Re: The word ni**er -- Boston Public Forum

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Date Posted: 15:09:28 03/09/02 Sat
Author: Wakener
Subject: Re: The word ni**er
In reply to: Dave 's message, "Re: The word ni**er" on 19:03:03 03/06/02 Wed

>>I don't think blacks have some special insight into
>>the nature of the word because it's aimed at them.
>
>I think that's the point...why is it ok for them to
>say it and not others. Why is it that when I say it I
>am racist, no matter in what context, and when they
>say it, they are chillin with their homies and it aint
>no thang.

Simple. Because it is difficult to prove a negative. For you to say it with impunity, you would have to prove that you are not a racist to everyone who heard you say it. It is assumed that a black person who uses a slur aimed at black people is not racist against blacks--but the same person would have to *know* that a non-black was not a racist. This is why the white dude on the show could use it with his friend--the friend knew that his buddy is not a racist.

But this is no different than with any other race. We have a local talk show on the radio--the host is of Italian descent, and very proud of it. When other people of this ethnicity call the show, they greet him with "Mega Dagos." It's no big deal. Let me walk into Little Italy and use the word "dago," though. The only way I could get away with it would be the same way the white kid in the show got away with using "nigga." The same goes for many other slurs. Steve Martin can call King Tut "my favorite honky" (not that Tutankhamun was Caucasian by any means...but it was a white guy singing the song), but if I refer to Martin as a honky, it would be taken as an insult, unless I were known to be a good friend of the actor. I don't know of any slur that can't be used by the people at whom it is directed, but isn't taken as anything but an insult by those who are not in that group.

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