N-Word. No place in today's society.

reply to post by Marrr


Well I find the N word offensive because it is used as an insult and has been used in a completely dehumanizing manner for a very long period of history. The word was a word that was deeply linked in to the white supremacy that made slavery so socially obnoxious. Other races were slaves but and this is a big BUT there was never any clear identification of colour-based supremacy in recent times. Jim Crow officially ended in 1965 in the South who knows when it finished in the North as the North was as racist as the South but just more sneaky. A lot of White America benefited from Jim Crow in terms of preferential treatment in the job market, socially and psychologically.

I was called the N-word a year ago and I chose to chase the guy down the street. Had I have caught him well he would have been cornered and have to explain himself but he could have been decked pure and simple. Sorry I make no apology for my response to blatant acts of racism. Now anyone can have a dysfunctional relationship and call it a true friendship. I would support any white person's right to call their black friend or lover the N word. That is their business. There will be repercussions if any white person calls me that. I can take a punch and give a punch also. I find the entire support for the N word thing completely disingenuous when used by white people but "Hey Ho" this is a discussion forum so we can discuss this sensibly. The use of words do change but emotionally charged words take longer to change. 2000 years from now the N word may be a universal complement however it is not so at present.

Black people calling each other the N-word is and was a form of social and psychological desensitisation. It is their response to the racism that they have perceived and and continue to perceive around them. It was a bit like the karate practitioners who habitually used makiwara to condition their hands to break bricks of course this takes its toll in physical desensitisation in the same way that using the N-word causes dehumanisation. The desensitisation is in both cases leads to a form of strength but the price is still not acceptable.

For a white person to yell “get over it” is fine and dandy but scars remain not just racially but individually and collectively. I second the post by Primus2012 as posted here.

post by primus2012



Is it a coincidence that it is often used in Ghettos and Favelas (Brazil) where life is cheap which is another aspect of dehumanisation?

I just wish that the racists would just stop playing linguistic games for idiots and just come out straight with it.

I have a dream…. That one day we could round up all racists Black and white ( I hate ya all) and merely them all in sports stadia across the nation lock the doors and then chuck a load of edged weapons and blunt instruments. Any survivors can be sent to live in some barren hell hole. We the ordinary people can then just get on because most people are pretty cool in an ordinary and unassuming way.





[edit on 22-8-2010 by Tiger5]

[edit on 22-8-2010 by Tiger5]

reply to post by badw0lf


Well banning words today will lead to burning books tomorrow. I just do not see any need to descend to certain base levels of communication. we should comply with the letter and spirit of ATS.

Well first of all, there are a few different versions of the "n word". One has already been used here and that word is "Nigga". The other version is one most of us are familiar with and that word is "'n-word'"

Now I personally find either version of the word to be disgusting. It is a word born out of hate. Now you can sit back and tell me all day long that the word has changed it's meaning over time... and I will tell you that your an idiot. The word is still used in anger and hate to this very day.

Is the word any better just because it doesn't end in "er" and instead end with the letter "a"? No. The word still symbolizes what it always has.... hate. When young black men use this word towards each other, you are disgracing what your ancestors went through and fought for to make that word history. You continue the cycle of hate, even though that may not be your intention.

I know many racist. True blue racist that hate others simply for the color of their skin. I can tell you for a fact that they find it funny when that word is used by young black men. In their minds, it justifies their views, because you call each other that because you know what you are. That is the mentality of a racist.

We will never move past race as long as we continue to view each other as "niggas". I make no apologies for the fact that I do not see black men, white men, brown men. All I see when I look around me are men, and as long as we continue to distinguish each other based on what makes us different, we as a society will always have racism alive and well.

reply to post by intrepid


I wouldn't get too upset about it if I were you.

It is like gays calling themselves queers.

It is about people who have been called perjorative names adopting those names themselves in order to take the sting out of those names.

Originally posted by Esoteric Teacher

Originally posted by intrepid
I'll preface this by saying I'm a middle aged white guy.

honky / honkey / 'n-word'

which word got censored?

type them out for yourself, see what gets posted, and which word is automatically censored and re-written as: 'n-word'

'h-word' ... "H-word"

When I was 5, I remember referring to the "F" word because I wasn't big enuff to say "#." Now that I'm 40 years older, I see the idiocy of self censoring words by using the first letter of the word.

Growing up during the race riots of the 60s, I heard that word plenty by both sides. To me it is just a word, no worse than being called "home boy", "honkey" or "cracker."

This politically correct speak that we are taught is nothing but BS. When my kids told me I couldn't call an Indian an Indian but only refer to them as "Native Americans" I loaded them up into the car and drove to the reservation and asked if they minded being called Indians, "nah man, it's all good" was the response I got.

Why should the meaning of a word change by the color of a person using the word? To me that is hypocritical.

[edit on 22-8-2010 by survivalstation]

There is also a responsibility for Black people to refrain form using the word too. When non-Black people keep hearing Black people call other Black people by this word it reinforces the idea that the word is okay to use if you are Black. You can't make the word taboo for 3/4 the population and "neutral" for the remaining quarter. Perhaps Black people in the entertainment industry should consider this before they keep alive the use of this offensive word.

[edit on 22/8/2010 by Dark Ghost]

reply to post by Dark Ghost


This is all about people calling themselves a word - why is the whole world upset about a simple WORD?

So, as I said, people call themselves this word, and it takes the sting out of the word.

And if we had any heart or soul, we would be caring about dying and starving people.

reply to post by Dark Ghost


Fine. Except racism against black people has not been eradicated. So you would actually take away a certain defence mechanism that has now become habitualised? When black people in the USA and Brzil use the N- word it is not in the same context as when whites use it.


[edit on 22-8-2010 by Tiger5]

[edit on 22-8-2010 by Tiger5]

reply to post by soleprobe


But there is a NIGERIA...
and Niger

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

I used to use the word Cracker and redneck but don't use those now as a conscious decision. I don't need to justify such words as used against white people. I don't know if Honkey ever really cuaght on for long and certainly never caught on outside of the UK. Perhaps for some the argue should be to develop a pejorative agsinst whites? I would not be taking part in that exercise.

reply to post by LifeIsEnergy


Hi

That someone that said it was ignorant was me. You should reply to the post next time. It would be easier for me to see you disagree.

Anyway...

Not once I have called you ignorant. Just wrote that it would be ignorant to say.

I did post this part.

Second : Because It is you that still lingers in the past.

I can be wrong, but I can only learn from it when you tell me.
That's why I write this post. I like learning. That's where I'm here for.
If you felt offended, I'm sorry. It was not my intention to do so.

I'm a white guy and I do not live in the states. I would not use the N word if it meant I would offend others by using it. But to me the word holds no more weight then for example sandwich does. You are also welcome to call me stupid or whatever. It does not bother me if you did.

We're cool ?


You say that the word has been used to desensitize it when it was used in the past. Right ?
Obviously this didn't really work...

However those that use it idly and are ignorant to the past, they actually grew beyond that point where it has a negative meaning, whatever the reason. Right ?

That leaves me with a few possible options.
1. They still feel offended but are ignorant of the past. This will make them the racists.
2. No offense and ignorant would be good and simply means one less option to divide / spread hate.

3. They know their history and choose not to use the world at all. Use amongst each other makes others think that it is ok.

4.They still use it while they do know their history. Which is just hypocritical IMO and it makes them to keep up th wall that divides.

Not mentioned are those who offend intentionally...

Please don't feel offended by my post as it would be the wrong response.
I do not intend to offend. Feel free to correct me where I'm wrong. I would appreciate it.

Kind regards

~ Sinter

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


Well do check out my post. which is like a page or so before this. Suppose you were a german would you feel happy about the way the germans were identified in sixties World war films? THe UK press has carried many articles about how people in Germany resented the Brits's constant comments about the war.

I confess I am being disingenuous as I think u are a German.

reply to post by intrepid


What are you saying and why?

The word is a symbol of power of the white man against the black.

reply to post by Tiger5


Lol

I'm sorry I'm not GermanThe Dutch word used for German was Mof.
We got past it and left it behind. Although our occupation only lasted for 5 years.

I did read your reply. How do you think I came up with a fancy word like desensitization ?

I'm not calling for people to use or not use the N word. My biggest goal is that there is an equal in judging words good or bad. Cause the fact is that the meaning of these words is regional based. Either demand civility and don't approve any or allow all.

The important thing here are the people and the amount of respect they are willing to show, not using these words. The lack of respect is also a nice way to see if someone gets proven worthy to contribute in a system that demands higher standards then other places.

Hah

I was wrong . Anyway I am above all happy that we can discuss these things in a civilised manner. Yes desensitisation did not work nor did a lack of strategy or even social awareness.

I have always found the Dutch are very polite so I get your post.

Have a great day

[edit on 22-8-2010 by Tiger5]

[edit on 22-8-2010 by Tiger5]

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


No offense taken, sorry if I came off hard before. This subject, race relations, is my most passionate issue and so I can easily lose my patience, which is a fault of mine and not very Buddhist like, which I am trying to be. I think you made some good observations. In no way do I claim this about ALL people, but imo most who use this word amongst each other, mainly the uneducated and impoverished, are very well indeed ignorant of their history. And it has been proven to me over and over again, when I bring up Black history topics and my friends have no idea what I am talking about and switch the subject to some neighborhood drama or some rap/sports gossip. This troubles me because I see a need for unification amongst their community, a community that is riddled with violence and drugs. Where they are killing their own people over the most ridiculous stuff, and selling drugs to their own family members just to make a quick dollar.

I really don't focus so much on the use of this word, but it is a concern of mine, and many Black community leaders as well. There is a level of truth to the 'desensitizing of the word' argument, and I hear it often, but it is always founded on ignorant or unthought out points of argument and when thought through more most come to the conclusion that they shouldn't be using it. If you hang around a group of people who use this word in almost every few sentences, it is not hard to notice the level of ignorance their life is consumed by. I do not judge them for this, or say they are not capable, as many of them are very smart, and there is also a long and dark history of how it got to this point, and I too have fell into the trap like these kids, of selling drugs, talking ignorant (never the 'n- word tho) and using guns to solve my issues, but I just know it is wrong and feel the need to start trying to do some good. It really sucks because many people, including the organization I just started working for, are trying to help empower these communities and many of these kids would rather continue messing up their communities by selling drugs, shooting each other and joining gangs, or trying to become a rapper or model, instead of taking the jobs we are offering them and joining or creating similar organizations as ours, which is set on bettering their lives and their families lives. To the contrary, there are some 'waking up' but just not enough to create any real change. Anyways, I could talk about this for hours, but I won't burn your eardrum anymore.

Nah man the N word is part of our culture now. We have made it into a word denoting anything but negativity. A N-word is another word for dude but referring to a minority now more so than a black person. A white person still isnt really allowed to say it and it might make them feel out of the loop but hey they started it to empower themselves, we just took away the power of its use. The N-word is a minority pass into HipHop culture for us and we use it to identify with our struggle because we are still viewed as N-words by the police etc. Why kill the n-word? why not kill the racism behind it which still exists? with racism gone, bigotry, stereotyping, racial profiling and etc. gone the N-word would disappear or white people could probably be allowed to say it without risking a beat down. The N-word reminds us of our unity against their hate of our unity no matter how lethargic hiphop has been as long as we have the medium to express ourselves one day we shall overcome and be considered as relevant to " society" and not potential leeches and criminals. The N-word is here to stay and we aint complaining.

I drive a taxi and I hear the N word very seldom. Once a month maybe, by non black customers. It is usually used in plural to emphasize their (racist) point.

Then I pick up some blacks and I am blown away. They use the N word to address each other, sometimes ending in R. They basically use it as a "period" at the end of every other sentence they say.

If they call someone on the phone It is either the first or third word to come out of their mouth.

It is almost a certainty that I will hear the N word 20 times in a five min. ride.

It seems deeply rooted and acceptable in their current culture, movies and music. I am referring to black businessmen and housewives, gang bangers and preteens

But to me it is the most repeated word in their vocabulary, and as long it stays that way I will never go away.

Footnote: They never use it referring to me and are highly respectful, polite etc.

Originally posted by Tiger5
Fine. Except racism against black people has not been eradicated. So you would actually take away a certain defence mechanism that has now become habitualised? When black people in the USA and Brzil use the N- word it is not in the same context as when whites use it.

How on Earth is the use of that word a Defence Mechanism? What makes the context different besides the skin colour of the person saying the word? If you don't want to hear White people use the word then don't defend Black people using the word either.

You just assume because somebody is White that they use it in a derogatory sense. What about White people that enjoy replicating Black rap culture and use the word to refer to their friends? Still cool with you?

[edit on 22/8/2010 by Dark Ghost]

reply to post by intrepid


Why is it wrong to describe a Black person a 'n-word'? Is it like calling someone in a wheelchair a "cripple" wrong because it is inherently less desirable to have 2 non-working legs? Do you feel sorry for Blacks in this way? Is that the reason you are so against the word? Black's that use the word freely don't seem to make this distinction do they!

Next time you pretend to get upset at someone-(ANYONE)- using the BIG bad "N"Word think of the "cripple" and worry about something else...