Today I was in the casino and I was listening to 3 guys talking. They were not talking to me and I don’t think they knew I could hear their conversation. They were talking about some guys and they referred to them as “niggers”. I was stuck on their use of the word and didn’t hear much else of the conversation except every time they used the word. The reason I noticed it was because they were white guys.
By definition the word nigger is; a term used to describe a black person, who is stereotypically considered bad, poor, ignorant, lazy, addict or criminal. This term was first used during the period when blacks were discriminated against and used as slaves. Historically a modulated mispronunciation of "negro" by slave-handlers in the deep south, and now a term of endearment between some black people. People seek to remove its racist connotations by reversing its use, but ultimately it can cause racial boundaries rather than remove them.
All that being said I have never heard a white person call another white person a nigger. The usage as far as I know is reserved for black or dark skinned people. It is not a word that freaks me out. I know white people that use it and I don’t think they are racist when they do. It does make me wonder if their vocabulary is so small that they could not find another word. I find myself missing their conversation because I get stuck on that word.
I’m not trying to make myself bigger by talking about others like I have never used the word. I have used it and will use it again at some point. What I don’t do is use it around other races. Other than my wife, I doubt if more than 2 or 3 non-black people have ever heard me say “nigger”. I will say context has a lot to do with it. If they are telling a story or quoting someone then I would say it is okay to use the word. I think the negative usage of the word says more about the person using it than it does the person the word is aimed at.
I know there are some white people that will say that if black people can say it then why can’t I use it too. That is a good question. My answer is there is nothing stopping them from using it. What I don’t understand is why they want to use it. It is such a derogatory word and considered by most black people as the ultimate insult from a non-black person. I will say that when I hear someone (in general) use that word I think a little less of them each time they use it. When it is used as an insult it is about as low as you can go. Lower than anyone needs to go. It is like kicking someone when they are already down.
I like to keep this stuff short so let me wrap this up by saying that if you only use this word to describe a black person then you are wrong to use it. That makes it racist. End of story.
As always your comments are welcomed.
Really is to bad that you just got hung up on the word and did not listen to hear what context they were using the word.
ReplyDeleteChances are them being a group of white guys they are ignorant of how they used it and should not have.
There is a chance they were talking about someone bad, poor, ignorant, lazy, addict or criminal as you stated the word means in todays world.
It is all about context, you and I have ran into that many times ourselves talking to each other. ;-)
I heard enough of the conversation to know that the word was being used negatively. That was the context and the reason for this post.
ReplyDeleteYes we have had conversations where the word was used but you have never heard me say it in a negative way about another black person and that was my point. In conversations with you when I speak ill of a black person I will never use that word because you are not black.
They were ignorant in the fact that they were not aware of their surroundings and didn’t know that I could hear them. That doesn’t change the fact that it is a racist term and should not be used. No spin just fact.
I only use it around a few and I mean very few black people. I use it around my wife because she doesn't like it but even then it is not negative.