DAMN, I love this white man!

Hey @cito, happy listening. = D

*promote

Promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued Saturday, December 17th, 2011 11:22am PST - promote requested by geo321.

Wrong.

the sad fact is independant of the word's use in history, independant of the color of the person using the word... the fact that you segregate the discussion into a white camp and a black camp perpetuates the words power and racism itself

the only hope for the defeat of racism and the death of the power of words like this is when people grow up and realize there isn't a them and us camp... and acknowledging those camps is just as racist as using the term in a hateful manner

tippy-toes and affirmative action will never lead to true equality... just the illusion of it

get butthurt by that fact all you want

but the way it is right now, with all this pc crap, and thrusting reponsibility from the past into the present's lap... my children and your children will never know a world where that word is as harmless as the next word

because honestly... the only power a word, and language itself have... are the power we attribute it

not an easy goal to obtain, but his point is counterproductive to ever actually obtaining equality... and infact i found his points to more aimed to get a reaction than actually thought out.... would love to see the opposing viewpoint of this if possible

and the 8yr old schoolyard rules of i can talk about my mom, but you can't... yeah, reducing ourselves to infantile reactions is what will propel us ahead... if you can't see something wrong with the whole concept of i can talk about my mom but you can't... introduce the mom standing there listening to her son/daughter talking about her

tippy-toes and affirmative action will never lead to true equality... just the illusion of it

@packo I'm all ears for some practical remedies.

because honestly... the only power a word, and language itself have... are the power we attribute it

That's a cop out, pure and simple. It's all well and good to post such a sentiment on a message board, but try saying that platitude in the real world to a black person after some white person has called them a nigger. I think you have more sense than that.

It's not just the word, itself. It's not that simple. It's all about the context-- the emotion, the intent, the environment in which the word is used.

White people People who use ethnic slurs against the slurs' targets in a way that could be construed at hostile or insulting are bigots or idiots. I don't mind at all people who use such offensive language because I love to see people self identify.

I don't know who offends me more. White people who use "nigger" a slur, or white people who get upset because they can't use it more freely without the social stigma.

Here's something....

Every time the n-word gets used on this site, I'm going to post this vid in the comment stream.

This is great. This vid tells the honest truth.

I agree with packo's point that the best defense against harmful language is to disempower it. But did you listen to this speaker? It is NOT for us to say that black people should do or not do anything.

And @packo, that is BS about "thrusting reponsibility from the past into the present's lap." What do you mean "past"? This is the present. It's happening right now. Are you not aware of that fact? That racism is alive and well in America and around the world?

This is a great vid. Thanks for posting.

oh my yes, i see where to add my 2 cents here

Can a discussion of this subject be as serious as it needs to be if we refuse to even pronounce the word being discussed? Yes, it's difficult, upsetting, offensive in any circumstance, but in order to have a complete conversation in which we treat its participants with the full respect and dignity that they deserve, and take them as seriously as they deserve, surely we can't dance around the issue in this way, sprinkling euphemisms for something we could just fucking talk about.

Intelligent conversation is incredibly important. When a group of people come together, possibly to a moment of conflict, assured of their own maturity, inspired by conviction and the pursuit of truth.

When there are limits placed on what we can talk about, or the words that we can use - even if the intentions of those using them are clearly expressed - that maturity and intelligence becomes compromised.

Oh, but do expound, good sir.

[I haven't heard a good joke in a while. ]
>> ^gorillaman:

Wrong.

@packo
Altho, I agree with the "stick and stones" theory. There's always an "us and them".

In-groups and out-groups are sorta the foundation of civilization and societies.

If you're a guy..
you will never have the same experience as a woman your same age,height,weight,etc.

You'll never have to give birth to a child,
therefore you can never act as if you know what that experience is like.

[Or "they haven't lived thru thick and thin with her, therefore they haven't earned the right to talk smack about your momma" if you wanna use the "infantile" analogy.]


After a while you realize: What's the benefit? [of being offended]

But yes, Professor Wise is correct. You shouldn't try to "reclaim" any words for any in-groups you're not a part of. = P

First of all, using the word "Nigga" makes you sound stupid and ignorant whether you are white, black or any other race. But that is the only reason why you shouldn't use it, not because someone say you can't say it.

Said it before, i'll say it again; racism won't really be gone until people can say words like this one and *no one* cares, white or black. (been accused of being racist for saying that even!)

That's not to say we're at that point yet, but discussing it is the only way we'll get there. Up with discussion!

Edit: Also, i recommend fixing the typo in the video title - i initially skipped past this one. The typo being "time" instead of "tim" just in case it wasn't spotted already.