Comments on: Thanks, Dr. Laura, for that N-word rant

By: Valgb

Valgb — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:27:26 +0000

Rob, while I'm uncomfortable defending the N- word, I have always been in awe of the capacity of African American people to take what was hatefully hurled at us and turn it around. James Baldwin wrote, (excuse me for paraphrasing) “The damage is not done when a man is called a nigger. The damage is done when he believes it.” If the speaker says the N-word without intent to insult or injure, does it make difference? Sometimes when one black man says to another, “My nigga!”, the affection and approval is undeniable. I'm just sayin'…

By: Rob Fields

Rob Fields — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:18:13 +0000

Hey, Valerie. Maybe since we can't agree on appropriate usage (either internally among ourselves) and certainly don't want to give whites carte blanche to use it, we should just stop using it altogether. I mean, I'm having trouble thinking of a more hateful word that was created for any other ethnic or racial group. Maybe there is, but I don't know it.

By: Valgb

Valgb — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:14:26 +0000

Hey, it's a free country. Use whatever words you want, and deal with whatever reaction you get. BTW, can we stop pretending that the folks looking for “permission” to use this word aren't already using it? In the '70s, I thought Blacks -in a burst of racial pride- had banished the N-word in favor of “brother” and “sister.” It came back with a vengeance in the '80s. It seems to mean something to some of us, and it's not the same thing it means to whites. We should just get over it.