The "N" Word

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  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,072
    PJ_Soul said:
    This thread made it a day and didn't get locked.  I am impressed!

    There is a To Kill a Mockingbird play on Broadway here in NYC that I have been dying to see and was wondering if they removed the N word from the screen play?  Haven't  heard anything about it.
    I would be shocked and dismayed if it was taken out. That, to me, is the one obvious exception when it comes to the use of the word (by non-black people): in art (movies, books, etc) about racism. I mean, it would be pretty fucking hard to make a movie about American slavery or about white supremacists, or about Jim Crow topics, without the word being in the script and said by white actors.
    Good point.  When actually being historically correct and discussing events, etc.  Makes sense.  Probably can't do 12 years a Slave without it
    hippiemom = goodness
  • cutzcutz Posts: 11,400
    cutz said:
    Cuomo shouldn't have used it.

    Worked with a few young  black   guys over 20 years ago. I had 2 black guys around my age including my Boss. Well, one day the young guys were calling each other the "N"-word when the 2 older guys said to them to STOP calling each other the "N"-word. Their reason was if you do not respect each other how can other people?
    Then you have the ICE-T song "Straight up Nga" that says those older guys wouldn't understand.
    To be more accurate. The young guys were around 18-24 and one of the "older' guys was in his upper 20's(not much older) and one was in his early 30's.  Really not that much of a difference in age at that time.

    I agreed with them at the time and i still do. The N-word should never be used in that context.
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,473
    edited October 2019
    cutz said:
    cutz said:
    Cuomo shouldn't have used it.

    Worked with a few young  black   guys over 20 years ago. I had 2 black guys around my age including my Boss. Well, one day the young guys were calling each other the "N"-word when the 2 older guys said to them to STOP calling each other the "N"-word. Their reason was if you do not respect each other how can other people?
    Then you have the ICE-T song "Straight up Nga" that says those older guys wouldn't understand.
    To be more accurate. The young guys were around 18-24 and one of the "older' guys was in his upper 20's(not much older) and one was in his early 30's.  Really not that much of a difference in age at that time.

    I agreed with them at the time and i still do. The N-word should never be used in that context.
    I agree too. I respect black people's right to do what they will with the word of course... But if they asked my opinion about it, I would say that they are doing themselves a disservice by ever using the word. Like someone else said, they should let that word disappear from the language (or at least leave it to just be the worst racist slur possible, making it solely an identifier of racists).
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • PJ_Soul said:
    cutz said:
    cutz said:
    Cuomo shouldn't have used it.

    Worked with a few young  black   guys over 20 years ago. I had 2 black guys around my age including my Boss. Well, one day the young guys were calling each other the "N"-word when the 2 older guys said to them to STOP calling each other the "N"-word. Their reason was if you do not respect each other how can other people?
    Then you have the ICE-T song "Straight up Nga" that says those older guys wouldn't understand.
    To be more accurate. The young guys were around 18-24 and one of the "older' guys was in his upper 20's(not much older) and one was in his early 30's.  Really not that much of a difference in age at that time.

    I agreed with them at the time and i still do. The N-word should never be used in that context.
    I agree too. I respect black people's right to do what they will with the word of course... But if they asked my opinion about it, I would say that they are doing themselves a disservice by ever using the word. Like someone else said, they should let that word disappear from the language (or at least leave it to just be the worst racist slur possible, making it solely an identifier of racists).
    I know the last thing they are going to do is ask us for their opinion, lol.
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,593
    edited October 2019
    Being white, I suppose it could be argued that I have no right or position to say this (but I will)- I have issues with the on-going rapper use of the "ah" ending "n" word.   Back when it came out, Dick Gregory's autobiography Nigger was, as the man himself, a very powerful statement.  Gregory's work was huge in bringing about a sense of pride in the black community.  I saw him speak on campus in 1969.  I stood in a large hall, heated by the bodies of a large and very predominantly black crowd.  The room was filled with a tangible pride mixed with anger mixed with hope.  I don't recall Gregory using the "n" word in that talk.  I think the use of it on his book was meant to reach a wider audience and create awareness. Seeing him speak was one of the most impressive experiences of my then young life.  I may be wrong about this (but it's how I see it), but I don't see the rapper use of the "n" word being nearly as effective or powerful or creating change in society.

    This, (and Gregory's other works) is a great book for anyone interested in reading about the early years of growing black awareness and black pride.  Highly recommended:


    Post edited by brianlux on
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • HorosHoros Posts: 4,518
    As far as the OP I don't understand the outrage over a quote.

    Blazing Saddles?

    Where do you draw the line on 'art'?
    #FHP
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,121
    This is kinda funny, entertaining, and relevant to the nookie discussion.  Snoop Dogg playing at Kansas to perhaps the whitest crowd of college students in the northern hemisphere.  I can just imagine Chancellor James Dinglemore III shaking Mr. Doggs hand and wishing him good luck with the hip and the hop before he went live and then you see the 80's comedy movie horror on his face when nookie bombs start getting dropped about 1.7 seconds into the performance  =)

    https://youtu.be/7iIwZkJ6AWc
  • Jason P said:
    This is kinda funny, entertaining, and relevant to the nookie discussion.  Snoop Dogg playing at Kansas to perhaps the whitest crowd of college students in the northern hemisphere.  I can just imagine Chancellor James Dinglemore III shaking Mr. Doggs hand and wishing him good luck with the hip and the hop before he went live and then you see the 80's comedy movie horror on his face when nookie bombs start getting dropped about 1.7 seconds into the performance  =)

    https://youtu.be/7iIwZkJ6AWc
    Only ever heard of nookie referring to sex and never as the N word?
  • Yes the  carry on films use nookie as sex
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    this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
  • Well, here’s an example of two perspectives having an impact. Use versus re-stating.

    https://apple.news/AtS9ZRh1eRLu2W1T0-5nk3w
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  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 28,258
    https://apple.news/AtS9ZRh1eRLu2W1T0-5nk3w
    Fired for telling student to stop calling him the Nword ..
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • Well, here’s an example of two perspectives having an impact. Use versus re-stating.

    https://apple.news/AtS9ZRh1eRLu2W1T0-5nk3w
    https://apple.news/AtS9ZRh1eRLu2W1T0-5nk3w
    Fired for telling student to stop calling him the Nword ..
    So this is a two edged sword.  Zero tolerance means just that, zero tolerance.  I can see why he was fired, I get that.  Was it the right call?  Most likely not.

    2nd thing I want to know is what kind of school is this where everyone is flaunting the word?

    I've been friends with a lot of people and the word just didn't get thrown around.

    Friends that are teachers say the word is thrown around constantly.  I thought it was just the area.  We definitely live in a different time...
  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 28,258
    Well, here’s an example of two perspectives having an impact. Use versus re-stating.

    https://apple.news/AtS9ZRh1eRLu2W1T0-5nk3w
    https://apple.news/AtS9ZRh1eRLu2W1T0-5nk3w
    Fired for telling student to stop calling him the Nword ..
    So this is a two edged sword.  Zero tolerance means just that, zero tolerance.  I can see why he was fired, I get that.  Was it the right call?  Most likely not.

    2nd thing I want to know is what kind of school is this where everyone is flaunting the word?

    I've been friends with a lot of people and the word just didn't get thrown around.

    Friends that are teachers say the word is thrown around constantly.  I thought it was just the area.  We definitely live in a different time...
    Agreed , the guard should of just took his cell out and recorded the confrontation without saying a word ..
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • Well, here’s an example of two perspectives having an impact. Use versus re-stating.

    https://apple.news/AtS9ZRh1eRLu2W1T0-5nk3w
    https://apple.news/AtS9ZRh1eRLu2W1T0-5nk3w
    Fired for telling student to stop calling him the Nword ..
    So this is a two edged sword.  Zero tolerance means just that, zero tolerance.  I can see why he was fired, I get that.  Was it the right call?  Most likely not.

    2nd thing I want to know is what kind of school is this where everyone is flaunting the word?

    I've been friends with a lot of people and the word just didn't get thrown around.

    Friends that are teachers say the word is thrown around constantly.  I thought it was just the area.  We definitely live in a different time...
    Agreed , the guard should of just took his cell out and recorded the confrontation without saying a word ..
    That's a tough position to be in.  To stand there and do nothing is tough to do...
  • cincybearcatcincybearcat Posts: 16,072
    Zero tolerance just means zero thinking. It is lazy. Any incident of any kind should be investigated and taken on merit. But when you have a public always crying out to fire everyone that makes a mistake, it’s a way for the school (or business or whatever it happens to be that day) to protect themselves from people without the information going off on twitter.
    hippiemom = goodness
  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 35,808
    Zero tolerance just means zero thinking. It is lazy. Any incident of any kind should be investigated and taken on merit. But when you have a public always crying out to fire everyone that makes a mistake, it’s a way for the school (or business or whatever it happens to be that day) to protect themselves from people without the information going off on twitter.
    agreed. I think zero tolerance should mean every incident is investigated, not immediately assign guilt. 
    Darwinspeed, all. 

    Cheers,

    HFD




  • Zero tolerance just means zero thinking. It is lazy. Any incident of any kind should be investigated and taken on merit. But when you have a public always crying out to fire everyone that makes a mistake, it’s a way for the school (or business or whatever it happens to be that day) to protect themselves from people without the information going off on twitter.
    10 years ago Arizona schools put  forth a "zero tolerance" program for fighting.  If you got punched in the face and did not put up a fist you still got suspended. 

    I thought this was a dumb rule and now I get how it was lazy rule.

    TY.
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,593
    Whenever this thread comes up, I often think of this song:

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianlux said:
    Whenever this thread comes up, I often think of this song:

    I prefer Cracker myself.
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,593
    brianlux said:
    Whenever this thread comes up, I often think of this song:

    I prefer Cracker myself.
    LOL

    It's actually a rather sad term:

    A 1783 pejorative use of "crackers" specifies men who "are descended from convicts that were transported from Great Britain to Virginia at different times, and inherit so much profligacy from their ancestors, that they are the most abandoned set of men on earth"


    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 27,739
    https://www.yahoo.com/news/wisconsin-students-walk-protest-racial-170817812.html

    Wisconsin students walk out to protest racial slur firing

    West High School students walked out of class around 10 a.m. to protest the firing. Madison Police Department officials didn't respond to The Associated Press' request for a crowd count but told the Wisconsin State Journal newspaper that about 1,500 people participated.

    A WISC-TV livestream of the walkout showed what appeared to be scores of students marching through the streets. They walked to the Madison school district offices and marched laps around the building, chanting "Hey-hey, hey-ho, zero tolerance has got to go!" and "Do Better!"

    Security guard Marlon Anderson, 48, said he was responding to a call Oct. 9 about a disruptive student at West. He said the student, who is black, called him obscenities, including the N-word. Anderson said he told the student multiple times not to call him that, repeating the slur during the confrontation.

    Madison schools have a zero-tolerance policy on employees saying racial slurs. Anderson was fired Wednesday.

    Anderson said he was just trying to defend himself and that context matters. The Madison teachers union has filed a grievance with the district on his behalf.

    During his time at East and West high schools, Anderson said students have used that slur against him "many times," and that it has resulted in "restorative conversations" in which he explains the history, context and meaning of the word.

    Last school year, at least seven Madison School District staff members resigned or were fired after using a racial slur in front of students.

    West Principal Karen Boran said the zero-tolerance approach has been applied consistently.

    The district school board president, Gloria Reyes, said in a statement Friday that she wants the board to review its policy on racial slurs as soon as possible. She said she also has directed district staff to handle Anderson's grievance quickly.

    "This is an incredibly difficult situation, and we acknowledge the emotion, harm and complexity involved," she said. "Many people in our community and our district are grappling with that complexity, and we will continue to do so as we go forward."

    Superintendent Jane Belmore issued her own statement saying the zero-tolerance policy is designed to protect students from harm, no matter what the circumstances or intent. But she added that "different viewpoints" from the community are emerging and the district will review the policy in light of Anderson's grievance.

    The singer Cher weighed on the dispute Friday, tweeting in response to a news story about Anderson that if he decides to sue the Madison school district, she would cover his expenses.

    A message left at the Madison teachers union for Anderson wasn't immediately returned.

    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,121
    I like that the reporter had the moxie and investigative intuition to check with Cher so the nation could have proper analysis of this travesty.  That probably would have taken an investigative Rolling Stone journalist from the 70's at least a month and several fake mustaches to uncover that portion of the story.  God Bless Twitter.
  • hedonisthedonist standing on the edge of forever Posts: 24,524
    Jason P said:
    I like that the reporter had the moxie and investigative intuition to check with Cher so the nation could have proper analysis of this travesty.  That probably would have taken an investigative Rolling Stone journalist from the 70's at least a month and several fake mustaches to uncover that portion of the story.  God Bless Twitter.
    Serious topic aside, I think this is fucking hilarious.
  • Tim SimmonsTim Simmons Posts: 6,865
    This isn’t about the guy who was fired (rehire the guy, this is silly). this has more to do with the over arching theme here. I saw this clip a few years ago and it’s really stuck with me. I think it’s one of the better explanations about the use of the n word. 

  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,593
    edited October 2019
    This isn’t about the guy who was fired (rehire the guy, this is silly). this has more to do with the over arching theme here. I saw this clip a few years ago and it’s really stuck with me. I think it’s one of the better explanations about the use of the n word. 

    I like that video a lot.  The guy is a great speaker and makes an excellent point.

    I just have one question though.  He say that whites refraining from the use of the "n" word gives us whites just a taste of what it is like for black people not being able to go everywhere and do everything like whites can.  Good point.  But why is it OK for him to use the word "faggot" (not derogatorily, of course, but even within context) when he is not gay and does not have to deal with the biases of a gay person?  Why is that OK for him to use that word but not OK for whites to say the "n" word.  I find that to be a discrepancy. 

    I probably won't see the day this happens- maybe none of us will- but I hope some day the day will come when people, all people, are treated  and seen as equals and thus will render these words harmless and universally acceptable. 
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,593
    Here's another interesting perspective on all this, an article well worth reading all the way through (and it's not that long).


    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • Trevor Noah is a fascinating person and I really enjoy listening to him speak whether I agree or not.

    The first few minutes are about his take on the N word.  Listen to thew hole interview though as I think he is that good of a listen!

    https://youtu.be/7vU7RuBi4Gs
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 49,473
    I love Trevor Noah.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • PJ_Soul said:
    I love Trevor Noah.
    Give it a listen if you have the time!  It's a local radio station here in NY that does get syndicated.
  • Tim SimmonsTim Simmons Posts: 6,865
    edited November 2019
    Great point about the n word getting cool and now white people are pissed.

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