The N Word

[hc4361]

Has the N word been diluted and accepted in to common parlance as these magistrates suggest?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2242804/Rap-music-fan-shouted-n---black-man-CLEARED-racism-magistrates-accept-using-street-slang.html

Is it now only middle class white people that shudder at the word? Is it a good thing that the word is no longer taboo?

I have never said that word and can't imagine ever using it, but I don't use a lot of words that young people say today.

[ChuckFickens]

Sadly, some people can't realise there is a difference between hatred and endearment and think a word means only one thing.

As long as the story given in the OP is true and the guy did genuinely use the word as a term of endearment I'm glad he was let off.

[Duncer]

"Chris Rock explains it all if you care to look on YouTube"

Chris Rock, a poor man's Eddie Murphy, who, in turn, was a poor man's Richard Prior.

All *** though. Check out Prior live at Long Beach for an irreverent use of the "N" word.

[ELVIS68]

But Chris Rocks N's v Black People hits the nail on the head

[jno]

the Agatha Christie book has been "And then there were none" since 1940, when it was first published in America. The word has been objectionable there for a long time; less so in Britain, where it had its original title.

[Buenchico]

I've just remembered a rather embarrassing incident when I was a teacher umpiring an inter-school cricket match.

Our school's (white) spin bowler delivered an excellent ball, which totally confused the opposing (black) batsman. As a result, our (white) wicket-keeper carried out a first rate stumping whereupon I shouted out 'Nice one Ni**er!"

I had to hurriedly explain to the teacher from the opposing school that I wasn't being both racist and sarcastic towards his batsman but merely praising our wicket-keeper, Nigel, who was universally know by his nickname of 'Ni**er'!

Oops!

[Duncer]

Racist!!!!

[missprim]

I recently bought some black and white tiles for my kitchen. The white tiles were called Blanco and the black tiles were called ***. Is it politically incorrect to call a black person a *** or is it acceptable?

[missprim]

Ok my words were replaced with asterisks so I will have to hope you might know what the words are.

[missprim]

Further clue, 5 letter word starting with n and ending in o.

[jno]

is that Spanish or something? The word's no longer popular but you might just get away with it if you pronounced the first syllable to rhyme with beg.

[Buenchico]

So simply using Spanish is racist then, Miss Prim?

[jno]

if you abuse someone you may not get away with it by claiming you were speaking polite Mongolian, Chris

[Buenchico]

As Chuck pointed out, at the top of this page, it's not the word which is important but the sentiment behind it.

When I was teaching, one of my colleagues became very concerned hat nearly all of our pupils referred to the local convenience store (which was run by an Asian family) as 'the *** shop'. He regarded it as extremely racist.

I pointed out to him that, in the local parlance, '*** shop' was simply used as a synonym for 'convenience store' (with no racist intent). Indeed, if you asked our Asian pupils who actually lived there what their family did for a living, they'd happily say "Oh, didn't you know? We run the *** shop up the road"!

[Buenchico]

Oh, I thought that I'd got round the asterisks by using the @ sign., instead of an 'a'. The asterisks above refer to "p_a_k_i"

[LazyGun]

Seems to me that he was a very lucky man....

I am a little surprised that there was no indication from the story that the target of the term of endearment was questioned as to their opinion, assuming they were aware of it.

I am also surprised, given the comments that he "had more black friends than white" that no mention was made of black friends being called as character witnesses to validate the comments that he regularly addressed them with this particular term of endearment.

A very lucky man......

[jno]

that was my response, LazyGun. But it may be the newspaper in question omitted some useful details; it's been known to happen.

[beso]

Most offensive words can be defused simply through usage by the targets of the abuse.

I always remember Joe Jackson's words in his song "Real Men".
"Don't call me a f@gg0t unless you are a friend"

[sp1814]

beso

But Joe Jackson isn't gay.