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"One, two, three, N*****"

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I think there are some white folks who, right or wrong, will not tolerate being told to change their vocabulary on account of their ethnicity. If it was a case of "nobody says it!", I think you'd see a lot less of it. Saying 'black people can say 'X' but white people can't' is seen as a challenge by some.

Not only that, but many people don't want to pander to some crowd that will automatically assume that you are in the KKK or something because you use a word that is common in some of your favorite songs.
 

Davedough

Member
Shit like this and living in a small redneck town makes me regularly embarrassed to be a white guy. It boggles the mind how ignorance is so much easier for the masses to grasp than respect and consideration.
 
I wasnt talking about "nigga", I was talking about "nigger", which is not said by the AA community all that much, that word is mostly spat out by people that hate or dislike "niggas"
 
Weirdly (and funny) enough, historic context removed, people can be as offensive with the words fat, ugly, dumb. And most don't refrain using them.
 

Dyno

Member
You know, I grew up in downtown Toronto and there were all kinds of different people. We all had to follow some unwritten rules to get along and enjoy each others company. The rules were the rules and following them not only kept you out of trouble but earned you some good friends and fun times. It was simple and it was real. It was not even or symetrical and that's because human relationships are not like math and they are not a legal proceeding. Culture and history don't have an affect on math or the law but they do have a profound effect on human beings.

This concept of "well they say this in music so what's the big deal if I say that?" isn't grounded in reality. You are dealing with black people as a theoretical rather then face to face. You are coming up with some kind of fairness doctrine that in no way fosters a healthy relationship with your fellow man. The importance of this perceived fairness trumps actual human interaction and there is a simple reason why this happens: people who do this don't hang around with those other races who will be hurt, offended, and ostracized. They feel there is no victim in their usage of the word. Everybody likes to think of themselves as fair and logical, no one considers themselves a racist, and this is how people explain away uttering that word.
 
A friend of mine just posted a comment on Facebook where he apparently meant to type "mugger", but posted the N-word instead. He blamed his phone's dictionary.

Is that only possible if he has typed the N word before?
 
You know, I grew up in downtown Toronto and there were all kinds of different people. We all had to follow some unwritten rules to get along and enjoy each others company. The rules were the rules and following them not only kept you out of trouble but earned you some good friends and fun times. It was simple and it was real. It was not even or symetrical and that's because human relationships are not like math and they are not a legal proceeding. Culture and history don't have an affect on math or the law but they do have a profound effect on human beings.

This concept of "well they say this in music so what's the big deal if I say that?" isn't grounded in reality. You are dealing with black people as a theoretical rather then face to face. You are coming up with some kind of fairness doctrine that in no way fosters a healthy relationship with your fellow man. The importance of this perceived fairness trumps actual human interaction and there is a simple reason why this happens: people who do this don't hang around with those other races who will be hurt, offended, and ostracized. They feel there is no victim in their usage of the word. Everybody likes to think of themselves as fair and logical, no one considers themselves a racist, and this is how people explain away uttering that word.

I grew up in a similar community and never did me or any of my friends have such rules. Knowing that we were in good company and that we liked each other as people was enough for us to never care about changing or putting limits on each others' vocabulary, simply because of harmful connotations on a word that doesn't have to be.
 
I would say "Have you heard the song Niggas in Paris?"

I wouldn't say "Have you heard the song Niggas in Paris, my nigga?"

Context. Is. Everything:

"Have you heard the song N---as in Paris?" - OK

"What are these dirty N----rs doing in Paris? I want to enjoy my vacation, not get shot" - WRONG
 

FStop7

Banned
Context. Is. Everything:

"Have you heard the song N---as in Paris?" - OK

"What are these dirty N----rs doing in Paris? I want to enjoy my vacation, not get shot" - WRONG

What makes me bang my head on my monitor is that people actually have to be taught this.
 

oneHeero

Member
I wouldve thought by now that n****r and Nigga are 2 different words with 2 different meanings.

N*****r - Racist
Nigga - close friend, brother, etc

I mean I understand the "dont repeat what you hear in rap songs, only black guys can call each other nigga" well actually I dont understand that. I'm hispanic, so I dont give a fk about this white vs black crap.
 
It is just a word. I've been called everything under the sun for being asian when I went to basically an all white school. I just shrugged it off and viewed the people using it as ignorant. To me it no less different than dropping the f-bomb, just meh. I suppose I would feel different if I was black, but I was subject to discrimination. In that regard, I suppose my view is skewed since I have thick skin, and don't really care. My point...people let words get to them too easily.

And we're done...

You know, I grew up in downtown Toronto and there were all kinds of different people. We all had to follow some unwritten rules to get along and enjoy each others company. The rules were the rules and following them not only kept you out of trouble but earned you some good friends and fun times. It was simple and it was real. It was not even or symetrical and that's because human relationships are not like math and they are not a legal proceeding. Culture and history don't have an affect on math or the law but they do have a profound effect on human beings.

This concept of "well they say this in music so what's the big deal if I say that?" isn't grounded in reality. You are dealing with black people as a theoretical rather then face to face. You are coming up with some kind of fairness doctrine that in no way fosters a healthy relationship with your fellow man. The importance of this perceived fairness trumps actual human interaction and there is a simple reason why this happens: people who do this don't hang around with those other races who will be hurt, offended, and ostracized. They feel there is no victim in their usage of the word. Everybody likes to think of themselves as fair and logical, no one considers themselves a racist, and this is how people explain away uttering that word.

Well said, I totally agree with all of this!
 
Fuck anyone who ever said this. Word matters. Word can hurt. Until you've been in the shoes of those who's been discriminated and ridiculed because you are different, don't even try to tell me that "it's just a word".

I've been discriminated multiple times. I'll take words over sticks and stones any day. Man up. It's just a word.
 
What bothers me is that my culture isn't even aware of why they're offended anymore. It's like religion at this point: people just grow up knowing they have to.

The day we stop getting offended is the day the word dies.
 

Ela Hadrun

Probably plays more games than you
You know, I grew up in downtown Toronto and there were all kinds of different people. We all had to follow some unwritten rules to get along and enjoy each others company. The rules were the rules and following them not only kept you out of trouble but earned you some good friends and fun times. It was simple and it was real. It was not even or symetrical and that's because human relationships are not like math and they are not a legal proceeding. Culture and history don't have an affect on math or the law but they do have a profound effect on human beings.

This concept of "well they say this in music so what's the big deal if I say that?" isn't grounded in reality. You are dealing with black people as a theoretical rather then face to face. You are coming up with some kind of fairness doctrine that in no way fosters a healthy relationship with your fellow man. The importance of this perceived fairness trumps actual human interaction and there is a simple reason why this happens: people who do this don't hang around with those other races who will be hurt, offended, and ostracized. They feel there is no victim in their usage of the word. Everybody likes to think of themselves as fair and logical, no one considers themselves a racist, and this is how people explain away uttering that word.


Seriously, you guys in Toronto need to start exporting some video seminars on how to have a good culture or something. Because every single person I've ever met from Toronto has been this totally gracious and pleasant person who works hard and does good things and likes to have a beer with whoever's around. People who are comfortable around third-gen Scotch-Canadian dairy farmers as well as newly Canadian immigrants from Egypt. I don't know how your city does it! I want to know how!

(I lived across the pond in Rochester for a while, and Rochester's not a bad town really, but you guys have THE FORMULA give us the codes)
 

YoungHav

Banned
But wait, I thought only the South was racist? Not in enlightened New York State.

This is ridiculous. The only time it's ever really appropriate to use a racial slur is when you are making a point about how ridiculous/hateful it is by hyperbole or the like (Blazing Saddles, for instance).

I can't believe these kids didn't know this. I realize there are a few people that are clueless, but that many. I remember 25 years ago or so, in high school, we were reading Mark Twain, one guy was talking about it and referred to Jim using his nickname. There was a hush over the whole classroom and more than a few facepalms.
The rest of New York outside of NYC and Long Island feels like the South.
 

Lamel

Banned
Lol I can just imagine some super suburb white chicks just going"ONE, TWO, THREE, N******! WHOOOOOO GO TEAM"


So wrong.
 
You're comparing insults to getting kicked in the balls or slapped? Really? Choosing to be insulted make you a bigger fool than the one who insulted you.

No. I'm comparing the INTENSE pain of getting kicked in the balls to the relatively light pain of getting slapped.

My point being is that just because I've been hurt MORE doesn't make other pains hurt any LESS.

With that being said, being DISCRIMINATED against doesn't make "only words" any more "ok".
 

Trey

Member
Many of us don't want that excuse. It's an ugly word. Reminds me of 'Kraut'. Nobody would get offended if I said that word but I'd sure as fuck still not use it.

I call almost every one of my friends, up to and including white females, "niggas." It's just another way of saying "dude" in my informal speech.

Nigger =/= nigga. There is a distinct conotational difference.

As far as these girls are concerned, I just don't understand the chant. Even though it's much more indendiary, something like "let's kill these niggas!" makes more sense. "Niggas!" on the four count just doesn't make sense.

If only words had no weight to them.

Language would be beyond worthless.
 
No. I'm comparing the INTENSE pain of getting kicked in the balls to the relatively light pain of getting slapped.

My point being is that just because I've been hurt MORE doesn't make other pains hurt any LESS.

With that being said, being DISCRIMINATED against doesn't make "only words" any more "ok".

People say messed up stuff all the time, even non-racist words can offend, even swearing in conversation can offend. None of it's ok depending on the person, but in the end if you're insulted by it and you allow words to affect your happiness, you need to grow up.
 

YoungHav

Banned
I live in upstate NY and this doesn't shock me. Once you start reaching the suburbs that surround the cities of Rochester and Buffalo people start acting a lil.......... funny to say the least.
^^ it's safe to say this goes for ALL of America. That's why racism is so pervasive still.
Why do white people want to say it so badly.
There's not a thing in the world that the blacks have that whites can't have. This is reverse aural apartheid for some of them.
 
Why do white people want to say it so badly.

Now you know they're not gonna let them have anything to themselves. :Edit: Damnit YoungHav! :/Edit:

I've been discriminated multiple times. I'll take words over sticks and stones any day. Man up. It's just a word.

Well shit, man. I'm sure black people never thought of it that way. Really, don't let your powerful insight rot away on the internet bluerei. You should go to GLAAD rallies and tell them to "man up". Maybe work at a suicide prevention hotline. No need to go through all that pansy bullshit, just answer the phone, tell them to "man up", and hang up the phone. Fucking wow.
 
People say messed up stuff all the time, even non-racist words can offend, even swearing in conversation can offend. None of it's ok depending on the person, but in the end if you're insulted by it and you allow words to affect your happiness, you need to grow up.
Growing up? These people are not supposed to say those kind of things in the first place. I understand your stance of not letting words get to you, but to tell people to "grow up" upon hearing a distasteful word is too alpha.

I call almost every one of my friends, up to and including white females, "niggas." It's just another way of saying "dude" in my informal speech.

Nigger =/= nigga. There is a distinct conotational difference.

As far as these girls are concerned, I just don't understand the chant. Even though it's much more indendiary, something like "let's kill these niggas!" makes more sense. "Niggas!" on the four count just doesn't make sense.

Language would be beyond worthless.
Honestly in my opinion, nigger and nigga are the same word. It's just a different way of pronunciation.
 

neorej

ERMYGERD!
But wait, I thought only the South was racist? Not in enlightened New York State.

This is ridiculous. The only time it's ever really appropriate to use a racial slur is when you are making a point about how ridiculous/hateful it is by hyperbole or the like (Blazing Saddles, for instance).
.

This. Or when you're black.
 

Trey

Member
Omg just stop plz. I always hear this same bs excuse with people who use "fag" and "gay" in like every sentence. There are soooooo many other words you guys can use to describe things/call people.

Keep telling yourself that.

Probably should've explained myself better. I use the word "nigga" quite often in my informal speech. It is without the subtext of condescenion and mocking. So while it makes sense to me, it may not make sense to you. But nigga is not the same thing as nigger.

Had to look up where Buffalo was. New York? smh

C'mon, son.

Honestly in my opinion, nigger and nigga are the same word. It's just a different way of pronunciation.

I guess that could be your opinion.
 
Why did I look in the comments?



*slams face into desk*

WHAT IS CONTEXT, I AM A LANGUAGE LITERALIST AND I AM SHOCKED THAT ANYTHING I SAY COULD NOT BE TAKEN AT ITS DICTIONARY DEFINED MEANING. IT IS A VIOLATION OF MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND DOWNRIGHT COMMUNIST TO NOT ALLOW ME TO SAY WHAT I WANT, WHEN I WANT TO, HOW I WANT TO, AT ALL TIMES AND IN ALL SITUATIONS WITHOUT BEING ACCUSED OF BEING RUDE.
 
Now you know they're not gonna let them have anything to themselves. :Edit: Damnit YoungHav! :/Edit:



Well shit, man. I'm sure black people never thought of it that way. Really, don't let your powerful insight rot away on the internet bluerei. You should go to GLAAD rallies and tell them to "man up". Maybe work at a suicide prevention hotline. No need to go through all that pansy bullshit, just answer the phone, tell them to "man up", and hang up the phone. Fucking wow.

Yeah because I'm sure that black girl had nightmares and attempted suicide after what those girls said. Don't let your powerful assumptions and over-sensitivity rot away on the internet bay maximus. Man up.
 
Yeah because I'm sure that black girl had nightmares and attempted suicide after what those girls said. Don't let your powerful assumptions and over-sensitivity rot away on the internet bay maximus. Man up.
I'm not following. So, if she's merely offended, she needs to get over it, but if she's really, deeply distraught, it's okay to allow for her to be hurt and seek to help her as opposed to offering platitudes about how words can never hurt as they are neither sticks nor stones?
 
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