing that on an internet forum with no further evidence than this one emotional outburst of his is much, much, worse than what he did.

Huh?

He had a homophobic outburst.

I agree it's no big deal, but how is it wrong to write about it?

You aren't seriously trying to dispute that it was homophobic, are you?

I mean it's no great breaking news to me that a porfessional athlete is a homophobe, I think it's pretty common. That's just the workd we live in. But I don't see anything wrong with anyone pointing it out or suggesting people should think about these things.