Nothing Hip in 'Boondocks' N-Word

[AmericanErrorist]

WARNING: The article snippet contains the aforementioned word. Reader discretion advised.







McGruder and N-word users and apologists loudly agree. Their rationale boils down to this, the more a black person uses the word, the less offensive it becomes. They claim that they are cleansing the word of its negative connotations so that racists can no longer use it to hurt blacks. Comedian turned activist Dick Gregory had the same idea some years ago when he titled his autobiography, Nigger. Black writer Robert DeCoy also tried to apply the same racial shock therapy to whites when he titled his novel, The Nigger Bible. McGruder and N-word apologists tick off an endless storehouse of defenses to justify use of the word. They claim that that it is a term of endearment or affection. They say to each other, "You're my nigger if you don't get no bigger." Or, "that nigger sure is something." Others use it in anger or disdain, "Nigger you sure got an attitude." Or, "A nigger ain't shit." Still, others are defiant. They say they don't care what a white person calls them since words can't harm them.

N-word apologists have no patience with those who want to purge the word from public discourse, wage war against classics such as Huckleberry Finn, encode it in hate speech laws and impose penalties and sanctions on professors, basketball coaches, and public officials who use it no matter how instructive or benevolent their intentions.

Yet in their passionate plea to recast public thinking and debate over the word, they forget, ignore or distort one thing. Words are not value neutral. They express concepts and ideas. Often, words reflect society's standards. If color-phobia is a deep-rooted standard in American life, then a word, as emotionally charged as nigger, will always reinforce and perpetuate stereotypes. It can't be sanitized, cleansed, inverted, or redeemed as a culturally liberating word. Nigger can't and shouldn't be made acceptable, no matter whose mouth it comes out of or what excuse is tossed out for using it.

There are still dozens of daily examples where whites (and other non-blacks) taunt, and harass blacks by calling them nigger, spray paint the word on their homes, businesses, churches, physically assault and even murder blacks. In the FBI's annual count of hate crimes in America, blacks still make up the overwhelming majority of victims. The N-word reigns supreme at the top of the stack as the favorite racial epithet hurled at blacks during these crimes. Even when the word isn't used, the sentiment is that blacks are still fair game too be abused and dehumanized, and the N-word reinforces that belief.

The word nigger is grotesque and will always have deadly meaning to them. And even if some blacks do occasionally go off the deep end and wrongly harangue whites for using the word, maybe that's because nigger pricks agonizing historical and social sores.

http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/28012/

[porphyrian]

1. "...will always reinforce and perpetuate stereotypes."

I'm not sure I agree with this completely. It may keep those associations in the public consciousness, yes, but I don't believe that's the same as "always reinforcing and perpetuating stereotypes."

Stereotypes are perpetuated through segregation and ignorance, and rarely on empirical characterization. In fact, the best way to debunk stereotypes is to integrate and familiarize the ignorant with the reality.

Censoring the use of a word may save hurt feelings, but it does nothing to prevent the perpetuation of stereotypes and little to reinforce them among the ignorant who already believe.

[Burma Jones]

2. About the only time I've had trouble with the N word recently

was when I had my 6 year old son in the parking lot, on the way to the local Grocery store and he caught a loud conversation amongst three African American people that featured the N word predominantly. In response to his asking what the N word meant, I had to explain how only black adults could use the word, that it was worse than the F word and that is was like when people call Jews names. His Maternal Grandfather is Jewish and was born in Germany in 1937, escaped with his family two days after Krystalnacht.

My family in Tennessee, God Fearin' folks all of 'em, use the word liberally (no pun intended) and hence, have not been introduced to my children. Although, I will say, they kept their usual commentary regarding Jews quiet while my wife and I were there.

[DinahMoeHum]

3. I don't like the double standard that's going on with this word.

IMHO:
either it is OK for EVERYONE to use it
or
it is NOT OK for ANYONE to use it.

:bounce:

BTW, this whole thing reminds me of the couplet dialogue from National Lampoon's Animal House:

"He can't do that to our pledges"
- "Right. Only WE can do that to our pledges"

:evilfrown: