P.P., The slang "nigga" is just an Ebonic version of "nigger."So, the next time one of your "homies" says to you, "What's up, my nigga"? You just got called a "nigger"!
Putting z's on the end of words is the Ebonic way of making words plural. It is supposed to give blacks the "from the streets" way of looking at themselves and to make the user appear tough.
The comment on the "back of the bus" days of civil rights was good, but why do so many black youths go right straight to the back of the school bus or public bus nowadays? Is it because it is now where the "hipsters" sit?
All I'm saying is that these (and many other things) are what African-Americans must overcome for themselves before expecting respect from others. All this behavior does is show how little respect we have for ourselves. This is the vicious circle.

Shit, the hipsters? i always have went to the back, a head on collision, I'll fair better!

Well in my life i have been referred to as sand nigger, white boy, bin laden, terrorist, plus a variety of colorful racist/ethnic/religious slurs in 4 different languages.

In pakistan i'm a heathen danish white boy, whereas in the west i am a terrorist muslim.

You know i tend to believe that people should get over it. Prejudices are a harsh reality and EVERYBODY has them.

Personally i always belive in letting people call me what they want, but through my actions i hope to change the context in which they call me something.

Some of my best friends in denmark frequently refer to me in racist terms, but to them it has gone from being an aggressive slur to just being another word with no negative connotation.

For instance, i personally do not see any reason for there to be a negative connotation to "Nigga". Well sure there is if you will insist that it be remembered and commemorated and reinforced by negative and aggressive reactions to the word. However lets just say the entire african american community decided that being called a Nigga just wasn't worth getting mad over. Do you really think that white racists would be able to maintain the word as a slur ? I sincerely doubt it. A cuss word is only a cuss word if the recipient also considers it a cuss word.

As a person who has lent ear to racist and bigoted speech his entire life i can tell you that i have managed to clear out more prejudices than i have reinforced. And one major reason for that is that i do not get angry because people say stupid things. I mean jesus christ, they say stupid things all the time. Big deal.

Unless of course people out there are interested in reinforcing their victim status.

I was raised not to use such names.

I can honestly tell you that, as an adult, I have never called a black person nigger or any other racist epithet.

When I was a child, the word was used by most people where I lived to mean negro. Just like "flare" meant "flower." An "em" meant "them." It is called a dialect.

My mother taught me to say negro instead because she said nigger was considered insulting. So, yes, as a child, I sometimes used that word. I don't recall ever using it with the intention of insulting someone.

My point, which you seem to have missed, is that I don't find honky, cracker, hillbilly, redneck, etc. particularly insulting.

White trash, I don't like because I don't like being called trash.

The word, nigger, has taken on a life of its own, probably because it is used so pointedly by those who wish to portray Blacks as less than human.

No word that is used to insult whites carries the same weight.

That's interesting, sir; but the truth is the word "nigger" will always have a negative connotation if it came from a white person talking to an African-American. Nothing or nobody will ever change that. What I would like is to have we African-Americans stop using such words and phrases so freely, so that we may teach by example that we really don't care for those words and phrases. To use your example; if there is an African-American who doesn't mind himself or herself being called a nigger; that's their business. I have a problem with it, so I believe in practicing what I preach. I choose not to engage in calling others "nigger" and really don't care to be called one myself (by whites or blacks. Most importantly, I have a son that I do not want engaging in such behavior.

"Tougher racial laws should be applied to everyone. The use of the word nigger or 'niggga' or spic or wetback or any negative word used to describe any ethnic group, should be an arrestable offense, no matter who says it or how its used. A deep line should be drawn n the sand concerning freedom of speech and language that clearly is capable of dividing the people."



Ummmm....

NO.


I think the "Nigger" is a horrible word. So is "Faggot" ... or "Cunt" when used to describe a woman. And many other such words. They literally repulse me.

But I'D die before I'd live even one day in a P.C. police state.

I agree. If being called names is the price I have to pay to preserve freedom then I figure I am getting off pretty light.

I do not believe that everyone is loose like you, and I am
also sure that if I was asked that...I would say call me by
my name. But being interviewed for a job, and being called
names in the streets is two different situations.

(Don't bite off more then you can chew)

If "hetero" is not a bad word, why is saying "homo" a bad word? I was banned from this site because I would not cease saying homo when referring to queers. Are the speech police still around?

Oh for cryin out loud alias.. you were banned from this forum because you were consistently aggressive, bigoted, unnecessarily rude, insulting and a complete whiner.

You were not banned for using ONE wrong word. You were banned for your continuous verbal assaults on the other members. You were a menace to this forum because nobody could write anything without risking some unwarranted personal attack from you. This site is more interesting, more constructive and more harmonious ( without censure of differing opinions) without you around to attack us like a rabid pooch.

Now run along to some corner where you can sit and fume over the "unfair" treatment meted out to you. Do whatever you want, but do us all a favor and be gone.