Though he has issued a formal apology for his use of the n-word, Reverend Jesse Jackson’s actions were irresponsible, incomprehensible, and reflect poorly upon him as a supposed role model for today’s African American youth. And to compound this issue even more, Whoopi Goldberg sang praises to the n-word before a national television audience of millions of people. Not only did she devalue herself—as she is an African-American, but also the sacred memories and history of her ancestry, and the black community in general. This type of behavior is totally unexpected of such influential African Americans and completely unacceptable by any African American.
Today, in this 21st century, the n-word has been reduced to being only a racial slur—in that it solely refers to one’s complexion, and none of the struggle, strife, degradation, and dishonor that pieced together the very foundation of the term. Thus, in this light, some people believe that the word can be desensitized; metamorphosed into this acceptable, unsubstantially mind-controlling term; and embraced by all. These same people believe that the n-word is just a word, no different from any other negative word. However, they are wrong.
I challenge anyone to take any word in the English language, pit it against the n-word—300-plus diabolical years of heinous acts, mental and physical bondage of a people, and tell me unequivocally and without a single doubt in your heart that neither of the terms is any worse than the other…Impossible. “N**ger” is the most infamous, profane word in the English language.
Although I do not, in any way, attempt to diminish any other race’s struggles, no other term—whether it be a racial slur—equals that of the n-word. N**ger(a), because of the historical baggage and true purpose at its core, cannot be stripped down to only a racial slur that chunks ridicule at one’s outer skin tone. Color is where it starts, true, but beneath the thin layer of skin, just as beneath the earth’s thin crust, an extremely complex mechanic ferociously works to fulfill a higher-level, long-term, incomprehensible plot—one above that which can be seen by the naked eye.
White America claimed that the slaves were subhuman; three-fifths of a human; lesser than a brute animal; bestial and savage. This very definition, therefore, gave them the right to dehumanize the slaves by slaughtering, butchering, and maiming them; brutally raping slave wives and daughters; executing mental genocide on a race of people; sodomizing with hot pokers; boiling and burning alive innocent people; disemboweling and castrating young men; and unmercifully beating ascendants until slivers of skin, shown to the red meat, dangled from their bodies—only to be met with more unbearable pain as the ridiculers poured whiskey and kerosene on the open wounds. As the victimized gasped for their last breath, they heard the jeers of “n**ger, n**ger, n**ger” in their final moment.
For those who say this glimpse into the past is nothing more than a hyperbole of America’s racist mentality that prevailed for more than 300 years, they do not have to look any further than the recent West Virginia, Megan Williams case of kidnapping, raping and torturing to realize that this is not an exaggeration and that racism, and its foundation logic of mental enslavement, is still alive and well.
The n-word cannot be sanitized, cleansed, inverted, or redeemed as a culturally liberating word. The argument that the n-word can be changed into this endearing and meaningless term is a fallacy of enormous proportions—regardless to who utilizes the term or the excuse for its use. It is impossible to undo all that was executed upon African-American ancestors, so why would one believe that they could miraculously transform the meaning of the term and disregard all of the indignity attached to the idiom?
All African Americans should regard the argument for transforming the n-word as an insult to their intelligence. Regardless to how the word is used today, its sinister and evil history cannot be eradicated, transformed or successfully redefined. The term will always suggest that black people are second-class citizens, ignorant and less than human; proponents’ use of the term implies that they have accepted their role as such, and informs others that it is okay to live up to the definition and expectations of a “n**ger.”
Whoopi and others like her have forgotten and/or are perhaps blissfully ignorant to the pain, sacrifices, life and death struggles of their ascendants and how they survived tremendous obstacles, trials and tribulations. Embracing the n-word is an effrontery to her ancestors’ glorious legacy, a mockery of their memories. N-word supporters fail to understand their affect on the minds of today’s youth with their deleterious dysfunction and culturally degrading acceptance of this word.
The n-word is a surviving remnant of a psychological warfare conducted to create dependency and behaviors that support achievement of a devious national objective: mental enslavement of a race of people. It is a passively slick form of psychological, social, mental, and spiritual abuse that only results in the death and destruction of a race of people at the hand of that race of people—African Americans.
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If light of the strong opposition and degredation that you claim the n-word imposes, why then, is it acceptable for African Americans to call each other the n-word?
The impression is being given that all African Americans approve of the use of the word and nothing could be further from the truth. Not all African Americans are demented and enervated to the point of referring to themselves as the n-word, just as all white people are not racist.
I'm not quite sure I follow your logic here. What is the explanation for one African American calling another one the n-word? I am sure that not all African Americans do it, but certainly a lot of them do, especially in my neighborhood. You're choice of adjective are directly opposite one another so I don't undertand what you are trying to say about those who engage in such conduct. Calling them demented implies at least some sort of emotional reaction, while enervated suggests they have no reactions whatsoever.
Demented - Mad or insane
Enervated - Weak minded
Only someone mad or insane and/or weak minded takes a word that was used to dehumanize their ancestors and embrace it with tender loving care.
I highly doubt that Whoopi Goldberg has forgotten or ignored her past. I don't think she was saying that all Black people should use it, but that when blacks and whites use it they usually mean different things. In my experience, white people who use it or advocate for its use just want to be able to hurt black people as much as they can without any repercussions. I think there are two main reasons why black people (those who use it) use the word:
1) They are trying to ease the pain of that horrible word by making it into an inside joke amongst themselves. Which is also why many don't like when white people use it, because it is not a part of their oppression and therefore they aren't in on the joke.
2)They are ignorant.
I think with younger people (like 80's kids and later) it's largely ignorance. And with older people it's usually the latter.
I do agree with your overall point that the word's history cannot just be magically erased. But mental enslavement can happen even without that word. In a society where anything that isn't white is a deviation of the norm, that word isn't necessary to destroy a group of people.
I'm sure a bunch of people are gonna get on here and say it's just a word.
Black is Beautiful
Listening to Whoopi would one get the sense that all African Americans internalizes use of the word and with millions of people watching and listening to her she should have clarified that was not the case and she failed to do so.
I agree that mental enslavement can happen with or without that word, no one is arguing that point, the question is should African Americans be referring to themselves as a word whose historical purpose IS to mentally enslave? The answer should be a resounding no. The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck made a very good point, she has a little girl who she is raising not to use the n-word, the little girl hears African Americans using the word towards one another, so now the litle girl is all confused. But yet not nearly half as confused as the African Americans who use the word.
The bottom line is that common sense dictates that you just simply do not walk around referring to yourself as a word that is demeaning, degrading and drenched in immorality. I find it to be very disturbing when I hear Blacks continually finding excuses to insult and demean themselves, that is not normal behavior.
I agree she should have been clearer.
Was that word created to mentally enslave, or is mental enslavement just a side effect? Sorry to be nit picky.
Black is Beautiful
The initial intent and purpose of the n-word was to categorized our ascendants as something other than normal to justify the brutal acts being perpertrated upon them. So just as recently as the 60s the use of the word wasn't being used just as a racial slur an adjective, it was being used as a proper noun. Making it perfectly alright to perform any acts they so desired on you since a n**ger is not looked upon as a normal human being.
White America wasn't content with physically enslaving our ascendants they had a need to enslave the minds as well. Slave plantation owners, overseers, merchants, bankers, all of those who were the benefactors of the American enslavement of black people, had a huge stake in eliminating the identity of the newly arrived Africans. This aided in keeping them disoriented, and congenial towards being better slaves. It also set up the African to voluntarily accept European values, traditions, and habits. That was all they were allowed to embrace, while at the same time, contributing to a total disintegration of their own culture.
Mental illness is generally defined as some behavior that is harmfully abnormal. The abnormalities in these instances are based on two variables: 1) acceptance and behavior patterns that reflect a belief that a European value system is superior; 2) a negative outlook on anything black. One begets the other.
"Capture their minds, and their hearts and souls will follow." For once their minds are reached, they're defeated without bullets.
After almost 4 centuries of mind abuse the n-word serves as a direct link to mind control. The n-word contains almost 400 hundred years of built negative energy and is well embedded into the hearts and minds of African Americans. You put any race of people through what the African American has had to experience and the results will be the same, providing any other race would have been able to survive similar ordeals, for it is truly an amazing feat that our ascendants were able to overcome and survive all the immoral acts perpertrated upon them.
THE only big question I have for you and your arguement is, perhaps the most important Aspect of your arguement is what race are you???
*MannY*
I am a chocolate brown African American!!!! Let's face it we do come in many different flavors and I am of the chocolate variety. I understand your question because there are indeed a lot of impersonating games being played on the Internet, but trust me I am the real deal.