The N-word, is it actually offensive?

[Da Pirates]

It is used and meant to be degrading to African people. So yes it is offensive, but if its another black person saying it to another black person its a little diferent.

 

 

 

How is it any different? I'm only allowed to say certain words now because i'm white?

[Nadril]

It is used and meant to be degrading to African people. So yes it is offensive, but if its another black person saying it to another black person its a little diferent.

 

 

 

How is it any different? I'm only allowed to say certain words now because i'm white?

 

 

 

You can't exactly be racist against your own race, now can you? If they say it you're going to assume it's being said ironically.

[The_Gabe]

I don't even get why you guys think black people call each other [bleep] very often. I rarely hear it (well, I guess not exactly rarely, but it's probably one of the least common nicknames). It's all about bro now.

 

 

 

Where you from, Im from Nashville, and it is used often haha

 

 

 

I'm from Clarksville lmao.

 

 

 

It is used and meant to be degrading to African people. So yes it is offensive, but if its another black person saying it to another black person its a little diferent.

 

 

 

How is it any different? I'm only allowed to say certain words now because i'm white?

 

 

 

You can't exactly be racist against your own race, now can you? If they say it you're going to assume it's being said ironically.

 

 

 

 

 

If that much irony was used, I'd be iron man by now.

[warri0r45]

there's no reason to go around using the n word (whether or not you use the word is beside the point) if you know it's going to offend people

 

 

 

You're right, there is no reason to use it. There's also no reason to get so hung up on it either. It is just a word after all.

 

 

 

And I don't understand your "precedent" argument. Are you saying it's wrong to use a word if it has been used for a long enough period of time, but if it's a fresh thing that hasn't been used as often until recently, such as the term "whitey", then this makes it automatically less offensive? I find the n-word and "whitey" to be completely analogous. They are both words concerning one's race in a negative context, regardless of their usage in the past.

 

 

 

I'm not passing any moral judgments on whether it's wrong or not. I just think that the reason the n-word is so taboo (or more to the point, the reason that it's so offensive to black people) is the historical experience that they went through. White people don't take offence to "whitey" as much because we've never had the persecution to go along with the pejorative term.

[RayOxide]

[racist term] is actually a word, :|

 

 

 

What I dont get is why people call Asians yellow, they're tan damnit.

[Faitality]

In my opinion, it's no skin off my nose to avoid the word "[racist term]" in reference to a person who's black, or even as a general insult. It has deeply disturbing connotations, quite obviously dating all the way back to when they were enslaved and therefore is easily seen as a sign of dehumanizing them all over again. I'm not outraged at the fact that they can justify saying it when they'd murder any caucasian with the gall to.

 

 

 

 

 

Also, Gabe, is this a Jew asking what the big deal regarding verbal harassment directed at a specific race might be? Yeah, why are they so touchy about it?

 

[hide=yeah, i have no idea..][/hide]

[i_love_burritos]

I think most white people here feel excluded.

 

 

 

Awwww, why can they say it ? And we cant ? Not fair. Waaaah.

 

 

 

Simply put, it is just a word. But like any other word is meaningless without any context or setting and thus it's given power by the same people. However the word does have many negative connotations, and this is worsened by the racial rifts that exist still today. Ultimatley the question of "whether it is actually offensive" is based on societal subtext as, now our culture is changing, and being the word that it is - it's meaning and the way other percieve what it means is decided by :

 

 

 

Who says it, how they say it, whom they say it to and why they say "it".

[bloodyhatchetbear]

You can't exactly be racist against your own race, now can you? If they say it you're going to assume it's being said ironically.

 

 

 

Actually, one can be racist against one's own race. I've seen it with many different people, not just of one color. It's more of hating the actions of said races though, not totally the people themselves.

[The_Gabe]

In my opinion, it's no skin off my nose to avoid the word "[bleep]" in reference to a person who's black, or even as a general insult. It has deeply disturbing connotations, quite obviously dating all the way back to when they were enslaved and therefore is easily seen as a sign of dehumanizing them all over again. I'm not outraged at the fact that they can justify saying it when they'd murder any caucasian with the gall to.

 

 

 

 

 

Also, Gabe, is this a Jew asking what the big deal regarding verbal harassment directed at a specific race might be? Yeah, why are they so touchy about it?

 

[hide=yeah, i have no idea..][/hide]

 

 

 

 

 

No, what I am asking is that they call themselves that, while they take offense when others call them that.. :wall:

[Nadril]

In my opinion, it's no skin off my nose to avoid the word "[bleep]" in reference to a person who's black, or even as a general insult. It has deeply disturbing connotations, quite obviously dating all the way back to when they were enslaved and therefore is easily seen as a sign of dehumanizing them all over again. I'm not outraged at the fact that they can justify saying it when they'd murder any caucasian with the gall to.

 

 

 

 

 

Also, Gabe, is this a Jew asking what the big deal regarding verbal harassment directed at a specific race might be? Yeah, why are they so touchy about it?

 

[hide=yeah, i have no idea..][/hide]

 

 

 

 

 

No, what I am asking is that they call themselves that, while they take offense when others call them that.. :wall:

 

 

 

How many times is someone going to bring this stupid argument up? Use your head champ.

 

 

 

I think most white people here feel excluded.

 

 

 

Awwww, why can they say it ? And we cant ? Not fair. Waaaah.

 

 

 

Simply put, it is just a word. But like any other word is meaningless without any context or setting and thus it's given power by the same people. However the word does have many negative connotations, and this is worsened by the racial rifts that exist still today. Ultimatley the question of "whether it is actually offensive" is based on societal subtext as, now our culture is changing, and being the word that it is - it's meaning and the way other percieve what it means is decided by :

 

 

 

Who says it, how they say it, whom they say it to and why they say "it".

 

 

 

Totally agreed. I find it crazy that people are so focused on not being able to say one word. Do they have any idea how many words are out there? Maybe just branch out a bit instead of focusing on something which still does offend people today. (because this word was being used offensively even as little as 50 or 60 years ago, and there are a lot of people who were alive then).

[Zierro]

We enslaved them for hundreds of years. I think they deserve one [bleep] word that they can say and we can't.

 

 

 

We? I never enslaved anyone. I think slavery is wrong. Why should something my great great grandparents have done, which I think is wrong, be used against me? It makes no sense at all.

 

 

 

I =/= my grandparents. Just because we are both white does not mean I have the same point of views as them when it comes to slavery and black people. That's pretty prejudice if you ask me.

 

 

 

EDIT4: By the way, I'm not saying that I want to use that word. I'm just saying whatever my grandparents did has nothing to do with me.

[Wisp]

We enslaved them for hundreds of years. I think they deserve one [bleep] word that they can say and we can't.

 

 

 

We? I never enslaved anyone. I think slavery is wrong. Why should something my great great grandparents have done, which I think is wrong, be used against me? It makes no sense at all.

 

Yeah, that's a stupid argument. Should I feel guilty because someone in my family way down the line might have done something wrong? Should Germans be guilty and live in shame because of WWII? Should like 5% of the world feel guilty because they're ancestor was Genghis Khan, and he was responsible for millions of deaths?

[Lenticular_J]

Yeah, too bad plenty of desegregation only occured when your parents were still in school. [racist term] has absolutely nothing to do with slavery, if that was it than it would have been over and done with in 1920. It's because there was segregation, likely in the times of your parents.

[fastortoise]

Look, people in our society have been using the word against blacks for generations. Anyone who has the slightest bit of passion towards they're ancestry will get angry when you throw the term around like it has lost all meaning, so I don't see why anyone would pointlessly provoke somebody unless they're racist. And that's why it's racist, nowadays.

[Pan_Nx]

Nah. Not around here at least.

[The_Gabe]

Look, people in our society have been using the word against blacks for generations. Anyone who has the slightest bit of passion towards they're ancestry will get angry when you throw the term around like it has lost all meaning, so I don't see why anyone would pointlessly provoke somebody unless they're racist. And that's why it's racist, nowadays.

 

 

 

Yeah but they call themselves that. :geek:

[Zierro]

so I don't see why anyone would pointlessly provoke somebody unless they're racist.

 

 

 

Or maybe they don't agree that it should provoke them in the first place.

 

 

 

And that's why it's racist, nowadays.

 

 

 

An assumption made against someone because their skin color is white is what's racist. Saying a word is not always racist though. Often times it is, but in some contexts it's not racist at all. But of course, it's fine to be prejudice against whites and assume what context they are using when they say it. :lol:

[i_love_burritos]

Why is everyone so eager to throw words ?

 

 

 

:shame:

 

 

 

Not you Zierro. I lurve you.

[fastortoise]

so I don't see why anyone would pointlessly provoke somebody unless they're racist.

 

 

 

Or maybe they don't agree that it should provoke them in the first place.

 

Why shouldn't it provoke them? Because everybody in the world is equal and we all respect each other? It's naive to think we have reached that point, and saying the n-word to black people, who have come a long way and have a sad history, is just reminding them of all the injustices that were and still are holding them back.

 

 

 

And that's why it's racist, nowadays.

 

 

 

An assumption made against someone because their skin color is white is what's racist. Saying a word is not always racist though. Often times it is, but in some contexts it's not racist at all. But of course, it's fine to be prejudice against whites and assume what context they are using when they say it. :lol:

 

This is true, including the last sarcastic phrase : .

[depresins]

Depends on the context and, if applicable, the feelings of the person it is directed at.

 

 

 

It's all about the context the word is used in.

 

 

 

Any black people (yes, I will say black, not of african descent, get over it) who forbid white people from saying it due to racisim are just hypocrites.

[Me_Hate_Libs]

I still contend that the only time people cannot hide their bigotry, hatred, and bitterness for other people, no mattter what color they may be, is when they're driving and having some road rage. :P

[Latinoking]

Lol, how did this go 8 pages? Of course it's offensive...to African Americans.

[Me_Hate_Libs]

Lol, how did this go 8 pages? Of course it's offensive...to African Americans.

 

 

 

African-American may be the stupidest hyphenated nationality as a huge part of black people weren't African. Nothing dumber than a black guy not knowing his great grandparents came from trinidad wanting to be called an African-American. -.-

 

 

 

Also, the only people who's Nationality is a whole continent instead of a country. Technically Australians are both.

[Latinoking]

Lol, how did this go 8 pages? Of course it's offensive...to African Americans.

 

 

 

African-American may be the stupidest hyphenated nationality as a huge part of black people weren't African. Nothing dumber than a black guy not knowing his great grandparents came from Trinidad wanting to be called an African-American. -.-

 

Here's the US Census says:

 

 

 

Black or African American. A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "Black, African Am., or Negro," or provide written entries such as African American, Afro American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.

 

 

 

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_68178.htm

 

 

 

Go wild with it.

[Me_Hate_Libs]

I think you missed my point. Black people wanting to be called African American when their ancestors weren't from Africa is just dumb. Forget the US census, I'm talking strictly literal.