Am I the only one that finds "mutt" and "mongerel" offensive?

[Nikia]

I know that I posted this in the where did your family come from. My family came from most areas of Europe and this country before the Europeans arrived. I am proud to have ancestors from so many different cultures. People are not domestic animals that are bred for specific characteristics. Humans have been migrating at interbreeding since humans have come into being. "Mutt" and "mongerel" implies that people coming from only one heritage are superior to genetically diverse people. That is not true. If anything, more diversity is good and helps avoid genetic diseases associated with particuliar groups. I am socially and look physically Caucasian so I do not experience the problems of multiracial people of racial identity, which makes terms like these even more offensive. A 1/4 black, 3/4 white girl who looked Mexican beat up another girl at school for calling her "mutt" and my high school avoided punishing her because they felt she had been racially harassed. I am not going to beat anyone up, but I am offended by "mutt".

[ibegurpard]

1. Thank God!

I was afraid you were going to say you find it offensive in the context of talking about a dog. Yeah, I would agree that it is an inappropriate term to use when describing a person.

[Swede]

2. Doesn't really bother me.

I'm a Hienz 57 mixture too.

[DarkPhenyx]

3. I am a mutt, and very proudly so.

In general mutts combine the best and strongest traits of their sires, and are much healthier and longer lived.

LONG LIVE THE MONGRELS!

[45th Med]

4. I'm heinz 57

Hawaiian, whitey, filipino and lord knows what else.

[mainer]

5. my kids are beautiful mutts

and they're all the better for it. Hybrid vigor!

No, I don't consider it an offensive term at all.

[DoNotRefill]

6. Depends on how it's used.

If you say to your mixed-breed dog "Hey, c'mere mutt!" It's not offensive.

If you use it to denigrate a person, it's offensive.

If you use it as a term of endearment, it's not necessarily offensive if the person being called it doesn't think it's offensive.

One thing: In the animal kingdom, "mutts" and "mongrels" tend to be stronger than their "pure-bred" counterparts, due to the lack of inbreeding. For example: Pure-bred German Shepards tend to have serious problems with hip displasia, while mixed-breeds tend to not have it so frequently.

If I were a dog, I'd rather be a mutt than a pure-bred. :evilgrin:

[supernova]

7. Johnny Depp has referred to himself

as a "pu-pu platter", which I find funny and appropriate.