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

[RoBi3.0]

On a similar note: what is it okay to call black people nowadays? 'cause obviously black's offensive, or so I've been told, African-American doesn't apply here in europe (and not all black people are from africa). Negro, which is Spanish for black, doesn't seem to be accepted, and we all know how '******' is received. Colored person sounds, to me, more offensive than any of the above. So, as a guy whiter than a snowman with a bukkake fetish, I ask you to educate me.

I personally would try calling them by their name. In fact the only time race is an issue is when describing what a person looks like. What a person looks like rarely has a baring on things unless you are describing a criminal or trying to set someone up on a date, and in that case play it by ear.

 

[Yoshemo]

I completely agree but sadly if any person except for a black guy says it they are racist no matter how they try it.

Around where I live (not too far from Detroit) most black people here only get mad when a white person says it. If Asian, Mexicans, or Native Americans (like me) say it, they usually won't mind. As long as its not used as an insult of course

 

[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.

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

It's pretty easy to accuse people of being "hypersensitive" on the issue when you yourself have probably never been effected negatively by institutional racism.

 

[Mr. 47]

If used insultingly, it's offensive. If someone says it in reference to themselves, it isn't.

 

[Liudeius]

It is sometime's said as a greeting. It may not mean "hello", but when used in the sentence "what's up n----", it's just part of friendly conversation. I don't know about the specific example you gave, it depends on the context.
But "colored"... That has some racist ties as well.

 

[Amphoteric]

It isn't racist if it isn't used as an insult.

 

[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?

It's pretty easy to accuse people of being "hypersensitive" on the issue when you yourself have probably never been effected negatively by institutional racism.

It's easier to just go along with the status quo and pretend everything will just turn out fine if I sit on my hands and accuse the walls of blocking out the sun.

 

[Davey Woo]

You see the problem here is you're attempting to clarify something that happened on Facebook. Most facebook users have no idea what they're talking about and join groups just to be communally racist (WhiLst usSuaLLy tYpiNg lIeK DiS!!!111)

On topic, no, the N word is still a bad word to use generally, as is any curse-word, you just have to make sure that if you say it you're saying it to people that won't be offended by it, unless you're aiming to offend them, in which case you're a dick and need to stop.

 

[JimmyC99]

the word itself like all words isnt offensive. it literally means Denigrate (to blacken), but when used in a manner of offense. EG (im going to be explicit here so i hope i don't get banned) "You Dirty ******". it can be used in jest hell me and my mates have used it in a comical manner amongst our selves, but NO IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AS AN INSULT EVER, particularly to black people.

 

[Seanfall]

....what? Yeah cause when I went to the mall the first thing the girl behind the counter at gamestop said was. "N###A!" the fuck is wrong with those people...N###A = hello. Does that mean I can use porch monkey as goodbye? The Modern age doesn't mean stu...okay I can't say that with a straight face. It's sad when you realize how much stupider people are getting. And the fact that almost no one among that sect see's a problem with it.

 

[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.

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

It's pretty easy to accuse people of being "hypersensitive" on the issue when you yourself have probably never been effected negatively by institutional racism.

It's easier to just go along with the status quo and pretend everything will just turn out fine if I sit on my hands and accuse the walls of blocking out the sun.

Yeah, that's what I'm trying to tell you. By saying that some words hold negative power based on who exactly is using them (their particular privileged class in society, etc), and that one should be aware of this, I'm telling you to do nothing and just stick with the status quo. You're a fucking genius, kiddo.

 

[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?

It's pretty easy to accuse people of being "hypersensitive" on the issue when you yourself have probably never been effected negatively by institutional racism.

It's easier to just go along with the status quo and pretend everything will just turn out fine if I sit on my hands and accuse the walls of blocking out the sun.

Yeah, that's what I'm trying to tell you. By saying that some words hold negative power based on who exactly is using them (their particular privileged class in society, etc), and that one should be aware of this, I'm telling you to do nothing and just stick with the status quo. You're a fucking genius, kiddo.

Right, I forgot, I have to translate out of my native language of Sarcasm into English, people of the internet can't comprehend it.

 

[Killertje]

My "colored" friend always says "Hey ******" to everyone, including whites. I personally just say "Hey" to everyone. If you don't know someone's name, don't call them ****** to be more specific when you want their attention. If you know them and you know they won't mind, call them whatever you like including ******, fucktard, or *****. As long as they know you don't want to insult them it should be fine no matter what anyone else thinks about it. People who tell you not to use certain words EVER are incapable of deciding what is right or wrong in different situations, so they just pick the easy/politically correct option. If you are smart you can make your own decisions about when something is inappropriate.

 

[viking97]

i don't say it, and whenever someone around me says it in a joking manner a general chorus of "aww, dude"'s follows. but theres like NO black people around where i live (seriously, it's wierd)so it's kind of a non-issue.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

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.

Haha, I don't think so dude. The whole 120 years ago thing is irrelevant, it's all about the negative connotations of that word, regardless of origin. Shit like that doesn't just disappear because a handful of people want it to. The guy's not racist, he has a strong social conscience. We should all be so lucky.

OT: I jokingly say it to my friends but we're white British idiots so I don't think there's any harm done really.

 

[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.

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

It's pretty easy to accuse people of being "hypersensitive" on the issue when you yourself have probably never been effected negatively by institutional racism.

It's easier to just go along with the status quo and pretend everything will just turn out fine if I sit on my hands and accuse the walls of blocking out the sun.

Yeah, that's what I'm trying to tell you. By saying that some words hold negative power based on who exactly is using them (their particular privileged class in society, etc), and that one should be aware of this, I'm telling you to do nothing and just stick with the status quo. You're a fucking genius, kiddo.

Right, I forgot, I have to translate out of my native language of Sarcasm into English, people of the internet can't comprehend it.

You're not even making sense anymore. To be fair your point was pretty flimsy in the beginning though. Do yourself a favor sometime and pick up a book on race matters in the world, privilege, entitlement, institutional racism, etc... might help you realize why your argument here (if you wanna call it that) is complete ass.

 

[dfphetteplace]

On a similar note: what is it okay to call black people nowadays? 'cause obviously black's offensive, or so I've been told, African-American doesn't apply here in europe (and not all black people are from africa). Negro, which is Spanish for black, doesn't seem to be accepted, and we all know how '******' is received. Colored person sounds, to me, more offensive than any of the above. So, as a guy whiter than a snowman with a bukkake fetish, I ask you to educate me.

While being very white myself, I have never had a black person get pissed at calling them black. All the black people I have known do not find it offensive.

 

[SteewpidZombie]

If you wanna start discussing the use of the N word, watch the 'Boondocks' and some of the stuff they discuss/joke about the use of the N word. They made a perfect example/parody of the incident where a white teacher thought it was okay to use the N word since a student had said it, and the other video is of a 'What if?' moment of if Martin Luther King Jr. had survived to give a speech in modern day.

(Please be advised of cursing and use of the N word in excess. The videos are related to this topic and aren't meant to offend.)

Spoiler