Recently, a “friend’s” Facebook page posted a status update including the N-word. I, being the loud-mouthed smartass that I am, felt the need to post a response on her comment. Because of Facebook’s settings (even though I removed her from my friends) I still got updates when others commented on her wall post. I was, frankly, depressed by the number of people who defended her use of the word. One person even responded, “…racism and segregation are over…” and suggested I just needed to get over it.
As I made my way home, I stewed over the situation and decided to break down all the arguments so that people will, hopefully understand why the N-word pisses me off so much.
1.) "It's just a word."--True, it is just a word, but words have power. The things that we say have an effect on others, and if you're going to put words like that out there then you need to be ready for the reaction you may receive.
2.) It's in rap song"/"People say it all the time."--True. The word is featured prominently in rap songs, and quite a few people use the word in everyday conversation. That doesn't make it any more right. People have jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge before, but does that mean I'm lining up to take the plunge? Nope. Which brings me to my next point...
3.) "Black people use it."--True. Nevermind the arguments about taking back the word or taking the sting out of it by using it liberally. That's another coluimn. My answer to this argument goes back to response #2: just because someone else uses it doesn't make it okay for you to.
4.) "Racism isn't around any more, so it doesn't matter."--False. Let's not kid ourselves here. As long as there are human beings that judge others for superficial reasons, there will be racism and discrimination. While we can mandate people's behavior, there's nothing we can feasibly do to change the hearts and minds of others. At least not overnight.
5.) "Well, it doesn't bother me..."--I think it's awesome that you're so highly evolved and open-minded but you're not the only one who hears the things that you say. You don't know where I've been or what I've been called, so don't go throwing around loaded words and looking shocked that I'm pissed off.
Now that I’ve gotten all that off my chest, I feel much better. Thank you for listening to the ramblings of an angry Black man.
I remember when I came to NC from Maryland — I was 10 — I was amazed by how often the white kids in my class flung around The N Word. Most of my good friends in Maryland were black, and I always saw omitting the word from my vocabulary as a matter of respect. They didn't say it, I didn't say it, and it was never an issue. For the first year I lived in NC, I'd punch my girlfriends in the arm if they said it around me (my own form of shock therapy), and they learned at least to not say it in public. Sadly, I don't know if there are enough bruised arms in the world to stop everyone.
ReplyDeleteit was pointed out to me that this is really an overblown case of manners. the person using the word wasn't trying to offend, they simply used offensive language with no thought to the consequences. that's not nearly as bad as outright racism, but it's more insidious: slowly people lose their understanding of how powerful words can be, and bit by bit, more and more crude and offensive language slips back into our culture.
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