Last night while picking up a prescription at a local store I was entertained by a group of ladies discussing that "Nigger" who got elected President. Their final conclusion was Barack Obama is the Antichrist. Not being religious I am not qualified to discuss the Antichrist issue. Being Black I can address the "Nigger". The following was written a couple of years ago in response to the Don Imus controversy and the responses of the right wing pundits.
This is another issue the media has screwed up beyond belief. It is not just the O'Reilly Buchanan Choir who's gotten this wrong. It extends far and wide in the media. But the Choirs song is still there. "They call each other 'N' this and 'N' that in Rap videos" is a Choir favorite verse.
Once again I'll try and explain this. RAP VIDEOS ARE NOT REFLECTIVE OF BLACK LIFE. THEY ARE ENTERTAINMENT ONLY AND SHOULD BE VIEWED AS SUCH. But there is a second deeper issue here. The underlying question is, if black people can call each other 'N' with impunity why do they get so upset if a non black uses the word? This is actually a good question. A question most of the media has failed to ask. But it is sad to see the pathetic manner most commentators have dealt with it.
When another Black person uses the N word toward me I have to determine how he or she means it. It is one of those situational words among black people and can have varying meanings. It can mean Brother or someone like me. It can mean Asshole or MF. It can mean anything in between those two extremes. It depends on the conversation and doesn't immediately raise a reaction from most Black people. The key is when another black person uses it towards me; he or she is only talking about me as an individual. I have been an asshole and a MF many times in my life and will be again. But those aren't fighting words to me. I have been called asshole and MF more than a few times. Those words may be an assessment on my character or lack of character or a mistaken conclusion by the speaker. But it is about me as an individual.
When a non Black person uses it towards me or anybody else it is not an individual thing. He or She is speaking about every black person that was ever born. There is nothing individual in its use. It does not apply to one individual. There are not multiple definitions available regardless how the person meant it. The only synonym I can think of is sub-human.
It is still not fighting words but it's a start. The few times I have heard it from non blacks the only reaction it invoked was amusement. It was uttered by people that I had little or no respect for anyway and their opinion of me didn't much matter.
And there is no truth to the rumor that the Antichrist Ladies found someone had let the air out of two tires of their car in the parking lot.
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Comments: 73
Triumphs of Humanity: Creativity, Compassion & Commitment
As far as "You're putting yourself down as far as I'm concerned", this part of black society as far as I can tell. the put down or playing the dozens has a long history in Black Society.
If you don't think so, you can write to me here and say so.
Many around me had complaints about the hyphenated terms, but I wlways felt these complaints were unwarranted. Each can identify themselves however they want. It's no big deal to me.
As far as the air being let out of the hatemongering-anti-Christ-Ladies? What goes around, comes around, and it came back around for those ladies, that day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP2U0jmZjec
In no way can such phrases be applied to Obama. His heritage is Kenyan. He does not have the baggage of the slave jails in his heritage. Granted he has the problem of the racism that those attitudes created in our society, but thankfully he hasn't taken the time to let outrage slow him down.
As the the 'ladies' using the N word. Just remember the light skinned Blacks and Blacks with freckles come from that peculiar southern "gentrification" custom that when the "belle" had a headache, the hubby went down to the slave pens and raped a slave.
As a matter of fact, there are NO RACES among Human Beings. The definition of a race is that 2 different races cannot procreate together.
The other fact is the reality: first human beings born in Africa, in East Africa and the skin color was black in order to be more resistent to sun emissions.
Then these first HB went mainly to North where they discovered cold weather, dressed themselves with fur coats and the skin became whiter and more delicate.
Etc.
Lacking respect toward ANY OTHER human being is, at the end of the day, lacking respect towards oneself!
I wouldn't qualify such lack of respect as "ignorance" but as childish for sticking to love images instead of reality.
God is the projection of our own "most perfect" image, the image of ourselves we would like to be able to reach and, finally, is our way to respond to our own "last" question.
Thanks.
Secondly, understand that much of the racism that we -- as Black people -- experience is borne of colonialism, and is NOT, repeat NOT happening throughout the world.
Many of us have been LED to believe that it is so, but this is a myth perpetuated by the same people who wish to perpetuate the chain of slavery, and racism. That is number one.
I like to keep it simple, so for simplicity's sake, and please -- not to be rude -- the N word is more in keeping with "a family thing" OR
a private affair
OR
a private club.
Then, it would be acceptable for those who have gone through the "initiation" to use certain words, having gone through it -- THE HELL -- of the initiation, whereas it is NOT acceptable for those who have not been initiated into this club to use the word(s). They are not in the club; they are not in the same boat. Try as they might, they can't; they don't.
That is what makes non-Whites using the word so offensive. I am speaking now of those who do not use it maliciously. They are using a word that they . . .they don't have the papers, the experience, haven't been initiated, haven't been through it, don't know -- to use. They've not done the time. They are trying to get into a club where they haven't paid the dues, and NEVER will. Let it alone. Besides, (trust us), it isn't a club they would want "in" to anyway. It isn't a fun club.
One case is where we saw on one profile where someone had mentioned the wonder of a Swedish woman baking bread. My sister asked WHY "Swedish", implying "blonde and blue-eyed." My response was that it was subconscious, not meaning to be racist. My sister's husband is Swedish (platinum blonde, and very blue-eyed). She had heard the sentiments of the Swedish men, and realizes their ideals are not exactly the same as American men. It's why my sister's mother-in-law told her son, Svante, a long time ago: I know you shall marry an African woman. My sister may not be African. African-American is close enough.
On the other hand, I have spoken with many people on the telephone in a professional setting. For whatever reason, these people ASSUMED I was NOT Black, and used the N word quite liberally to really stick it to my people. Most of the time, I kept it professional, and said nothing. One time I was to the limit, and had to flatten my language, just to let (I believe his name was Mr. James Willams) KNOW just with WHOM he was speaking. After this, he could not speak, but just make some silly guttural sounds. I concluded my business with him, and as I must do, allowed him to hang up first.
The nut had the gall to telephone again, wanting to speak with me, ONLY ME!
NO!!! NO!!! NOOO!!! NOOOO!!!! I am one of "those" people, after all. Why would he want to speak with ME? I told my co-worker, "I did what he wanted. My business with him is FINISHED. You are the RIGHT colour for him. You handle him."
This is blatant racism, like the ladies in your article, David.
As far as Obama being the AntiChrist? That comes from lack of study and understanding of scripture. Tell them that any Rabbi -- any Rabbi would refute that concept in 2 seconds flat. I am not so sure about some of these Christian clergy. After seeing some of them call Obama a Muslim, and all of that foolishness, I say stick with the Rabbis. They not only know Hebrew scripture, but I would lay you odds, if you show them the Greek scriptures, they would WHIP the Christian clergy in that, too.
In short, the scripture does not come close to aligning with Obama being the AntiChrist.
Hi Gary!
What Gilbert S. said. The human genome has been mapped. We now know that all human life originated from African, and from Black people. Period. The end.
That being said, there are yet scientists who are uncomfortable with this. Now why is that?
Poor, poor, poor Colin Powell. Dear poor, poor Colin Powell. He was invited to an International Convention of Scientists being held in South Africa, but George W. Bush would not allow him to attend.
Poor, poor, poor Colin Powell; he had to send his regrets. I am sure he did regret it.
My sister -- a scientist -- attended, and so I recount, as she tells the story to me: the South Africa hosts were very excited about the convention, very hospitable and welcoming to their guests from all over the world.
Keep in mind that these are scientists. If anyone knows about the human genome, they do, don't they now.
The Black South African hosts comes out onto the stage, big smile, bright-eyed to greet these scientists from all over the world.
Now, please do keep in mind that these are scientists. If anyone knows about the human genome, they do, don't they now.
With much enthusiasm and a big smile, he says: I want to welcome my colleagues from all over the world BACK to their first home!"
My sister looked around and saw people squirming in their seats. Do NOT forget that these are scientists -- seekers of facts and of the truth --
and If anyone knows about the human genome, they do, don't they now.
What is this with the squirming in the seat, and looking uncomfortable? No one dare dispute what the man said. They just did not like it.
If even the scientists are having problems, we have a long way to go.
Say it again,
and again,
and again,
and again!
Don't stop!!!!!!!
It's okay to use Gary's "N" word!
These friends/colleagues are both white and Black, yet I feel that they may just be too social or feel too professional to give any attention to what is offensive to others. Now the friends who are willing to discuss race and offensive behavior with me are Quakers. The very group of people who supported and protected the formation and safety of the Underground Railroad were Quakers. I find that to be the case here in Cambridge, MA. Of curse, there are; Henry Lewis Gates, Cornel West, Kwame Anthony Appiah and other Harvard professors connected to Harvard’s African American Studies who have their own and very individual voice and views..
I am not comfortable categorizing how or why some academics are avoiding the still seriously prevalent issues of Blacks yet sit and respond to, write papers and books on the holocaust and other long standing sufferings of Jewish folk. I just do not see the divide.
Words are powerful little things, common sense and sensitivity should always be incorporated in expressing noneself. Sigh . . . .
Al race hustling Sharp-ton constantly charges innocent white people of being racist-Duke Lacrosse players were found to be racist- by-the:
racist national black panther party, They had to be guilty they were EVIL-RACIST WHITE-PEOPLE- had to be, after all they were white.
Millions of Africans come to America every year, why would these people of color come to a country that is RACIST? are they stupid?, or could it be they recognize that America is the most diverse- multicultural nation in the history of the Earth.
I witnessed Al Sharpton at a protest in Harlem NY, chanting with his crowd of Racist" Yellow Monkeys, get out of Harlem. The N -word, please stop using it- Snoop-P-Diddy- Fiftyyy-cent, Kania and the rest of the black entertainment world.