Culture

[Play Care]

^^^ This.

People have differing opinions and practices, but when YOUR opinions and practices infringe upon MY rights--that's when we have a problem. So what are my rights? In a daycare setting, I think all children and families have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. If another child or parent's use of racial slurs (for example) creates a negative environment or causes a child to feel humiliated, shamed, or rejected--I think that is a problem that the provider must address.

In the Paula Dean case, it is my understanding that she used racial slurs, made racist jokes, and told racist stories on occasion. The reason why she was fired was because it happened in the workplace. There are federal anti-discrimination laws in place as part of the Civil Rights Act that prohibit employers from discriminating on the case of race (as well as other things). As part of those laws, employers like Food Network also MUST take disciplinary action when one of their employees acts in a discriminatory way. Under this law, racial slurs and racist jokes are considered discriminatory acts. If Food Network would not have taken action against her, they could have been sued and would have lost. In another workplace, someone who did what Paula Dean did might have been written up or suspended, but since she's a very public figure, I think the Network did the right thing by firing her. There is not much they could do to redeem her image. Honestly, she should have known better. She was making these comments at work, not at home or in social situations.

What I read said she was asked if she had ever used the "n" word and she said yes. When asked when, she told them when she was held at gun point during a bank robbery in 1986.
She apparently was looking into an "old south" themed wedding for her bother back in 2006, where the help would all be A.A. because a local restaurant had a similar theme...
Although I read one headline that said she was making these slurs at work, nothing in the article supported that.

[sally]

Here in the south apparently the n word is only derogatory if its used by someone who is not African American. I don't use it and neither does my husband. However, my dad and his brothers are racist and they do use that term. I grew up hearing it from them but my wonderful grandma is thankfully the one who taught me right from wrong and that word has never left my lips. And if I hear it, I cringe.

I grew up hearing the N word a lot as a child. But my father never used it toward just african americans. He always said it was an attitude. There were white N's, mexican N's and so forth.I don't talk that way at all but am trying to teach my children not to talk that was as my husband does and he slips up sometimes as well as my adult stepson.

[Starburst]

Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy - the man who literally wrote the book on the word - notes that etymologists say the N-word "was derived from an [old] English word 'neger' that was itself derived from 'Negro,' the Spanish word for black."

But, he adds, "the term 'N****r' is in most contexts a cultural obscenity."

http://nationalcenter.org/P21NVMassieNword90408.html

That's how they came up with it before it became what it is now but in dictionaries today there are several definitions and one of them is "an ignorant person"

This isn't the direct link because the direct link has the actual word and I didn't want it printed on here but the link to the definition to the real word is on the page

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/n-word

[littlemissmuffet]

Oh, the "n" word...

I agree that this word isn't socially acceptable... but only when it comes to whites and other non-black people. It is perfectly acceptable for a black to call himself or another black a nigger or nigga. My step dad is black and he refers to all blacks as the "n" word. It's okay for them, but nobody else. How is this okay?

Most of my mom's friend are gay. They call themselves fags. Completely acceptable. Until a non-gay uses the same word.

I understand why it's NOT okay for someone to use certain words to describe others - but I don't understand why that doesn't apply to everyone as a whole.

If certain cultures demonstrate such incredible disrespect for themselves and their own people I understand how it could be diffuclt for others to have respect.


Anyways, Paula Deen wasn't booted from The Food Network simply because she used some racial slurs - she already had a heavy strike against her for hiding her diabetes diagnoses for years while continuing to promote unhealthy recipes and eating (not that her medical issues are anyone else's business - and why it was okay for her to promote garbage food prior without public ridicule is beyond me).

When I heard about her current situation I'm not going to lie (I used to live in Texas) I immediately thought "Are people really suprised that an old broad from the south has never uttered THAT word"? Which, just goes to prove that EVERYONE is stereotyped for something these days.


And to answer the original question, I personally don't care if someones black, white, purple, gay, straight, male, female, fat, skinny... whatever - as long as someone's a good person, they are welcome in my home. When it comes to business, I have a pretty similar thought process... as long as a family follows policy, pays on time and isn't insane, come on in!

[DaycareMom2012]

Oh, the "n" word...

I agree that this word isn't socially acceptable... but only when it comes to whites and other non-black people. It is perfectly acceptable for a black to call himself or another black a nigger or nigga. My step dad is black and he refers to all blacks as the "n" word. It's okay for them, but nobody else. How is this okay?

Most of my mom's friend are gay. They call themselves fags. Completely acceptable. Until a non-gay uses the same word.

I understand why it's NOT okay for someone to use certain words to describe others - but I don't understand why that doesn't apply to everyone as a whole.

If certain cultures demonstrate such incredible disrespect for themselves and their own people I understand how it could be diffuclt for others to have respect.


Anyways, Paula Deen wasn't booted from The Food Network simply because she used some racial slurs - she already had a heavy strike against her for hiding her diabetes diagnoses for years while continuing to promote unhealthy recipes and eating (not that her medical issues are anyone else's business - and why it was okay for her to promote garbage food prior without public ridicule is beyond me).

When I heard about her current situation I'm not going to lie (I used to live in Texas) I immediately thought "Are people really suprised that an old broad from the south has never uttered THAT word"? Which, just goes to prove that EVERYONE is stereotyped for something these days.


And to answer the original question, I personally don't care if someones black, white, purple, gay, straight, male, female, fat, skinny... whatever - as long as someone's a good person, they are welcome in my home. When it comes to business, I have a pretty similar thought process... as long as a family follows policy, pays on time and isn't insane, come on in!

I agree!

[preschoolteacher]

I understand why it's NOT okay for someone to use certain words to describe others - but I don't understand why that doesn't apply to everyone as a whole.

People use words like the 'n' word and the 'f' word (slur against gay people) as a way to attack those people, to demean them, to belittle them.

When African-Americans use the 'n' word or gay people call themselves the 'f' word, in a way it is "taking back" that slur. It takes away the power the word has. If I am gay and call myself the 'f' word, I'm changing the definition of that word and using it to empower myself... and I'm taking away YOUR power to hurt me with it. You can't do anything to me by calling me that name now, because I use it, and I've changed what it means to me, so screw you... You know what I mean?

That's why I believe it's not appropriate for people to use those slurs if they are not a member of the group.

[littlemissmuffet]

People use words like the 'n' word and the 'f' word (slur against gay people) as a way to attack those people, to demean them, to belittle them.

When African-Americans use the 'n' word or gay people call themselves the 'f' word, in a way it is "taking back" that slur. It takes away the power the word has. If I am gay and call myself the 'f' word, I'm changing the definition of that word and using it to empower myself... and I'm taking away YOUR power to hurt me with it. You can't do anything to me by calling me that name now, because I use it, and I've changed what it means to me, so screw you... You know what I mean?

That's why I believe it's not appropriate for people to use those slurs if they are not a member of the group.

I get what you're saying but I disagree entirely. When I hear gays calling themselves fags, or black people referring to themselves as niggers I think they are making fools of themselves and disrespecting their people as a whole... and have absolutely NO right to expect others not to use those same words if they choose to. How about they just call themselves PEOPLE.

[Willow]

u

I get what you're saying but I disagree entirely. When I hear gays calling themselves fags, or black people referring to themselves as niggers I think they are making fools of themselves and disrespecting their people as a whole... and have absolutely NO right to expect others not to use those same words if they choose to. How about they just call themselves PEOPLE.

Holy agree.

My niece is bi-racial and her father uses the n word in every sentance I swear.

The double standard is freaking disgusting.


It isn't about "taking back a word" it's about arrogance and maintaining a double standard to keep us all divided. She is only two but has said it before and you bet I correct her smack dab in front of her father letting her know that word is disgusting, shameful and not suitable to come out of anyone's mouth much less a little girls.

She is speech delayed but can torque that one out clear as day.



Paula Deen did nothing 99.9% of the population hasn't also done save for Mother Theresa herself. She took for granted the company she was in and let her inhibitions slip a little too low.

Jesse Jackson himself said no big deal PD and blamed the current acceptance of the word by African Americans in this country.

[Unregistered]

I brought out the dictionary my mom had when I was growing up to look up a few of these words. 1969 was the copywrite date and is the Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary.

The definition of the N word-A member of the black race of mankind and distinguished by the physical appearance.

The definition of Fag-A bundle of sticks, a cigarette, an English schoolboy servant.

The definition of Gay-Happy, colorful, lighthearted


I have a friend that actually did a report on "Fags" and the teachers mouth dropped to the floor. It was on the danger of smoking them and 99% of our parents remembered calling them that when they were teenagers.

Anyway, if you look any of the above words up, they have nothing like these for definitions anymore.

For the bottom to the first definition for both will have to do with being homosexual especially men.