Quote:
Originally Posted by TLLK
To use this word to antagonize or degrade another person-no I don't believe that anyone from any racial/ethnic group should use it in that manner. To sing the published lyrics of a popular song that include this word-I don't think that this should be an issue. Is everyone expected to ignore its use in original versions in literature or historical documents?
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I've read your comment over and over, and I feel that you are contradicting yourself.
If it's never okay to use the N-word, then it is never okay to use the N-word. NO MATTER WHO SAYS IT!!
If you (the general you) know and are aware of the meaning of the N-word, and just because you hear someone else use it, no matter if they are Black, White, Asian, or Martian, does not mean it is okay.
And, I think when White people hear Blacks use it, you always get the excuse 'Hey, they say it all the time, so can I!"
Again, no.
But, with that being said, let me try to explain it like this:
Say you have a brother and/or sister. When you all were kids, sometimes you would fight and argue and maybe even call each other names, like stupid. You love each other, you have a strong family bond, but sometimes you all would still get mad at each other. So, you have your fight, call each other names, then cool off and go back to being friendly and loving like nothing ever happened. At the end of the day your strong sibling bond keeps you together.
Now, let's say you are at a bar and by accident you bump into someone, causing that person to spill his drink. They get mad and call you all sorts of names, like stupid, and he wants to fight. You did not mean any harm but he just keeps calling you stupid and want to fight. A total stranger you don't know keeps insulting you to no end. You feel bad that the drink was spilled, but he won't let it go and after a while you get offended.
When Blacks use the N-word with each other, there is a tolerance for its use due to a shared cultural experience/history.
When Whites use the word, there is no shared cultural experience or history. The historical use of the N-word by Whites has been used in the context of insult and to demoralize a Black person.
The meaning of the N-word has not changed.
And for the use of the N-word in literature written years ago, that was the accepted word at the time. So, in the historical context that the work was written, I personally don't have a problem with it. At that time, Blacks were seen as a second class citizen at best and less than human at worst. Now, though, that is not the case, so the use of the N-word is really useless.
