Yes it's offensive. Since it's first use it has had a meaning of poverty, insignificance, and dirtiness.

yes

how come we hear it so often? adults use it...academics use it, even..why?

It really depends on the person. One of my friends is black and He uses the word.

well the word was first used during world war 2 in refernece to the make shift towns that the Nazis would set up...

in jewish communities. each Jewish person was rounded up according to their names and shipped off to death camps

good call, tyler...it really has horrendous roots...and yeah, mike, it's used by everyone..but HOW is it used?

being "ghetto" was always an offensive phrase, its from the lowest of the low, but now days being ghetto can show some sort of power. if you

were born and raised ghetto and ever come out on top, you gain props, as if your a hard ass because of it

idk ghetto can be used as sarcasm too, like when we act really white we say awww thats so ghetto

I think that it depends on the people who use it. our usage of ghetto is slightly varied from the kids growing up in the citys rough parts.

yeah but how often do u see kids from the city thinking theyre badass just cuz where they are from

i dont think its offensive in this day and age.. its used more of a joke term now a days..?

Yer telling me! Hehehehehehe! I love toast!

you guys are right...multiple meanings...omar, who do you know from the city that you feel does that? i've seen that alot

the city carries certain connotations...and everyone knows it..our demographics (even a wheatlander!) can be used for/against us

Yeah, I agree with Mike. It definitely depends on the text that you use the word in. However, I do think it was originally said with

and SHOULD it be a joke? do you think it's a joke to people who actually live in the ghetto...like matt said..we love to say it in a joking

fashion..i say it!! i admit it!!

a meaning of "lower" and "dirty"- refering to the run down housing of the black community

I think it's one of those words now that it depends on who says it and in what context. It's like when a black person calls another another

a "nigger" and it's not found offensive at all, but it's a different story if it was a white person.

that's a great point...that would have been my next question..is it ok? why? i do agree that it's context..and personal

Stopppppppppppp it please!!!!!!!!

we can't stop. this is our class discussion. and what our class is about. differences between people and races and how we treat each other.

oooooooooooooo Then sorry did not know

it's okay :]

it shouldnt be a joke, and the term gets overkilled just like many others.. but as i've said before, you have a choice, they don't choose to

rise above "expections" and not enough people care to help them. there is no excuse for people to live in these "gettos"

I FULLY agree with brians statement. they do need to take some responsibility for their own circumstances.

Ghetto vs. Trailer park trash?

yea exactly!!

is hilbilly offensive? or redneck?

i dont think people find those words half as offensive as they do the word ghetto

i dont think any of them are offensive

and in many ways rednecks and ghetto people are alot alike

yeah it is offensive, its basically saying something is poor or dirty

it depends on how it's used i think. i can be used to describe something but some people may see it as a good thing like as being "badass"

even though it was meant to describe an area that is prominantly one culture whether its black latino or irish, it is accossiated with black

more often now days

why is ghetto more or less offensive than redneck or PWT? context is key, it seems