[split] The word 'Nigger' and other slurs

[FlyingNarwhal]

I find it pointless to pout over "why can't I use the word, but you can". If you want to rap the darn song, then do it. Is it so hard to refrain from singing it when a black person is around in case it will start mayhem? One of my two closest buddies is black, I'm Mexican, and the other guy is white. We talk about ethnic stuff all the time. The phrase "you people" is used often when referring to things that our cultures do. We laugh at each other all the time. We can do that, because we know our intentions, and we feel safe that nobody there is racist. I have common sense, though. I won't go up to a black stranger and say "you people" this or that. If a rapper adds the words "nigger" to the lyrics, damn right I'd feel free to rap the song including the word. It's there. I'd just not do it in front of Quill or any other black person, unless they sent the message that we're cool like that. I understand it's hard to understand when you haven't been treated like shit for the color of your skin. I'm not just talking about the past. Even now it still happens to a smaller scale. I live in Arizona. I should know.

It's that I have to treat someone different because of the color of their skin that makes me uncomfortable. If I would say nigga in the rap song with white friends in the car, but not with black friends, it means again white people have let society dictate that we treat black people differently. It means I am acting differently around someone that has a different skin color than me. And acting is the key word here too. This division of words continues to keep us separate, white people are afraid to even just discuss the word with other black people. And so they act differently around them out of fear that something they say will be misconstrued into racism.

[theyear12013]

This word just has too much baggage, like the word 'Nazi' or the ethnic slurs used on Italians, Irish, and Jewish humans. Its highly distasteful to a loyal Yankee like myself.

And its made worse to me when the word is supposed to imply 'ignorant'--- or to denote membership in a club that still needs to defend itself from the idea that as individuals they might be considered ignorant. In my mind there is no other group of humans in the US who have been more loyal to the ideas of humanism than them besides the anglo founders who built the American ideology. Maybe it was by default -- given the horrific nature of the initial experiences in the colonies -- and their need for a humanistic worldview for the country in order for them to have their rights and guarantees as citizens. But they helped force the anglo founders and their descendants to stay true to the creed. I don't mean to derail but the people who descended from slaves have fought and died in high numbers in every war since the civil war ; they guaranteed the right to vote for all ; they are the reason that immigrants from all over the planet are accepted fairly easily. And though a high % self-identify as Christians, and homo-sexuality is not as accepted, they are often on the cutting edge of American humanism and culture.

And its just annoying to hear that word used by rappers and in the popular culture. Yeah its a word of power to own by those it was wielded against -- blah blah, but man there's a lot that's not ignorant in this American subculture. And that word no matter what its use means at minimum 'ignorant'.

[Chas]

I'm wondering why people have difficulty not using that word.

[BrokenQuill92]

Actually plenty of black people know this, it's one of the reasons for contentions between native African-Americans and African immigrants. There still quite a lot of resentment.

African immigrants are not responsible for their ancestors selling your ancestors. None of us are responsible for our ancestors or the actions of our governments before we were of voting age and certainly should not be penalised thereof. This eternal whining about events of 200 years ago is getting extremely boring.

Given that being 'black' is the USA is more about cultural identity than anything else given their use of the absurd 'one drop rule' (which makes me black btw) better to dump the whole notion of racial division.

I don't have any problems with anyone from anywhere, I just said I know black people who do.

[Napoléon]

I'm wondering why people have difficulty not using that word.

Yes, I also often wonder why the word has to be used so extensively in rap songs. But I guess, like the guy in that video said a while back, "I just don't get it" and "never will" because "I'm not black" and "don't understand the sense of community".

[Rahul]

I don't mean to derail but the people who descended from slaves have fought and died in high numbers in every war since the civil war ;

African Americans have fought in every US war, including the American Revolutionary war. They didn't just start during the US Civil War.

African American Patriots of the Revolutionary War

http://www.fold3.com/page/747_african_am...ts_of_the/

[là bạn điên]

Black Americans were more likely to fight for us than for you in the US war of independence.

[Rahul]

Black Americans were more likely to fight for us than for you in the US war of independence.

Your point?

I would fight for the side offering me freedom as well.

[Jackalope]

Personally I think anybody who uses filthy words that are of designation to offend like race slurs and profenity should be publicly find.

Fuck fuck fuck. Fuckity fucking fuck fuck fuck.

Fuck.

[Rahul]

Fuck fuck fuck. Fuckity fucking fuck fuck fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck you, fucker!