I grew up in an upland south culture where that wasn't the worst derogatory term used by a long shot and it was an accepted everyday term. Ethnocentricity was common as rain until the 60's. We had ugly names for Jews, Catholics, and every kind of Eastern European, too. They had several colorful names for WASP's. But when it becomes an issue you make changes and move on. Mass media took us all out of our cultural small-town and neighborhood environments and into contact with a very broad world. You have to adapt to the sensitivities, proclivities, and weird chit of whoever you have to deal with or be left behind. It really ain't that hard to hold back the racial expletives, except for when traffic is really bad. Usually its just easy things, like teaching the kids "One potato, two potato..." instead of "Eeenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe..."
Yeah - I'm embarrassed to say I can complete that little ditty, and a couple others, too. Now, my kids hear that word and it's worse than an F-bomb.
It sounds like this lady was saying, "I don't like it when this white guy comes over and asks me how black folks act in this or that situation." Dr Laura's response was don't be so damn sensitive. The woman's response was, "Well, what about N*, I get offended when people use that word." Dr Laura's response was again, it's just a word, don't be so sensitive. I think that's good advice. Not that it doesn't hit a deep subconscious chord, but that ultimately you should be able rise above being affected by words. Personally, I think the woman should just tell the guy who keeps asking how black folks handle this or that situation, "Look, I'm not the spokesman for black people, and different black folks handle things differently." Now, if someone asked me how white folks do this or that, I don't think that would bother me a bit. But I'm not über sensitive.
I agree with this. I think she had that rant in the holster and was just waiting for a chance to use it. My grandmother was illiterate and spoke only french. She grew up dirt poor and worked in the fields alongside other poor people including many blacks. As she got older, she would work as a maid for white folks with money. She hated no one and was not racist in the least. She called black people n*****s because that's the name she knew. That's all it was. Just a word. It will take a few generations for the word to go away. It's ingrained.
here is what i dont get..... because the word has such negative connotations and brings to mind a not so distant past of a time of jim crow laws, the klan, etc.,.... why do black people use it towards each other? why it it in rap songs? i can understand the sensitivity of whites using it given the context and the past, but if it has such a back ground, why help keep the word alive? wouldnt it be better to let the word just die out over a few generations? does it not add confusion to the whole racial issue to keep the word around that way?
"You must spread some reputation around before giving it to Okie again." This is my major b!tch about the whole thing. Why would you (hypothetical "you" not toward anyone here in particular) say the word if it's not ok for me? And why is it ok for you to call white people names like redneck and cracker? I understand there's not the historical connotations but still... It's completely hypocritical. I hate having to tip toe around worrying about offending someone racially when I'm not afforded the same considerations. Then again, I'm not hyper sensitive to words, but maybe that's only because I'm white.
