Even if we don't go back to the 14th-century origin of the word thug, with its specificity toward Indian ethnic backgrounds, we can look right around today to the usage. Black communities have leveraged the word to remove its power from the racists who have wielded it against them for decades.

As Tupac defined it, a thug is someone who is going through struggles, has gone through struggles, and continues to live day by day with nothing for them.

Also:

the white conservative movement in the U.S.A. has adopted it as a substantive replacement for the vulgar and toxic term "nigger" which is no longer safe for use in most media channels.

Also:

A term used by racist white people that means "black Americans who obviously did something wrong even if I know nothing about them and commit crimes and destroy American sports".

Also:

George Zimmerman shot and killed thug Trayvon Martin.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=thug

The argument that "we have more gun control laws than ever" is a deceptive one, since the laws have been consistently undercut by well-financed propaganda outfits, who often use racist diatribes like this one, which can be accurately paraphrased: "Guns don't kill people; n----rs kill people."

So that's how you perceive the word? If so you may be right. You may be a racist.

and Judge Mathus used the term thug referring to street criminals.

thug
[thuhg] Show IPA
noun
1.
a cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer.
2.
( sometimes initial capital letter ) one of a former group of professional robbers and murderers in India who strangled their victims.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thug

a brutal ruffian or assassin : gangster, tough

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thug

The word is actually older than that, it is a loan word derived from the Hindi and Urdu word for thief.

BTW, when the British used it, it had a specific meaning
http://www.oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=thug&_searchBtn=Search

...characterizes the user as a racist, what does that say about those of us calling Republicans "rethugs"?

..."The government hates rap." "Tupac got shot on the strip." "If you wanna get away with murder, all you gotta do is shoot someone and then put a demo tape their pocket." (Chris Rock)

But this is simply all about misplaced projection, and can thus be safely relegated to the realm of fevered imagination.

Fine me, jail me.
Stamp me, mail me.

of beer. Go forth and do try to sin a bit less, there's a good lad...

in certain quarters, I'd be called a "union thug", and I'm as white as Andy Williams.

I've seen the term "thugs in Congress" used numerous times here on DU.

Last time I checked... the US Congress is overwhelmingly white.

..."assault reasoning" going on here. Maybe...

If:
- you are pro-gun rights
- speak more than 10 words and
- one of them is thug (or certain other listed words)
then, you are a pro-gun racist.

The term, thug, covers all forms of criminas, white, black, asians, whatever. I notice that you have a habit of calling a term you don't like racist.
I'm white and I use the terms thugs, perps, dirtbags, criminals, so what? I'm not refering to the race of the person, I'm refering to the fact that they are law breakers. I have AA cops in my Division that use the same terms, explain that.

Your whole post smells like a pile of

I mean, after all, you say it's racist which is against the rules on DU, so I assume that you hit the alert button.

Thug is a Hindi word and refers to a cult of murderers that existed since the 14 Century in India

-- it would only be racist if applied to Indians.

come here and explain how he would disarm the population.

...too easy!

But first, let me ask you remember seeing Vanna White on Johnny Carson way back when. Johnny had asked about her job and her qualifications. Vanna said "I'm a letter turner." Her qualifications: "I know all the letters."

But I believe to disarm the population only requires that you take away all the guns.

Right??

That's not my job, that's the job of the police and military.

The magic P and M squad deriving its unlimited power from the total improbability drive.

I'd have to huff glue for month to think up ideas like that.

I would have no part of disarming the population, I value my life too much, and most cops would feel the same way.

Thanks for your service.

Hoyt-zombie or Hoyt-sockpuppet?

but those posts are to detailed which Hoyt wasn't known for.

Last edited Mon Nov 5, 2012, 10:36 PM - Edit history (1)

...unknot their shorts. I got rid of (mostly) the "th" word.

but my opinion is that you should have left it as is, fuck em.

...I got up at 5 AM EST and flew to LA. I've been at work for 7 hours having changed the same spec back and forth four times for reasons that I'm no longer paying attention to. I've been awake for 15 hours on 4 hours sleep. I just think it's funny. I think they should sit on a block of ice while having the hiccups and inhale their own face. I'm a bit slaphappy that's all.

I thought it was funny also, a slap at that poster. I expect a thread in Meta complaining how the gungeon is full of RW racists.

LOL