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[Aces&Eights]

There's phrases and words I don't say because i don't want to for personal beliefs. Who am i to say what everyone else in the world should or shouldn't say? That's really none of my business unless it is being said directly to me and i take issue with it. Then i will deal with the situation as i see fit.

 

[Zog]

Children are not born and raised without being given the knowledge of their parents/family. They learn about the world through their parents, friends, schools, and community. How is this concept in any way difficult to parse?

So it can never end?

 

[KevinKeene]

The whole 'taking ownership of the word' debate kinda flows over my head. I'd like to point out/emphasize 2 important points and see if we can agree on it:

1.) The only 3 situations in which a non-black person that isn't racist would say the word are:

- when analyzing/debating the word where nobody is being adressed with the word. That'd be this thread.
- in an artistic context. See Jango where DiCaprio says 'nigger' plenty of times.
- when intentionally trying to verbally hurt a black person

Those are all situations where the use of it is okay (the latter is 'okay' in the sense that all curse words are 'okay' during an emotional wordy fight).

2.) When a song contains 'nigger' and it's heavily promoted, made popular, and you get invited to sing it, it's okay to say it. Falling under 'artistic context' as well as that specific group of black people granting you to sing it aloud in that moment.

I think those are major points of contestion that non-black people want to make clear. This isn't about 'being able to say nigger'. Because ... when would a non-racist person ever adress a black person with 'nigger' while holding friendly intentions? That wouldn't make sense.

Aside from these 2 points I laid out, non-black pe are mostly annoyed constantly being told 'nu-uh, you don't get to say it!'. It's childish and provokes defiance.

Black people didn't create the "us vs them" mentality and they derive no net benefit from it; getting to say the n-word is a paltry prize from years of oppression under white supremacy.

Exactly. But black people have the power to end it.

 

[Vicetrailia]

when intentionally trying to verbally hurt a black person

- This is racist. It is offensive.

non-black pe are mostly annoyed constantly being told 'nu-uh, you don't get to say it!'. It's childish and provokes defiance.

This is a personal issue for you. You can never use" "nigger" unless using it for educational reasons, and you can't use "nigga" because you don't even know what it is.

Exactly. But black people have the power to end it.

White people have the power to end it. This is a generic, simplistic comment.

 

[Dunki]

This shit is so annoying because some white people pretend like they are too dumb to understand the simple logic behind this issue:

1. White people “created” and used this word in their everyday practices of racism to dehumanize black people.

2. The reverse of point 1 is not and has never been true.

3. As such, white people should not use the word. Furthermore, because black people were the victims (not white people), they get to decide how to redefine the word. Some black people avoid it; many have recontextualized it into nigga.

The logic here is pretty straightforward. It’s not “racist” that white people cant use it because the power dynamics make it impossible. That is, white people are in no way rendered inferior by their inability to use the word.

The same is true for “faggot.” I don’t use the word, but I don’t give a fuck that some gay people call themselves faggots. I’m not gay, so it is literally none of my business.

HOW are some white people still struggling with this? Are you that dense?

They are struggling because they also live in a culture and media that uses this word constantly. Sadly I can not find this article anymore but there was one case in which a white good guy who plays football which means he has a lot of contact with black people was suspended because he used the word he heard constantly in locker rooms around his friends etc. outside of this environment in a very subconscious way. He said something to a bouncer of a club. Hey nigga come on please let us in.

Words are important language change all the time the thought that words are taboo for some people based on who they are is just not acceptable for me. No one should use Nigger not black people not white people no one. Same goes for japs by the way. However nigga has a total different meaning just just like the meaning of faggot has changed. Context is always important your skin color is not.

Also there is no reverse racism, there is no positive racism and there is also no positive discrimination. Not allowing someone based one their race, sex or gender is discrimination no matter what. Power dynamics do not matter since we are also talking about people who had NOTHING to do with slavery.

Another example: A german company recently was accused of using Nazi language in an advertising by some idiots. The Words they used was "Jedem das seine" translated it means something like each of their own. It is a phrase people constantly use. The reason why people accused the company of this was that this sentence was used as a sign in one of the concentration camps in Germany. Context is important and these people did not care at all about this context.

As far as I know the Company never backed down (at least yet) and tried to explain how words change and no one uses this phrase in a nazi way anymore. Hell I am Germany and this was the first time I ever herd that this was a phrase over one of these camps.

 

[Shamylov]

EDIT: Whoops

 

[Shamylov]

The whole 'taking ownership of the word' debate kinda flows over my head. I'd like to point out/emphasize 2 important points and see if we can agree on it:

1.) The only 3 situations in which a non-black person that isn't racist would say the word are:

- when analyzing/debating the word where nobody is being adressed with the word. That'd be this thread.
- in an artistic context. See Jango where DiCaprio says 'nigger' plenty of times.
- when intentionally trying to verbally hurt a black person

Those are all situations where the use of it is okay (the latter is 'okay' in the sense that all curse words are 'okay' during an emotional wordy fight).

2.) When a song contains 'nigger' and it's heavily promoted, made popular, and you get invited to sing it, it's okay to say it. Falling under 'artistic context' as well as that specific group of black people granting you to sing it aloud in that moment.

I think those are major points of contestion that non-black people want to make clear. This isn't about 'being able to say nigger'. Because ... when would a non-racist person ever adress a black person with 'nigger' while holding friendly intentions? That wouldn't make sense.

Aside from these 2 points I laid out, non-black pe are mostly annoyed constantly being told 'nu-uh, you don't get to say it!'. It's childish and provokes defiance.


Exactly. But black people have the power to end it.

If you intentionally try to hurt a black person and use the most racially-charged word that comes to mind, how is that not racist? I can understand that people make mistakes when they are emotional, but that still makes the mistake racist. Whether to forgive or not is a separate issue but let's recognize that the mistake is racist.

Also, I don't think the problem is necessarily that when white people use the word they're being racist, but I'm not black so I won't assume anything. Instead, we should agree that the word is obviously very offensive to black people and we should avoid it as a matter of respect.

Black people have been trying to end racism since they were brought to this continent. White supremacy means white people have the power, not black people, c'mon now.

EDIT: I messed up the quote tags

 

[zumphry]

So it can never end?

Well, it certainly doesn’t end with people claiming that it has ended when it hasn’t.

 

[Zog]

Well, it certainly doesn’t end with people claiming that it has ended when it hasn’t.

Well it can never end because no matter how much time passes, the people living will always be responsible for the sins of their ancestors.

 

[zumphry]

Well it can never end because no matter how much time passes, the people living will always be responsible for the sins of their ancestors.

You said it, not me.

 

[Zog]

You said it, not me.

No, actually you said it.

Children are not born and raised without being given the knowledge of their parents/family. They learn about the world through their parents, friends, schools, and community. How is this concept in any way difficult to parse?

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Their should be no argument here I’m not going with a left or right politic. It’s a deeply disgusting word that doesn’t belong in anyone’s mouth. Just because you made some quasi justified reason for saying it; it still sounds ignorant coming from anyone’s mouth.

 

[Papa]

If you are not black don’t say that word. It’s not a difficult thing to understand.

Is Shaun King allowed to say it?

 

[EviLore]

I'd rather we didn't use the n-word on NeoGAF, either variation, but especially not hard r. If you're quoting song lyrics, okay. If it's a news story related to using the word, okay. If we're having a discussion involving its cultural relevance, or something like the Kendrick Lamar thread, okay. Context always matters.

If you're telling us about how you're going to use hate speech against a black person if you're pissed off...please do so in the United States, so we can watch the WorldStar video of your shit getting pushed in afterwards. Just sayin', the video would be great.

Let's move on, thanks.