An innocent question?

Exactly!

Question, though: what do you mean by the minister who smokes? Are you meaning cigarettes, or weed? I'm just confused as to how that makes the imaginary minister in the situation a hypocrite, unless maybe you mean weed and he's been preaching against drugs or something! Just curious.

 

I'm sure that was his meaning, that's what my ex smoked after preaching a sermon!

 

that's what I figure, but I wanted to make sure. There's a bunch of stuff people can smoke!

 

I don't use it, and I don't like to hear it. That goes for all negative racial epithets. I just don't like the word. I can't argue my point any clearer. I have a personal loathing for the word.

 

chat

I have questions as a blackman here in Orlando that only a white women can answer. Anyone up for chating in the chat room?

 

I am always offended when white people use it in a mean way or trying to be playful. There isn't a good reason for a white person to use the word around me...not one...and that goes for "er" or "a" !

 

Cigarettes, weed, it makes no difference. I was taught Christians are to be christ-like and live in the world and not be of the word. As a minister I don't you are being christ-like by smoking cancer sticks right after begging folks to come to god....

 

Co-sign. I'm at the point to where the word doesn't even bother me anymore. If I hear someone who isn't black use the word, it has no effect on me if it's used in the right context.

As far as I'm concerned the word is never going anywyhere and people are gonna keep saying it until the end of time. I use it, so it shouldn't bother me to hear someone else use it.

If someone decides to call me the "er" part in a negative way, I just simply point and laugh at them and continue on with my day.

 

I love it!!!:smt043:smt043:smt043

 

I feel ya DH

But what you fail to realize is that most people fail to comprehend the complexities of the n-word phenomena. First of all, the word, is not just a word, especially when comparing its usage between blacks and non blcaks. You see ,when used by blacks, the n word refers to the following::: by black men ("A nigga gotta pay the fucking rent"); black women ("That nigga aint shit") ;black lanlords ("Hey nigga, your rents due motherfucker!!!"); blacks who behave in a stereotypical manner ("Hes a lazy, good-for-nothing nigga."); things ("This piece-of-shit computer is such a nigga."); racist white women ("Fuck me with your nigga dick!"); and friends ("Me and my niggaz are dope dawwwwg."). All of them are okay.

This next usage, as a term of endearment, is especially problematic. "Wasup my nigga,". has become an almost universal greeting among young black males. When questiooned, blacks who use nigger/nigga claim the following::: it has to be understood contextually, continual usage of the word by blacks will decrease its level of offensiveness; it is a different word because whites are saying nigger (and niggers) and blacks are saying nigga (and niggaz); and, it is just a word and blacks should not be prisoners of the past or the ugly words which originated in the past.

These arguments are convincing, ofcourse. Brother (Brotha) and Sister (Sista) are terms of endearment, just as nigger was and remains a term used in social settings. Moreover, the true dichotomy between blacks or african americans (respectable and middle-class) and niggers (disrespectable and lower class) should be embraced. Some blacks are niggers because of behavior, corruption,,,ambition, ability, morals, etc. Some are not because of education, culture, and contribution to society. However, with this path of reasoning, some whites can be niggers too. In fact, a lot are.

Continued usage of the word will lessen its sting anyway, so that by now, the word nigger ,when used by blacks ,has no sting. Blacks, beginning in slavery, have externalized the negative images that their own society cultivated and propagated about black skin and black people. This is reflected in periods of self-and same-race loathing. The entire logic (persona) of guys like Malikom, and other black hating "brothaz" on here are a reflection of this loathing, even though these so called "brothaz" are usually unaware of the psychological forces at play.

Okay, maybe the n-word is just a word; however to me it is the ultimate expression of the racist black stereotype depicted in the Jim crow era, irrespective of the way it is pronounced. And thus, should be used by blacks, and only by blacks.

Anyways, this brief lesson is over.

 

I never thought I'd say this, but : I feel ya, too, BMJ.

But the paragraph I quoted is essentially my point. To you it would be offensive if I, for example due to my skin color, used the word. And that's fine, everyone has a right to feel how they choose to. In the same vein, I have plenty of friends who actually encourage me to not be afraid to use the word. They have no issue with it at all.

So thus, it really comes down to who's listening. I can understand your reasoning as to why it's not ok, but at the end of the day it may not be ok with you, but with someone else they'll take no issue with it. It's not so much as trying to figure out who is ok to say what, but really people just gotta figure out who is ok with hearing it.

It's a fine line people walk with offending/not offending people. Sometimes it's impossible to avoid, sometimes it's easier. Ya just gotta figure out what to say around what people. I don't think anyone can ever truly say what they want to without anyone at all being offended; there will always be someone who is either over sensitive (or in some people's opinion, just sensitive enough) to get offended over nearly anything. In effort to keep the peace it's simply easier to learn who to censor oneself around. That's how I roll.

Well, only if I actually respect someone. If I have no respect for someone, I refuse to censor myself on principle. But if there is respect, then I will do everything I can to make those people comfortable, even if it means not saying everything I would usually. But I believe respect is a very, very important thing. I just don't give it out lightly, and it is lost quite easily.

 

I think the most important thing about the N word is the context in which its said by any race, creed or color and to whom its said to. If you're not black and say it to friends you know are OK with it then its cool but don't go round saying it to everyone because some people will get angry, offended and/or insulted.

 

I would rather have no one say it at all. It just brings too much shit associated with it. Why even say it? There's no need

 

It is if your vocabulary is small, like most of the people who use it.

 

Thank you all for your input, I appreciate it, I will discuss it with my sons, because they are young Hispanic men who seem to think it's OK to use the "a" and I will let them know that that is not necessarily the case.

Personally I agree with many who have said they would rather not hear it at all, but then I don't like being called or hearing my kids called , "guera/o", "gringa/o", or "whitie" either. The Hispanics seem to think that every one and everything needs to have some sort of a nickname attached to them.

 

[YOUTUBE]RnQsddvql94[/YOUTUBE]

 

Sarah, that was really funny, thanks for the video, now we all now the RULES!!
Since I don't listen to Dr Dre, and I don't shop on Christmas Eve, I guess I only get one exception, but that's ok, 'cuz I don't see my self using it even then. LOL!!

 

Non-black individuals should not be using any variation of the N-word.

 

For me, as far as the "N" word is concerned, in any variation it shouldn't be coming out of anyone's mouth. Now, having said that, I am fully aware among some (Black) of us, including myself, we use it...such as "Nigga Please!" and we will accept it among our peers of same color but that doesn't make it acceptable. Until we, as a group, stop using it there will always be others who will find a way to use it - with the assumption that it is okay because we use it. Consequently, we have conversations like the the one in this thread. Don't get me wrong, judgment is not being passed on anyone here. All I am saying is that we (in the collective) need to come to a point where we all make a serious, concerted, effort to eradicate this word from language through lack of usage. Having said that, I am in no means advocating some kind of PC movement here. I am expressing an opinion to wit I am not sure as to how to bring it about except through self-policing.

Feel free to sling your arrows...I got pretty thick skin.

Peace
Rick

 

Agreed.