On Wednesday, the City Council of New York passed a resolution that insists people do not use the ‘n-word,’ due to its complicated history as a racial slur against black Americans (“NYC Urges People Not to Use N-Word”). The measure is not enforceable, so New Yorkers are still technically free to use the word. The councilman who introduced the measure said that this move was a nod to Black History Month, which ended on Wednesday. There are many who support such measures, which have been passed in places other than New York City, because the word is associated with a history of racial subjugation and division in American society. However, the word has taken on different meanings and usages to different people and groups over time. It has been used frequently by entertainers and young people in a way not meant to offend. African-Americans are often sharply divided over whether the word is completely despicable, or whether its use solely among blacks can be an expression of racial pride and unity.
Is New York City wasting its time by passing a measure with no teeth, or is it worthwhile for a city to take an official stand on such an issue? Do you think there are certain contexts where use of the ‘N-word’ is okay, or does it have no value other than to remind us of past racial strife?
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Today's Topic is a regular publication of the Gather Editorial Team. You can follow it everyday at Gather Daily.
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Read previous Today's Topics on Race:
Segregation in the halls of Congress?
Will the 2008 Presidential election break the 'white male' mold?
Is America ready for Barack Obama?
A scholarship for whites only?
Affirmative Action being revisited
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Comments: 20
expect Holbrook shall refer to the runaway as Black Gentleman Jim
The positive results of New York's actions will be small and hardly noticed, but over time may actually help eliminate the use of the slurs that are being used in the place of communication. Time will tell.
I ran into a freind who I hadn't seen in several years at the local White Castle, and yelled "hey n - gaaaaaaa! He was the only other white guy there, and was shocked by my greeting, shouted from across the restaurant. Was I being a racist? Should I have yelled "hey, doooooood!" -instead?
I think you are wrong about this leading to people being more sensitive to others, or eliminating the use of slurs. People have different cultural definitions of all slur words. The NY City Council gives the N-word greater power by showing it's inability to do anything about it. The power of the N-word lives and dies in the private sector of cultural ideas. We control it. You, me, and all of us in the free "western" world, which is much bigger than the U.S.A. To criminalize it's use is to limit the scope of rational discourse, or more precisely, irrational discourse, which is still our right.
Hate speech is an abomination, but who decides what it is? I wish I had such a high moral perch, to pass judgement on anyone who utters this word.
I'm a writer too (that should explain my first statement) so I know how malleable words are and how even this terrible word can be positive in some uses, and how impossible it is to legislate which use is which. But (I hope) we all know the history and (I hope) we all know better now. And (I hope) we all applaud the impulse to constrict racist diatribe, even if we think it's impossible to succede. The impulse is good.
Christopher Leavitt - BTW, your cut and paste of the NY Post article is a serious violation of copyright (and against the gather TOS if you care). Next time maybe you could juist include a link.
Sure, let only Blacks use it. More reverse discrimination is just what we need.
My article on this topic can be found here: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976921019
An attorney I discuss in my article also had this to say about the term "illegal alien" (which I did not include in my piece): "Using words like illegal alien is like calling people derogatory names…like calling people nigger!"
It is all about point of view, I suppose.
On the other hand, the n-word is not like illegal immigrant. I'm sorry, I just can't see that. Illegal immigrant is a logical conjunction of two terms that both apply to the group. They are immigrants or migrants, and they came here illegally (if you believe that we have a set of laws that governs entrance to this country, then people who break those laws have entered illegally). They are also undocumented immigrants, because they are here without the necessary documents, but that doesn't make the term illegal immigrant a misnomer. They are both technically correct terms.
I do not for even a New York minute believe that the inhabitants of NYC are not aware of the derogatory effect of the ethnic slurs they use.
I rate it a waste of time. Keep in the policy books .... but keep it off the law books.
To answer the question yes NYC is wasting it's time. Will i ever go into a room of african americans or marines and use the "N-word" or the term jarhead? NO! do you think i'm stupid???
I don't see any point in insisting someone not use a particular word. A grizzled old sherrif's deputy from my small town once pulled into my gas station with a prisoner in back. While paying for his gas, he nodded towards the boy, and said as a means of explanation, "wetback" and spat in his direction. I never would have known to despise that creep if he'd watched his tongue.
In the same town, I remember a neo-Nazi who walked around in jack-boots and wore a little leather cap with a swastika on it. I had numerous conversations with him, and everyone in town knew he had, let's say, "issues." If we regulated the branding of his clothes or his opinions about non-Aryan people, we wouldn't have known to keep an eye on him. Just as important, it was interesting to see which of my neighbors *agreed* with him.