[Servant of Eru]

How come it's okay for people to call me and my ancestors a redneck, black people to call me a cracker, but if I call a black person a 'n-i-g-g-a' in the colloquial manner that they say it to each other and everyone else...It's WWIII? Well, not really, but almost.

I mean, while in boarding school, me coming from an all white community, to live in the same residence as a whole bunch of inner city kids from Oakland and 'Cisco, I had no idea the implications of the word 'n-i-g-g-e-r'. So when a black guy comes up to me, we have a confrotation, and he says "Wanna box nigga?!!" Me only having a minor association with the word
'n-i-g-g-e-r' having something to do with being of dark skin, replied: "I'm not a n-i-g-g-e-r, you're a n-i-g-g-e-r!" To which he proceeded to beat the living sh!t out of me, and the end result was I was curled up on the ground, and the day after which, my eyes were swollen so much that I couldn't open them. Did I mention this kid was about two feet taller then me, and that he was one of the strongest kids on the campus? Also the staff, having no idea that I had no idea what that word meant, let him rough me up more then they would have normally; before breaking up the fight.

Does this seem wrong to anyone but me?

P.S. to the mods: I'm sorry for evading the built-in sensor of this board (the N word), but I thought I used good judgement in thinking that it was appropriate to use in the case of this topic. Hope it doesn't offend anyone, if so just PM me and tell me to delete it.

[SexyTech]

The biggest problem is that that pesky "N-Word" and how it's meaning has been twisted.

The actual defination means AN IGNORANT PERSON!
nothing about the color of skin or race or anything else.

Unfortunately, if a white person, or asian, or mexican, or whatever uses that word...they're a racist.

On the other side, someone that's not black and trying to do their job, if they question a black person for doing something illegal etc, they they're called a racist by that black person who was actually breaking the law etc.

I was in Law Enforcement and saw this all too often and I just have to laugh my @$$ off when I caught someone "Red Handed" breaking into a car or a house or something else and because I'm white and THEY are breaking the law and got caught, they call me a Racist!

When I was wearing the badge, I could care less what color someone's skin was...when I caught them...they went to jail...usually screaming that I was a racist and they'd have "My Badge" They usually worked out a Plea Bargain with the District Atty's office!

[CyBerAliEn]

Having heard such events from my father, who is a cop, I could certainly agree 100% with ST. Whenever someone who isn't black does such to a black person, they're labeled a rasicst. More broadly, here in AZ where there are (I am quite sure) more Hispanics than blacks. So generally when such involves a Hispanic person here, it's also labeled rascist.

Certainly can say... "playing the race card" is starting to get old.


As to this thread more specifically...

If a black person wants to say such a word, fine. If a white person wants to say such a word, fine (although be prepared to be considered a rascist, whether you are one or not).

You can't censor what somebody can and can't say. Whether it is wrong or not would be completely relative to who is considering whether it is right or wrong (for example, some people find words like damn and such to be offense no matter the situation or context, where as I on the other hand, find nothing wrong if I happen to use such a word; given certain exceptions of course, such as I try not to use certain words around young children, lol).

Now should some white person say such to a black person, purely out of the fact that the person is black (being rascist)? You shouldn't say such, just out of common decency.


Now honestly irox, I do find it hard to believe that you did not know what the word meant. If you didn't, that is unfortunate, and unfortunately, you learned the hard way the meaning of the word and the context it can be used in.

I won't really comment on your situation though specifically, because unfortunately the whole details of the situation are somewhat lacking. As I understand it, you went up to a black person, they used that word to you, you said it back, he took it offensively (especially the way you said it; the context you used it in, was in fact quite tainted with rascism), and he beat you up for the remark.

[angelize56]

My son was introduced to the world of racist slurs and foul language when he was 4 years old. He was out playing on the swings here at the townhouse while I sat and watched him from the patio about 5 feet away. Three young black children about ages 5-9 wanted the swing and didn't see me and said to my FOUR year old son...."get off the swing you mother f***ing honkie!" I think my tongue was dragging the ground when I heard that! They didn't see me right away...but I knew where they lived and went to tell their Mom...well to put it mildly...the apple didn't fall far from the tree! Let's just say she is not good parent material and I walked away from HER racial slurs! This family is long gone but William remembers being called that even now! Racism goes all ways!

[EdGreene]

You ought to know better. What one person calls another is none of your business. It is up to you to hold yourself above the fray and not engage in such conduct.
The "N" word is a carryover from a time when ordinary people (Africans) were, in the minds of most whites, North and South, no different than a Mule. They were property and as such had no rights whites had to respect. Sadly, some whites today (and you know who you are), still consider Africans here or abroad as being less than human. Such ignorance breeds hatred and hatred breeds anger and violence.

Some whites today, some 140 years since slavery ended, and despite ample evidence to the contrary, think themselve superior to all other people, especially Blacks.
In that light, the "N" word represents and evil that will not die, unless we will it to die. That hate filled word has no business in my, and certainly not, your vocabulary.

[cnimbus]

Originally posted by irox51987:
How come it's okay for people to call me and my ancestors a redneck, black people to call me a cracker, but if I call a black person a 'n-i-g-g-a' in the colloquial manner that they say it to each other and everyone else

Being called a cracker is no big deal. Some people rather like being called a redneck, it's like saying 'you be a white boy from the sticks'.

I mean, while in boarding school, me coming from an all white community, to live in the same residence as a whole bunch of inner city kids from Oakland and 'Cisco, I had no idea the implications of the word 'n-i-g-g-e-r'.

Give me a freakin' break. What do you expect to happen when you call a black guy a ni**er? And don't expect anyone to believe you didn't know what the reaction would be. I grew up in a white community in Northern California, so I know that statement is utter bs.

So when a black guy comes up to me, we have a confrotation, and he says "Wanna box nigga?!!" Me only having a minor association with the word
'n-i-g-g-e-r' having something to do with being of dark skin, replied: "I'm not a n-i-g-g-e-r, you're a n-i-g-g-e-r!"

"Wanna box nigga?" is a challenge to fight, not a racist remark. It might have been wise to delcine the challenge. Using racial slurs, unarmed, against someone ten times your size is a good way to win a Darwin Award. Racist language is always fighting words.

Does this seem wrong to anyone but me?

IMO this is the crux of the problem. You don't seem to realize that what you did was incredibly stupid and you got exactly what you deserved. If you don't want violence, then don't use racial taunts. If you want to hurl racial insults at a ticked off person a lot bigger than you, then you better have a pair of brass knuckles handy.

Please don't take my statements as condoning violence, they do not. Racism is an evil suitable only for the ignorant and inbred, and is beneath all civilized people. As such, it is beneath you. If someone asks "wanna box nigga?", then simply say "No thanks, I prefer the kind without a box."

[oldie]

Maybe you guys should read Professor De Bono's teachings regarding "Emotive" words - that is ALL they are - just words - yet our brain tells us otherwise ! why? because we have been programmed from an early age - a kind of brainwashing as it were

To most adult Americans the innocent word "Communism" will apparently raise the blood pressure a significant amount - studies carried out at Harvard Uni in the late 90s !!!!!!!!!!!!

And there are many more examples

Regards - Oldie

When in a conflict with another person, it is human nature to focus on what is different about that person than yourself.

If the other person is of another race, then that is the most obvious difference.

If the person is of your own race, but you are aware of their religion, then that might be the focus of difference.

Or it could be gender, or region (accent), or size, etc, etc.

It is not right to have hatreds or grudges or resentments against whole groups of people, but it is human nature to move from a specific incident to generalize about a common group. This is a human trait that one must overcome with reason and moral training.

If I have a conflict with an individual who is a white, male, middle aged, protestant, rural midwestern farmboy, hunter, fisherman, republican, who wears denim and flannel and wolverine work boots....., just like me...., but I notice that he is left handed, then I am likely to holler about those " ***damned southpaws. Why are they always coming around here... taking our jobs...taking our women... why don't they go back to where they came from".

Mowergun

[utanja]

if we are to respect each other.....and expect others to respect us we must respect ourselves first..

by calling ourselves the names that we resent others calling
us we show no self-respect and therefore no self pride

[RandyG]

Originally posted by cnimbus:
Being called a cracker is no big deal. Some people rather like being called a redneck, it's like saying 'you be a white boy from the sticks'.

uhhmmmmm . . . just to further enlighten you, the term "cracker" is a negative term every bit as racial as the term that irox used.

Cracker come from the sound a whip makes, and someone is relating you directly to abusing slaves.

That's why you can have a Tennessee redneck, but you'll only ever hear of Florida, Georgia, Virigina, and Carolina crackers. This term slowly became more acceptable to refer to a native of one of these States, just as the term irox used has become tolerated in the African-American (is that still PC?) community, if used by A-A's . . .


anyhoo . . . why is one racial slur tolerated and the other not? sounds racist to me!

[Paquadez]

Let's face it,

In the majority of times remarks are referred to as "Racist", this is someone using PC to gain an advantage!

In the UK, the various non-white residents have been very quick to jump onto this bandwaggon and avoid justice, the deserved punishment for their own actions and so on.

If people are given the same rights, the same opportunities and not constantly inundated with a barrage of PC law, then they will work out their own salvation.

Some years ago, we reached the ludicrous position, where a Scotsman complete with kilt and bagpipes, applied for a job in a Chinese take away as a chef.

When he was refused, he took the owner to the Race Relations Board and claimed, justifiably, that he had been discriminated against because he was not Chinese!

I well remember watching an Afro-Caribbean professor from Columbia University, appearing on a BBC programme about "Racism".

He stated unequivocally, that time after time, he watched Chinese, and Vietnamese kids going into the public library on a Saturday morning to study and better themselves: whilst Black kids spent their morning skateboarding and kicking empty Coke cans around in the gutter.

No amount of law or synthetic semantics will change people's attitudes.

Paq

[marcus77]

My brother and I both call each other "crackers" (in private), but we do it in a mocking way. Then again we are both twisted. Also, when we see a boxes, we crack jokes about how it could be a new home for our dad's ashes, or we go up to it and say, "Dad, are in in there?" And yes, we have called each other "My Nigga" too.

Of course, we both know that racial slurs are bad, but we do say them, but only in mockery. And yes, I do laugh at "fart" jokes.

[columbo]

Cracker come from the sound a whip makes, and someone is relating you directly to abusing slaves.

Really? That's where that term comes from?

I always thought it had something to do with crackers (as in the snack) typically being light-coloured....seriously.

[Gibble]

So lets see...technically calling a white person a cracker is more slanderous than calling a black person a ******...

If ****** means ignorant and Cracker means a someone abusing slaves.

[Paquadez]

Years ago, when life was simple, we could call a Scot "Jock", an Irishman "Paddy" and a Welshman Taf.

And no one took offence. Indeed, they gave as good as they got.

Now, of course, in this wonderful, modern PC World of Teflon Tony and his fellow nutters, such would immediately invite retribution from the Race Relation Board.

Years ago, we could chat up girls in the office, compliment them on their new hairstyle, flirt, harmlessly, whatever.

Today, we have to be constantly on our guard, otherwise this becomes Sexual Harassment.

If we don't treat a disabled person correctly (and never ever dare to call them "An Invalid!"), again this is yet another form of offence. Disability bias.

In more simple days, if a bigger kid beat us up, well then we would bide our turn and beat the $hit out of him with a cricket bat or whatever! Or our big brother would beat the $hit out of him to clearly demonstrate that this is called bullying.

In other words, we gave as good as we got, without needing a nanny state to fight our battles.

Paq