Confused about a word (WARNING: Possible un-intended racism, i'm really shocked)

[Imp_Emissary]

What? Means hello? The fuck are they on about?

I don't like it. People have names, it only takes a second to find out what it is instead of just calling them Black.

This. This. This. THIS!

I have never heard something that has made more sense about this kind of topic.

Why the hell can't we just use people's names? Or if you want to call them something friendly, why not just say "Hey friend", or pal, or something that has NOT been used as slur for years?

I have heard the argument of taking what use to be mean and hurtful, and than turning it into something good. However, the fact that still not all people all of the time still can't always use the word shows that nothing about it has changed. It's still full of hate, and in my opinion words like that should be just left in a ditch to die.

 

[kzgonuts63]

It's just a word, but people can't seem to just get over that fact. The word is not offensive to me because I'm white and i don't use it because it is not in my normal vernacular. If I'm telling a joke that has the word in it I will not shy away from it just because I don't want to offend people. If it offends someone I'm sorry but I'm not changing who I am because one word made someone sad.

We are of course talking about the bird, right? Because everybody knows that that bird is the word.

 

[ELD3RGoD]

I have several coloured friends

I reckon you should be careful who you use "colored" too buddy. from wiki :

Today it is generally no longer regarded as a politically correct term. However, even that is debatable, due to its continued accepted usage, most notably its use in the acronym NAACP. Carla Sims, communications director for the NAACP in Washington, D.C., said "The term 'colored' is not derogatory, [the NAACP] chose the word 'colored' because it was the most positive description commonly used at that time. It's outdated and antiquated but not offensive." [2]
In other English-speaking countries, the term has varied meanings. In South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the term Coloured refers to an ethnic group of mixed-race people who are not considered fully Black under South African law, and its usage is not considered derogatory. However, in the United Kingdom the term "coloured" is "widely perceived as offensive" because its origins are perceived as racist

I merely meant coloured as in, Black, Asian, Arabic (Considering they aren't all the same) rather than, yeah, that one. lol.

 

[ELD3RGoD]

A few people try to take away the power the word has, and you've got to drag them down and try to tell them that they're wrong for it.

Pretty pathetic in my opinion. Why are you so racist, OP?

I'm not racist dude... bit random of you to say I am?

Not really.

You are complaining about a few people who are trying to take the power that the word has away, making it useless. As if it was a bad thing to try to move past something that happened over 120 years ago.

That's about as racist as it gets without wearing a pillow case yourself.

It was hardly trying to take away the power of the word when they were basically saying, "This kid is a n*****, lolololol."

You're telling me that is making it useless? Riiiiiight.

 

[AgentNein]

A few people try to take away the power the word has, and you've got to drag them down and try to tell them that they're wrong for it.

Pretty pathetic in my opinion. Why are you so racist, OP?

I'm not racist dude... bit random of you to say I am?

Not really.

You are complaining about a few people who are trying to take the power that the word has away, making it useless. As if it was a bad thing to try to move past something that happened over 120 years ago.

That's about as racist as it gets without wearing a pillow case yourself.

I think a big question I haven't heard asked here is...what was this facebook group consisting of exactly? If it's a bunch of white folks, then sorry, it's not their place to try and "take away the power of the word" by continuing to use it.

 

[lacktheknack]

It means "hello" now?

lolwut

No, they're just trying to make themselves feel superior for spouting racial slurs. Ignore them.

 

[BRex21]

While I would never say anything like that, but I do love me the racist comments. The thing is that I only joke around people I know are comfortable with it, and then there is nothing really to worry about.
I mock a friend of mine for being short and tell her that Philipino's are just pretend asians, she knows of course that I am just a lovable A$$H**e and laughs. I have heard HER say "Sup N***A" to her friends as a form of hello, and none of them are offended by it, it has more to do with intent than the words themselves in my book.

 

[Sangreal Gothcraft]

The n word is a very... eh.. it is one of those words i avoid using, Because i don't want to sound Ghetto and Uneducated mainly because people in the minority groups are associated with using the n word, among there Peers or "Homies" as you call them. It is just that word that will never come from my mouth nor do i like it when people call that, Is annoying..

 

[Zaik]

A few people try to take away the power the word has, and you've got to drag them down and try to tell them that they're wrong for it.

Pretty pathetic in my opinion. Why are you so racist, OP?

I'm not racist dude... bit random of you to say I am?

Not really.

You are complaining about a few people who are trying to take the power that the word has away, making it useless. As if it was a bad thing to try to move past something that happened over 120 years ago.

That's about as racist as it gets without wearing a pillow case yourself.

I think a big question I haven't heard asked here is...what was this facebook group consisting of exactly? If it's a bunch of white folks, then sorry, it's not their place to try and "take away the power of the word" by continuing to use it.

What, so only black people can stop racism? More racism.

A few people try to take away the power the word has, and you've got to drag them down and try to tell them that they're wrong for it.

Pretty pathetic in my opinion. Why are you so racist, OP?

I'm not racist dude... bit random of you to say I am?

Not really.

You are complaining about a few people who are trying to take the power that the word has away, making it useless. As if it was a bad thing to try to move past something that happened over 120 years ago.

That's about as racist as it gets without wearing a pillow case yourself.

It was hardly trying to take away the power of the word when they were basically saying, "This kid is a n*****, lolololol."

You're telling me that is making it useless? Riiiiiight.

Even if it isn't, your inane hypersensitivity is just making everything 100 times worse.

 

[UnmotivatedSlacker]

It's just a word and it only has as much value as you choose to give it. I'm black and I really don't care who says that word.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

Go play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. You'll know then.

 

[Pyro Paul]

people often use insults to acknowledge friends. it shows a degree of trust and/or understanding amongst friends to allow them to effectively insult you.


For instance, one of my friends has had a girlfriend since grade school. and through a twisted conversation we got him to say that he 'loved his girlfriend as a little girl', which when taking out of context was tatamount to saying he was a pedophile. So as a running joke we call him pedo.

Take the joke, the trust, and the friendship away...
If i called him a Pedo you think it would get the same reaction from him?

 

[AgentNein]

A few people try to take away the power the word has, and you've got to drag them down and try to tell them that they're wrong for it.

Pretty pathetic in my opinion. Why are you so racist, OP?

I'm not racist dude... bit random of you to say I am?

Not really.

You are complaining about a few people who are trying to take the power that the word has away, making it useless. As if it was a bad thing to try to move past something that happened over 120 years ago.

That's about as racist as it gets without wearing a pillow case yourself.

I think a big question I haven't heard asked here is...what was this facebook group consisting of exactly? If it's a bunch of white folks, then sorry, it's not their place to try and "take away the power of the word" by continuing to use it.

What, so only black people can stop racism? More racism.

Being aware of race doesn't make one a racist. White folks coming from a place of privilege in our society using words that were used by white folks in the fairly recent past as a tool of oppression isn't going to destroy or take away the negative power of a word.

 

[Trololo Punk]

I don't say it myself, and in my opinion, is offensive.

 

[emeraldrafael]

...

And then they made a post about how it is fine to say it in this modern day and it just means hello universaly and that some people need to understand the modern age.

...

Get this in writing, verified, and dated, cause black people have officially just said a white person or any person of any colour can use that word.

...

But seriously, on topic, I dont know. i find it odd when you go from -a being oka to -er being hate crime and how even if you do use the -a its still possibly viewed as wrong.

All I do know is, i laways called black people black if I wanted to identify them by color (saying he's the black guy in the picture of an otherwise all white team for example [his name was brian]), but I susually take the time to learn a name, though I've never really used names. hell, one of my best friends i never even knew his name till six years later, and he was in practically everyone one of my classes, and used his real name to. I just never picked up on it.

But I did like what my school did. As soon as all this -a vs -er business started, the teachers sat down and made an announcement saying, and I kid you not "to avoid all mistakes and misunderstandings that may ensue, we will not be having any of this N*gger and N*gga nonsense. We will refer to white as Caucasian, we will refer to yellow as Asian/Oriental, we will refer to red as The Natives, and we will refer to black as Coloured. If students do not wish to be referred as such, you will use real names, not colors or derogatives, and in turn be treated the same by other students."

... and that effectively ended all that -er vs -a business at my school, cause no one wanted to be the one saying that (edit*) Coloured was offensive when thats what the C in the NAACP stood for.

*EDIT: sorry, long day at work. The original plan before that was that all black kids would be referred to as Negro, but that didnt seem to sit well so the decided on the one i mentioned.

 

[Thundero13]

Here is my opinion, now i'm not black but i'm gay so i'm basing this on the way I respond to the word fag.
I believe that there is nothing wrong with just saying ****** or nigga etc. but the problem is only when you are directing the word at someone in a hurtful way, the example you have given, assuming he was talking about someone, was racist and I don't agree with him.
If anyone coloured people do take offense to these views then tell me and i'll make sure to refrain from saying it at all in future.


Please don't give me a warning escapist...

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

I generally don't use the word in everyday language. While there are situations where people may not find it offensive, it still cares a lot of negative connotations with it, and because of that I don't just throw it around. The only time I ever use it is in a situation where I'm with people who know that I don't mean it in an offensive way.

 

[Zaik]

A few people try to take away the power the word has, and you've got to drag them down and try to tell them that they're wrong for it.

Pretty pathetic in my opinion. Why are you so racist, OP?

I'm not racist dude... bit random of you to say I am?

Not really.

You are complaining about a few people who are trying to take the power that the word has away, making it useless. As if it was a bad thing to try to move past something that happened over 120 years ago.

That's about as racist as it gets without wearing a pillow case yourself.

I think a big question I haven't heard asked here is...what was this facebook group consisting of exactly? If it's a bunch of white folks, then sorry, it's not their place to try and "take away the power of the word" by continuing to use it.

What, so only black people can stop racism? More racism.

Being aware of race doesn't make one a racist. White folks coming from a place of privilege in our society using words that were used by white folks in the fairly recent past as a tool of oppression isn't going to destroy or take away the negative power of a word.

And I suppose being hypersensitive and waiting for the "other side" to make an effort is?

 

[Popido]

I was about to say something smart, but then I remembered that I find it offensive when people get offended by things.