I recently visited the Teaching Tolerance blog, where one of the blog posts deals with the very controversial and provocative topic of the N-word. I won’t spin the debate here, as it has been done in numerous ways in numerous forums on the Internet. That said, I have no love for the N-word. Furthermore, I don’t advocate its appropriation by Black Americans, i.e. “nigga”. But, that is a blog post in and of itself, and perhaps I will write about it at some point.
So, when one of the commenters let it be known that he only uses the N-word when under threat of danger or extreme stress (?!), and, that as long as black people use the word, he doesn’t see where the controversy lies, I was almost beyond words. I say, almost, because I did leave a comment. Feel free to visit, and check out the conversation.
I realize that my readers who aren’t of color may have a hard time with the aforementioned, and that I chose to write about it. However, the fact of the matter is, people like the one I reference exist, and, it seems that in the 21st century, such people are all-too-willing to openly express their ignorance and racism.
In closing, a person has to have a lot of privilege to express what the commenter in question expressed. A lot.
No problem with the n-word, I know that it’s offensive, so I wouldn’t use it. Although we have already talked about how awkward can be teaching colors in Spanish!
I have the same feeling of weary outrage when I listen to a girl calling a girlfriend by the b-word -In English or in Spanish – How can that count as a respectful relationship?
I wish people were more conscious of the words they choose, and less ignorant.
@ Alejandra Thank you for commenting. I agree that there are so many words that are pejorative – the n-word, the b-word – and I am equally outraged by all of them. I think you touched on two crucial concepts in society and in interpersonal relationships: lack of respect, and abundance of ignorance.