I have to ask, what would have offended you more about the white person using that phrase, "What's up, my nigga?
Is it because of the fact that you would be personally insulted by the fact that it came from a white person, and you don't like the idea of whites using the language of blacks? Or would it be that the word "nigga" (hence "nigger") is a racial slap in your face?
You are correct in that Freedom of Speech needing to be used wisely, but I, personally, would not agree that there is a time and place for using racial epithets. Maybe I'm a little on the snotty side about this- I can accept that- but there is no time and no place for this language.
Since everyone is so fond of the wise sayings at the end of their posts, here's one: You can't put out a fire by throwing gasoline on it!

Nutty, I agree with all you've said so far on this topic. I've restained myself from responding to this thread so far, because anything I've got to say about it, you've pretty much said for me.

Nutty: Its my rights to feel strongly about that phrase. I do not
just dislike whites saying that. I also think that most of my own
people uses that word...and really do not know the true meaning
of a Nigger (in short Nigga).

I don't not go around amoung my own people or on my job calling
whites crackers or honkies. Freedom of speech is a great item to
be able to use, but sometimes (many times) freedom of speech is
abused, and you are right about.....throwing gasoline on a fire.

Its to bad that the saying wasn't established years ago when
racism was at its highest level. Back then gasoline was poured
on Black family homes and churchs for speaking out, and burned
to the ground because of freedom of speech.

So here in today's society don't start something that you can't
finish.

Are there seriously any names that Blacks call Whites that are truly offensive.

I can't think of any.

I've been called honky, hillbilly, redneck, cracker.

OK, I'm not real fond of white trash or trailer trash 'cause I'm not trash And I have only lived in a trailer for 3 months once when I was a kid. But I can't think of anything not involving the word, trash, that I truly find offensive.

Sir, I am not questioning in any way your right to feel about any, word, phrase, or idea. Of couse that right is yours as you deem fit to apply. I just wanted to know the answer to the question asked.

Again, you are correct. But again, can we really expect that whites and others will treat us with respect when we cannot respect ourselves? An earlier post on this topic spoke of respect. I also agree with that person. But will somebody please explain to me how words like "nigga", "nigger", "niggaz, "honkie", "cracker", "hillbilly" and others can be used as terms of respect? If you can,and you allow yourself to be spoken to in that manner, that's your own personal choice. I choose the opposite, and I try to teach my son not to engage in this behavior.

When I was in the Navy, there was a Chief who was standing watch who came in to the engineering control area to give me a status report. One of the petty officers on watch said something that I can't remember what it was at the moment, but it got the chief visibly upset and he slammed the door on his exit.
We were a little stunned and confused for a little while, until it suddenly hit me that what the petty officer said could have sounded like "Wet-back".
I called the chief back in and we discussed it, and that's what he thought he heard.
This petty officer was a senior petty officer who had never (that I knew of) displayed any racist tendencies before, and like I said I can't remember what he actually said but it was not "wetback".

A simple racist word can cause one hell of a stink, and I imagine it would have been pretty ugly (Captain's Mast) if the petty officer had actually been using that word.


On another note, one guy I know at my current company was telling me that he used to work in the Marines, and that a marine superior told him that he couldn't shave his head.
He asked "why not", and he was told that if he was allowed to shave his head completely, then they would have to let the white guys shave their head also.
(He had to fill in the blanks for me regarding a reference to "skin-heads" and the significance of such a move.)


On the other issue of a white guy using that phrase, I can't help but think the reaction would not be identical if a white guy said that 'pimped out' in a specific outfit, and if I had said that in my nice shirt and dress pants. There is inherently a different type of "-ism" at work whereby a guy has to worry if his comment is going to be taken friendly, or viewed as open and arrogant hostility.
Quite frankly, I can't help but think in some ways the word has been adopted in a reverse racism way whereby blacks can use the word with an impunity that whites may be denied. I think it overly dwells on the issue of the origins of the word, regardless of how it is used. Wounds never healing...
To me, it's better to "kill off" the word entirely, although I guess I don't know how to "legally" do such a thing with free speech.

You are so right, sir. There is no way to legally "kill-off" a word. The next best thing, then, is not to use it. That way, there can be no disagreement and/or animosity on how the word was meant.

You are talking about names you have been called,
and there's no way in the hell you can't tell me that
you have never called a black person names.
I am NOT asking that question to be funny, but I am
sure that you have been called names like the ones
you posted by your own people.

I can just picture you back during the civil rights
movement days. Have you ever experiences the
Whites in front, and the Blacks in the back days?

My closing thoughts is most Whites who lived in
the south loved to use the word Nigger, and I
do believe that they was uneducated about what
a nigger is. However I will not accept being called a
Nigger by no race. Not even by my own people.

I don't know about all the name game things, I can tell you at being hired at some jobs I've been asked what would you like to be called, my response is "I don't care, "asshole" could work, eye brow's raise and I've been told that's unacceptable! I really don't care, I'm here to work let's do it!................