The "N" Word

[Binkybobo]

Country Kids - I'm sorry you attempted to learn more about this and are being ripped apart for it. Your lack of direct experience doesn't make your questions any less deserving of any answer.

In fact, your questions indicate you are incredibly culturally sensitive because you're keeping an open mind despite the initially offensive nature of the word itself.

Kudos to you

I just thought the answer she was giving would lead her to beieve that black people thought this was ann acceptabe word. Don't be so catty.

[Binkybobo]

No, I termed one dcb who was the whitest child I have ever seen for having a potty mouth. I don't discriminate.



^ OP



^ you, and your source was that you are black. *I* was simply pointing out that the OP is also black.



^ I assumed you were referring to the OP as you were quoting her.



I'm white & cuban, and grew up in a predominantly aa community. IN MY EXPERIENCE, that word is quite prevalent.

I'm sure it varies by community.

Let's end this on a good note. Am I not allowed to say I disagree?

[daycarediva]

I have a very strong stcance on this word. Not using it is a part of who I am. I hope that I am allowed to have an opinion without being accused of playing some card.

I do as well. Some of my best friends, and my children's godmother are AA. They don't use the word AT ALL, ever and grew up right where I did.

To clarify, I wasn't trying to offend you in any way, it just seemed that you were against the OP's generalizations and since you said that you were black, I wanted to clarify that op is also black, like I said, I am sure it varies by community. I have been around both types of people. One man i greatly respect, a well educated community leader, an aa man, uses that term as endearment. I also know the mixed race child of a drug addict who will hit anyone that says it.

[daycarediva]

absolutely!

To clarify- SOME aa people use this as a term of endearment. SOME aa people find it highly offensive.

[Binkybobo]

I do as well. Some of my best friends, and my children's godmother are AA. They don't use the word AT ALL, ever and grew up right where I did.

To clarify, I wasn't trying to offend you in any way, it just seemed that you were against the OP's generalizations and since you said that you were black, I wanted to clarify that op is also black, like I said, I am sure it varies by community. I have been around both types of people. One man i greatly respect, a well educated community leader, an aa man, uses that term as endearment. I also know the mixed race child of a drug addict who will hit anyone that says it.

Thanks

[Binkybobo]

absolutely!

To clarify- SOME aa people use this as a term of endearment. SOME aa people find it highly offensive.

Thank you again!

[Country Kids]

Country Kids - I'm sorry you attempted to learn more about this and are being ripped apart for it. Your lack of direct experience doesn't make your questions any less deserving of any answer.

In fact, your questions indicate you are incredibly culturally sensitive because you're keeping an open mind despite the initially offensive nature of the word itself.

Kudos to you

Thank you Willow-

Actually growing up I heard people use the word quite often (not from this area). I'm not going to say my parents were racists but the areas they grew up (the south/parts of the East coast) were. It was kinda like this little boy, the culture you grow up in type thing.

I was sent to a private school (no AA there), but I do remember my dad having an AA friend as we went to their house. I watched the Waltons while they visited.

I had a great aunt that still had house helpers but they adored her as she was extremely good to them-extremely.

I lead a totally different life then what I grew up in-totally.

So knowing it was totally offensive for people (this was the 70's) to hear/use and there was such a huge big poiltical/AA push for it not to be used, I'm not understanding why they still use it then. It seems very, very double standard in my mind for us not to use it but ok for them to. I'm thinking in my mind we could have always said it was a cultural thing to do.

Living in the area we live in there are few AA and the ones living here (younger), I wasn't aware that its still a word that was still used.

[Willow]

Thank you Willow-

Actually growing up I heard people use the word quite often (not from this area). I'm not going to say my parents were racists but the areas they grew up (the south/parts of the East coast) were. It was kinda like this little boy, the culture you grow up in type thing.

I was sent to a private school (no AA there), but I do remember my dad having an AA friend as we went to their house. I watched the Waltons while they visited.

I had a great aunt that still had house helpers but they adored her as she was extremely good to them-extremely.

I lead a totally different life then what I grew up in-totally.

So knowing it was totally offensive for people (this was the 70's) to hear/use and there was such a huge big poiltical/AA push for it not to be used, I'm not understanding why they still use it then. It seems very, very double standard in my mind for us not to use it but ok for them to. I'm thinking in my mind we could have always said it was a cultural thing to do.

Living in the area we live in there are few AA and the ones living here (younger), I wasn't aware that its still a word that was still used.

I think what's troubling is because in some areas the word is still used regularly, that's driving a resurgence in the amount of people thinking or at least questioning if it's now acceptable.

If AA's are saying it, it's all over the radio, it's all over the television, it's all over our movie screens, then it now must be a socially acceptable term.

Then you get all kinds of people butt hurt when they hear someone use it outside of those medias, or they use it themselves and it offends someone else....it's like, where did that line go of it being completely unacceptable period with no exceptions?


I don't blame anyone for not wondering what the heck happened to that, and where we're supposed to go from here as far as political correctness goes. It's easy to tout that there is one right response, but that doesn't take into account EVERYONE'S feelings on the topic as everyone doesn't obviously agree that it's a word that should or shouldn't be used.

The First Amendment is about as American as Americanism comes, whether we agree with what is freely spoken or not

[mrsp'slilpeeps]

I'm still confused-:confused:.

The original pp said he uses it as a term of enderment (doesn't that mean love/kindess), knows what it means and uses it correctly. This is where I"m confused-how can he be doing the above and be doing it wrongly.

I guess I'm really confused on knowing what it means and using it correctly if in his culture it is a term of enderment. In our eyes its wrong but in his culture its excepted. I guess I would think they would think it is wrong also if they were offended by it but obvioulsy they don't.

Am I really out in left field or does anyone understand what I'm trying to say but can't get it typed out correctly.

Its like saying, My Brothas, my home boys, or homies, kind of thing.

The black community is allowed to talk to each other like this and call each other the N word, but usually the white community is not allowed to talk to them like that and call them the N word. And I say usually because there are alot of white people that are accepted in the black community and are allowed to talk like that.

I dont think its appropriate for anyone to use that word, but to each their own I guess.

[kendallina]

OK, so how do you tell a child that what his culture teaches him is wrong to do? This is something he is going to see on a daily basis and until he has the maturity to know that it is wrong, it won't make sense to him. It still might not because it is in his culture.

Also, for the words you used as an example-those aren't words certain cultures use that I know of.

Personally, I have a strong negative reaction to the N word. However, if some families choose to use that word, then I really think that they should teach their children that there is a certain time and place for certain words. If a child said this word in my preschool because it's part of his family culture, then I wouldn't necessarily say to the child that it's absolutely wrong, however, it is a word that can offend some and not a word that we are allowed to use in preschool.

With the words I used as examples I was just saying that some families may find them okay ( I do not), but they are words that I do not allow in my preschool.

That's just how I see it.