New Rule: Replace the Word "Lynch" in Games

[Blair]

I tend to agree with Albert (for once ), lynch isn't used in a racially charged way in Mafia and I firmly believe 0% of the players and moderators whom are reluctant to change their vernacular are clinging to racist motives for doing so.

That said, this change doesn't meaningfully impact anything (which is also a reason to question it, but I can't conjure the energy), so I won't dispute it.

My ruleset carries ten instances of the term "lynch" so I shall oblige. Henceforth, all instances of "living players" shall be recoined "woke players" and all instances of "has been lynched" shall be recoined "has been canceled."

[Blair]

Can we rebrand Cops to Social Workers, please?

The history of racism in law enforcement speaks for itself. The fact that we not only include this terminology in our game format (as one of the most prominent "power" roles, no less) is bad enough, but to add insult to injury, Cops are near-universally placed on the town (read: "Good") side? What kind of message does that send?

[Blair]

Can we rebrand Cops to Social Workers, please?

The history of racism in law enforcement speaks for itself. The fact that we not only include this terminology in our game format (as one of the most prominent "power" roles, no less) is bad enough, but to add insult to injury, Cops are near-universally placed on the town (read: "Good") side? What kind of message does that send?

We will consider this. Thank you for the suggestion.

Finally, justice.

[Blair]

I'm looking forward to ABR and Blair also arguing for overturning the ban on using the n-word.

That wouldn't be consistent with my stated argument, so your bad faith mind reading attempt is noted.

[Blair]

I'm actually pretty down with getting rid of cop as a word. Detective is far better suited

Real talk: Is Detective not already a role? For some reason I thought it was.

[Blair]

No point arguing on a site that goes one way on that front Nex. I support getting rid of lynches IRL. I support california and Oregan actually arresting those people. I just, again, don't support removing anything from history because people don't like it.

how do you feel about confederate statues

Hot Take: The victorious side should always tear down the opposition's monuments if they intend to occupy the conquered territory. The Union should have torn those statues down as soon as victory was secured.

[Blair]

Lynch > Cancel
Cop > Detective
Scum > Problematic

We're almost there. We can solve this.

[Blair]

Guys,

I am super on board with this now.

Please from now on refer lynch to as "Cancel"

As in, vote to cancel this scum!

This is the objectively corect opinion.

You will not be canceled today.

[Blair]

Mods: This was a good decision and long over-due. Thank you.

Nay-sayers: I'd like to say that for one thing, several of you appear to be not American. And as a result, you don't have the context of exactly why so many Americans are uncomfortable with that word. I don't want that to sound condescending, simply that you are going to feel differently about the word as a result. In other contexts than mafia the word lynch can be taken to mean an execution as a result of some kind of "mob justice", typically by hanging. So maybe it just doesn't seem like a big deal to you. In the United States that word explicitly recalls lynchings of black men, not just throughout our whole history, or in the 1950's, but

even currently

as several other users have pointed out! We're having cases of black men being found dead hung from trees and our police rule them "suicides".

It is really the most minor of inconveniences to update your lingo to not include a word that carrys so much baggage, please just be cool.

I concede this is probably a fair assessment. Lynch doesn't carry any racial connotations for me.

I also agree it's a minor inconvenience (as I said in my first post in this thread! Don't mistake my shitposting for meaningful resistance).

[Blair]

We should just make all cops default to paranoid.

All cops are paranoid gun owners when you think about it.

[Blair]

why is there a blair and and a clair I hate this

I love it personally

wish I could say the same for their posts but I have been conditioned over many years to absorb huge quantities of disappointment

I accepted the new policy in my first post and acknowledged that it wasn't deep enough to fight over anyway. Since then I've been shitposting. Not sure why that's so disappointing.

[Blair]

One of you thinks they're mostly good with some bad apples. The other thinks they're mostly bad with some good apples.

Any interpretation that glosses over that is bad faith.

[Blair]

Tell me, how does the whole quote about bad apples go?

There are certain professions where it isn't really acceptable to have some bad apples. Police and aircraft pilots fit nicely in this category. We can probably agree there.

[Blair]

also while we're on the topic of changing the mafia role "cop", here's my proposal: a cop is a mafia-aligned player for whom any night action they perform has a 40% chance of failure because they're busy committing domestic assault that night

Pedantry Note: This would actually be a

modifier

as you have written it, not a role.

[Blair]

Cop > Doxxer
Lynch > Cancel
Scum > Problematic

Problem solved.

I doxxed Albert B. Rampage last night and discovered he is problematic! We need to cancel him today.

VOTE: Albert B. Rampage

Doctor please protect me tonight.

[Blair]

I am saddened that this has come to pass.

What is the replacement word that I should use?

"Eliminate" is silly.

We have settled on "Cancel."

[Blair]

You are surprised that you can't predict my opinions on all aspects of culture war issues based on my believing that black lives matter?

I'm saying I'm surprised that somebody with a BLM avatar would consider using another term besides the one that became famous as a way to extrajudiciously kill black people to be a "concession" and therefore bad, yeah.

Did he say the "and therefore bad" part or are you just projecting your personal opinion that there are no good concessions onto him?

He can say "This isn't 'brave' because the timing demonstrates it is a transparent concession" while believing it is also a good concession to make. That seems the more reasonable, non-strawman way to reconcile this.

[Blair]

Most slurs I'm aware of don't have a legitimate utility within a language that has little to nothing to do with any sort of prejudicial or discriminatory views. I'm also not aware of a particularly large sum of slurs, however.

Ah yes, legitimate utility. That's why dropping the word "chink" all over the forum is fine.

No wait, the opposite of that.

I've literally never heard the word "chink" used as anything other than to refer to a flaw in someone's armor. I've lived in six states in all corners of the US and been to >3 countries including circling the globe. When used in that context, no one has a problem with it either. No one, apparently, accept people like you.

I also hear "chink" more in reference to armor than anything else, but I have definitely heard it the other way.

[Blair]

I like problematic for scum that makes me chuckle.

Please help me come up with a new term for "kill" as well, I can't decide if there is something better than:

Firebringer was character assassinated by problematic figures last night. They were a: Town Doxxer