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Date Posted: 18:39:48 08/02/07 Thu
Author: Serious Jones
Subject: Re: Euphemisms
In reply to: Johnny Reb 's message, "Re: Euphemisms" on 17:59:46 08/02/07 Thu


>why should they be permitted to use it and not me as i
>am white? i don't understand this at all.



It's easy - The word "nigger" was used by whites as a derogatory term for black people starting (I think) in the era of slavery as part of an entire campaign to dehumanise slaves in order to justify white expoitation of them.

Understandably, it was hated and despised by black people for this reason. In the late twentieth century, this word was reclaimed by black people as a way to come to terms with, and also, remove some of the hurtful associations of it. When black people use it to each other, it has a very different meaning from when a white person uses it to a black person. In the same way, it's ok for female friends to call each other "bitch" because they have shared a history of being called that by men, but it is not OK for a man to call a woman it. This is because of where the power lies, and because words have history which need to be respected.

Words are not neutral and language means different things in different contexts. In my opinion, we should respect the right of black people to use that word, and white people can and should never use it in the same way. It is not a level playing field.

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