The "N" word

[wart57]

White People: Stop saying it! Nothing good can come from it, it is a stupid, ignorant word and should never under any circumstances ever, I repeat EVER be uttered. I am sick of hearing it.

This goes for you too African Americans; there is no place in civilized society for that word, if you don’t want white people saying it, maybe you should consider not saying it either.

I hope that dumb ass red neck Eagles receiver gets his head taken off. Dude, I think you will get your chance to fight a lot of the people you referred to with that word.


Seriously people, stop using that word. I hate that stupid ass word.

If we learn one thing from Pula Dean(and no, not that butter is awesome - we already knew that anyway), using that word is not only stupid, but it is very costly.

People who use the "N" word - shut the [expletive] up.

[obucard]

We get it. You don't have to be a nagger.

Sorry. Couldn't resist. In all seriousness, I approve of this rant.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

It's never going to go away, even as every generation becomes less and less racist. This is true simply because of its power. Saying it unfortunately makes people noticeable even if for all the wrong reasons.

The only way for it to lose it's 'meaning' or whatever is for people to stop caring about it. But, of course, that's never going to happen either.

So....get all pissy, but it's a waste of time. All you can control is yourself and somewhat your family.

At least that's my view on it. I wish it wasn't around, but I also wish we had world peace.

[Molly]

It's never going to go away, even as every generation becomes less and less racist. This is true simply because of its power. Saying it unfortunately makes people noticeable even if for all the wrong reasons.

The only way for it to lose it's 'meaning' or whatever is for people to stop caring about it. But, of course, that's never going to happen either.

So....get all pissy, but it's a waste of time. All you can control is yourself and somewhat your family.

At least that's my view on it. I wish it wasn't around, but I also wish we had world peace.

I wish everyone could treat the word the same way Mel Brooks did in Blazing Saddles; just put it right out there and let people realize it's just a word. Wishful thinking on my part I know.

[thrill]

Never understood why we should want to "take it's power" or turn into "just a word." It's very powerful and represents so much more than the word itself.

When it's used like it was recently, it's a powerful reminder to white people of what horrible things we did with our cultural, racial and economic dominance. We robbed millions of people of their lives and cultural heritage. That's an important thing to not forget because there's still a lot of social inequality we need to work on and just "moving on" from a word that represents all of that would be to let ourselves off the hook. Let bum ass white wide receivers show their ass every now and then to remind us that the ignorance of our past isn't confined there. Every time they pop up, it's an opportunity to remind ourselves and our children that we have to be better than our past.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Never understood why we should want to "take it's power" or turn into "just a word." It's very powerful and represents so much more than the word itself.

When it's used like it was recently, it's a powerful reminder to white people of what horrible things we did with our cultural, racial and economic dominance. We robbed millions of people of their lives and cultural heritage. That's an important thing to not forget because there's still a lot of social inequality we need to work on and just "moving on" from a word that represents all of that would be to let ourselves off the hook. Let bum ass white wide receivers show their ass every now and then to remind us that the ignorance of our past isn't confined there. Every time they pop up, it's an opportunity to remind ourselves and our children that we have to be better than our past.

Simply put, I disagree.

Personally, I don't feel like I have wronged African Americans in any way. If you can point to something I have done wrong, I'd be more than willing to admit my mistakes, but I just don't see any.

Conversely, I see how I have wronged homosexual couples with my old bigoted views. I voted against allowing same sex couples to house foster children. That was wrong. I've admitted it was wrong and changed my point of view. Not only that, I will do whatever to amend the harm I have caused. I no longer appease bigoted views but will confront them whenever I see them, rather its family or friends or strangers on the street. My family and friends pretty much agree with me, but whatever. that wasn't always the case.

Getting back on point, I just don't see bigoted views or racism as this mega problem pushing African Americans into poverty....though I readily admit I could be wrong and would gladly admit it if presented with facts.... IMO, racism isn't ever going away, but it's also not keeping African Americans from working and being part of society.

It is just a word and if you want to turn it into something so much more than that, fine. But, there's a lot of people who use it everyday without a bat of an eye from anyone. So....it's just a word so long as certain people say it.

[thrill]

Personally, I don't feel like I have wronged African Americans in any way.

You misunderstand. It's not about what you've done, it's about not forgetting the past.

When I was a really little kid, I was at a mall with my Grandpa, my Great-Grandparents and my sister. I was running around a fountain playing tag with a black kid around my age. My great-grandma saw me, came over, grabbed my arm and said "DON'T PLAY WITH THAT [expletive] BOY."
I was very young but it stuck with me because I knew at the time that she said the worst word you could possibly say. I remember being very mad and embarrassed because a) I wanted to keep playing and b) the little boy clearly heard her.

I think about it now and I realize that my great grandma was a wonderful woman. If I was born in rural Illinois in the early 1900's I would probably be racist too. There's nothing that separates me from her other than the work of the civil rights movement and exposure to other cultures outside my own over enough time. I haven't earned my beliefs about race through any enlightenment of my own. I'm a product of my time and circumstances just like she was. Moving on, trying to forget about the past is the quickest way for it to repeat itself. I don't want white Americans to forget about slavery or how it was totally fine to call someone a [expletive] a couple generations ago just like I don't want Germans to "move on" from the Holocaust.

Getting back on point, I just don't see bigoted views or racism as this mega problem pushing African Americans into poverty.

That's not back on point. The use of [expletive] in society is the point.

IMO, racism isn't ever going away, but it's also not keeping African Americans from working and being part of society.

If you don't understand how economic class determines financial success and social opportunity and can't understand the relationship between race and class in our country, I don't know what to tell you. Racism is a belief system. Economic opportunity or lack thereof is capitalism. It's two different conversations and black people typically end up on the [expletive] side of both equations because of what white people did to them hundreds of years ago.

[pioneer98]

Getting back on point, I just don't see bigoted views or racism as this mega problem pushing African Americans into poverty....though I readily admit I could be wrong and would gladly admit it if presented with facts.

No, it's not overt racism that has pushed (or kept) minorities in poverty. "Prejudice" or "bias" might be better words. Nonetheless, we have way, way more blacks in prison than any other group. Punishments for crimes that blacks are more likely to commit get much steeper penalties. Inner city schools suck. When the economy cratered, minorities were affected much worse than whites.

I can dig up articles and things about this stuff. Notice that these things aren't the fault of a single person. The prison population, the economy, crappy schools, etc...these are things where the prejudice is built into the system. You can't point at a single person on any of these things and say "It's his fault!" but that doesn't mean it's not real. This is why I'm not totally against affirmative action. It tries to even things out a little by biasing certain things in the opposite direction. I don't always agree with how it is implemented, but I'm not against the concept.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I think we agree, maybe. People shouldn't forget. But, no one word should be the equivalent of a pile of hay covered in gasoline. That's what I feel the n word is right now. It's just way too combustible and has the ability to enrage people more than any one word should. I understand the history and where everyone is coming from. But, looking at the now, it has too much power.

As you mention, economic class begets financial success and social opportunity. So, ending on the short end of the stick has more to do with background than racism. That's my point and you put it together better than I did. To blame it on present day racism seems disingenuous.

[wart57]

When a Hip-Hop artist uses the "N" word he or she can makes millions.

When a white person does, he or she can lose everything.

It isn't that difficult, If you are white, don't use that word, ever.

Is it fair? Probably not, but it is a lot more fair than slavery was.