Where I live and goto school, I hear racial terms used daily. But not in the racial 'way' that you might think. Such terms that were once used as a hateful term in the past to describe African Americans are now being used as a greeting by African Americans themselves.
I don't understand how the human race can evolve away from racism if such terms are still imminent in todays society.
I love the absurdity of society however. Although African Americans use derogatory terms to talk to there fellow friends, other races can't use it?
Does this make much sense?
It's almost as hypocritical as trying to say we are all the same.
I really can't fathom as why do such people like Al Sharpton get angry when such terms are allocated to the race of the African Americans if they use it themselves.
Like I said in my day to day life I hear this term used numerous times...
Although I am not racist, subconsciously hearing this term thrown around like its nothing is not doing any good.
If we cannot move on from hearing this term, our society will continue to degrade and never be hatred free.
Now I know that we will never be totally rid of hatred but its about time we kill terms that plagued us since the turn of the century.
come on people
+mspin
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we are not all the same, that is the truth and will never change. The point is that we should all accept everyone differences. I know that sound so cliche, but it is true.
Whether Blacks say the N word to each other or other words, that is not the cause of racism. yes, these terms were once used in hateful ways towards us, and now we say it to eachother in an un hateful.
I not saying that this word is acceptable at all, but blacks saying it to other blacks who are their friends is not hatred. so why would these words make "our society continue to degrade and never be hatred free"?
Liv Life Your Way
Easily, because white people aren't allowed to use it.
If i went up to a black person and said, "what up N", I would probably get murdered.
If you think we respect everyone then why are people speaking out against racism and why is there affirmative action?
+mspin
It is always more acceptable to use negative words that are associated in some way with yourself.
"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do."
Benjamin Franklin
I do not belive that everyone respect, we should, but we don't.
One huge leap towards racism is to stop sterotypeing differents races. I have had plenty of white people say the N word to me and have just walked away from it. And I don't understand what is the big issue with the word. Is it that important for white people to say it. just don't.
Liv Life Your Way
You're missing the point o.thagrl. White people don't NEED to say it. The fact that if a white person says it, most african americans get angry at them. This is ludicrous. A way that we stereotype races IS through the N word....
+mspin
I don't use the N word but the fact is that other black people will always use it. The likely hood of the N word being elimiated has just as much chance as the majority of teens pledging abstinence.
Yes, there are a lot of black people who will get mad if a white person says that word, so just don't say.
I don't think you fulling understand that when a black person says the n word to another black person it is not offensive, they are using it as a greeting. when a white person says it, it is offensive. That not fair, but life is not fair
Liv Life Your Way
I was just being called an evil racist conspirator for suggesting that a good way to deal with the n word would be to remove the power from it. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one...
"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do."
Benjamin Franklin
I'm sure that you being called "an evil racist conspirator" dealt with a lot more then just suggesting the N word be removed from power.
Liv Life Your Way
No. It really wasn't. That was exactly the point I was making, and I was branded (by only one person, mind you) as an evil racist conspirator.
"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do."
Benjamin Franklin
It's like when you're angry with a relative and call them every name in the book but GOD Forbid that anyone else besides another relative talks bad about them!
Thank you Zena Princess, you are the only one that gets what i am trying to say.
it like
If my sister calls our mom an asshole, i would not be mad, but if one of my friends did then it is a whole other ball game.
Liv Life Your Way
.Although African Americans use derogatory terms to talk to there fellow friends, other races can't use it?
Other races can use it. I hear people of different races saying "nigga" all the time. For those who do use it. it's fine if a person of another race means it the same way a Black person would mean it. There's a difference between saying "what's up nigga" and "you bleeping nigger", and I don't mean the way the word is spelled. Also it depends on what kind of person one is. If a White guy like Eminen said "what up Nigga" no one would blink. Because he fits the stereotype of the kind of people that use that word.
I really can't fathom as why do such people like Al Sharpton get angry when such terms are allocated to the race of the African Americans if they use it themselves.
Why is it always Al Sharpton? You say that like Sharpton thinks it's fine for Black people to use the term.
I don't think the word is as important think. Without it people would still be racist. If people, Black and not Black, weren't so occupied with the word maybe we could move on.
I pretty much never say it unless I'm discussing the word, but sometimes it's necessary to use it to convey the importance of something. Once after taking an exam my friend asked me if it was gonna be hard and my response was, "Nigga.......you better study." I know random example, but the point is it can be used and have absolutely nothing at all to do with race.
This is a video of this Indian guy on Def Comedy Jam talking about the use of the word and how it's just a noun now. i don't know how to do html linking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvcW8NpTuhA
I'm going back to Africa
I am black and I do not use the word, and it is probably said less often than many people think. The reason why this is such a big issue is because it is constantly being shoved in our face. We hear it in movies, on tv, and especially in the hip-hop culture. We are constantly being exposed to ONLY black people using a racist term to greet each other.
I'm not denying that there are double standards when dealing with the word nigger. There is only so much we can do when a large group of people, that aren't only black, use the word in a very lax way. We would have to make a conscious decision as a whole to stop using the word that, not many years ago, was used as a derogative term.
Also, I saw that Affirmative Action was brought up earlier. Affirmative Action was previously set in place for equal opprotunities for blacks. I do not believe that this is the case any longer. Affirmative Action is for equal opprotunity for all people. This is whether you are black, white, hispanic, a man, a woman, poor, handicap etc.
Since all of us know that special interest groups basically run our government here is some information on one that supports Affirmative Action and it's reasons behind it:
http://www.affirmativeaction.org/
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"Most intellects do not believe in God, but they fear us just the same." - Erykah Badu
I'm African American and I'm proud to say that my family does not use that word. I think that African Americans should not say the n word to eachother because it does make it seem to other races that it is ok to say that word.
my blog!! http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/fighter25
When an oppressed minority "reclaims" a word, it is a way of taking the sting out of it. My friends and I say the words "dyke" and "queer" all the time, because we've all been called those words by mean-spirited people before, so using it amongst friends who mean you no harm makes it less painful...it's like a sorority of shared pain. We would never use the f-word because that's not an experience we share, but gay men have that shared experience. Does that make sense? As others have already said, it's about intention, but I think it is also about earning the right to reclaim it. A straight person who says "dyke," even if they mean well, is not all that different from a straight person who says it to be mean, because neither understands the exact emotional impact the word can have.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman