Very well thought out. However, if it's that offensive and carries that connotation then why would black people use it in the manner that they do? And black people don't discourage it's use, so who is it exactly that's offended?

 

Blacks discourage the use of the word. Trust me. Black politicians and other celebrities launched a campaign to ban the word entirely. It's definitely more taboo for blacks to say it than it was even 20 years ago. The problem is that the young generation is always going to be the young generation. Even my generation doesn't jibe with my father's generation when things take a racial connotation. People are going to hear Lil Wayne and Jay-Z using the word but they aren't hearing Bill, Oprah, Jesse and Al when they are pleading with the black community not to use it. My kids know not to use it and they know why they shouldn't. That means they'll never say it in front of me but when they are with their friends and I am not around.....

Blacks discourage the use of the word. Trust me. Black politicians and other celebrities launched a campaign to ban the word entirely. It's definitely more taboo for blacks to say it than it was even 20 years ago. The problem is that the young generation is always going to be the young generation. Even my generation doesn't jibe with my father's generation when things take a racial connotation. People are going to hear Lil Wayne and Jay-Z using the word but they aren't hearing Bill, Oprah, Jesse and Al when they are pleading with the black community not to use it. My kids know not to use it and they know why they shouldn't. That means they'll never say it in front of me but when they are with their friends and I am not around.....

I can't possibly relate like you do, obviously, but I've heard several kids of this teenage generation when in mixed race company call one another nigga, didn't matter the race of the teen. Is the trend changing and more acceptable among the generations behind us? And we are the ones making it different. Serious question.

 

And for the record, we are friends, and you'll never hear me call you that, even if it was popular or accepted, more because of my respect for the fact that it was taboo and I understand the connotation. But what if our sons were together, would they feel the same?

Blacks discourage the use of the word. Trust me. Black politicians and other celebrities launched a campaign to ban the word entirely. It's definitely more taboo for blacks to say it than it was even 20 years ago. The problem is that the young generation is always going to be the young generation. Even my generation doesn't jibe with my father's generation when things take a racial connotation. People are going to hear Lil Wayne and Jay-Z using the word but they aren't hearing Bill, Oprah, Jesse and Al when they are pleading with the black community not to use it. My kids know not to use it and they know why they shouldn't. That means they'll never say it in front of me but when they are with their friends and I am not around.....

 

Appreciate your perspective. :thumb:

Appreciate your perspective. :thumb:

No doubt, I was hoping he would chime in. He's the only cat I can ask some of these questions.

I can't possibly relate like you do, obviously, but I've heard several kids of this teenage generation when in mixed race company call one another nigga, didn't matter the race of the teen. Is the trend changing and more acceptable among the generations behind us? And we are the ones making it different. Serious question.

 

And for the record, we are friends, and you'll never hear me call you that, even if it was popular or accepted, more because of my respect for the fact that it was taboo and I understand the connotation. But what if our sons were together, would they feel the same?

 

 

I don't know. I've seen white kids on Facebook and twitter use it frequently. When I asked my oldest about it he brushed it off like it's no big deal. It bothered me at first but if the kids are accepting of it then it doesn't matter what we say. I guess I am indifferent to it and with him being 18 and headed to college he's at the point in life where he needs to decide for himself what is and isn't acceptable for him.

 

 

My youngest son that you met, Baby J, would get mad. I'm pretty certain of that. :lol: I laugh because he is always ready to argue and fuss about something. Especially something racial. He is one of less than 10 blacks at his school which goes from K-12 so he constantly has a paranoia that he gets in trouble because he is black and not that he actually was in the wrong. I'm working on that and making headway but he's a stubborn little fella. :lol: He'll be fine and I swear he won't blame his pitfalls on life on The Man. I can't help but laugh when he starts acting like that(he didn't get it from me) because knowing him like I do and knowing he was in the wrong I know his troubles have nothing to do with his skin tone. It's his mouth. :lol:

 

If or sons were together and it happened he'd probably send me a text message saying what happened and ask what he is supposed to do. :lol:

 

Good questions though. I had some white friends when I was in college and they tried to use it because we all hung tough and rap music desensitized the word and we let them know that we know you're going to sing it but don't do it around us. We still cringe and get in fight club mode when we heard them saying it. They respected that and quit using it. Around us anyways. :lol:

 

These kids these days....they march to the beat of a different drummer.

So, after 200 years of legal discrimination against black persons - from slavery to voting laws to laws against miscegenation – to the societal views of inferiority that underpinned those laws that still exist today, black persons must atone for the sin of it being socially unacceptable for white people to freely use a word they invented that signifies their supremacy over the black race before black persons can ever be truly equal in our society? That seems very backward to me.

 

And why on earth would a white person want to use that word in its original meaning and why on earth should they not be scorned for doing so? The problem with the “double standard” argument is that there is a double standard built into the meaning and history that word embodies. There’s a good argument to be made that black people should discourage its use, but it simply carries a different meaning when said by a white person, inherently.

 

Agree with spindoc that this is very well-said & perhaps you're right. But the word that jumps out at me is the final word you use here: "inherently." If the word is inherently negative, then it's inherently wrong for everyone.

 

If a 16-year-old white kid has a black best friend and he greets him with "what's up my nigga" I don't see how that is different from a 16-year-old black kid saying it to his black best friend. The intent in both instances is the same. The white & black kids that are best friends have obviously not considered race in their friendship, so why would it be a factor with the use of one word that, from their perspective, has an endearing intent?

No doubt, I was hoping he would chime in. He's the only cat I can ask some of these questions.

 

PP92 was the member I was most hoping would chime in when I posted the topic! :thumb:

I think it carries different connotation for different age groups. Yet, I still snap my head around every time I hear it. Conditioned response I suppose.

Considering you used a letter for one word and spelled out the other word, I'd say so. :lol:

 

I am 100% a cracker, yes, there's a difference.

You're a native Floridian?

I've heard it a hundred times but I'll ask you, PP. Does the suffix of "ger" or "ga" make a difference to you? Assuming it's being used in non-malicious ways.

I've heard it a hundred times but I'll ask you, PP. Does the suffix of "ger" or "ga" make a difference to you? Assuming it's being used in non-malicious ways.

 

I've heard the word used a lot, and I can't think of a single time "ger" was used in a non-malicious manner.

I've heard the word used a lot, and I can't think of a single time "ger" was used in a non-malicious manner.

 

True, but that's my point. Is one bad and the other okay?

I've heard it a hundred times but I'll ask you, PP. Does the suffix of "ger" or "ga" make a difference to you? Assuming it's being used in non-malicious ways.

 

This is what I was wondering. I've had plenty of people tell me that if you say, "ga", it's all good, but if it's "ger", then we're gonna have issues.

True, but that's my point. Is one bad and the other okay?

 

Public opinion more often than not dictates what is and isn't appropriate in these types of things. Based on my experience, I'd have to say yes. One is ok and the other isn't. Somehow, our society has evolved to be somewhat accepting of one while the other is completely despicable. That doesn't speak for every person, just represents the general view of the whole. As far as a logical reasoning behind why that standard exists, I can't provide that. It doesn't exist.

My roommate in college was black. I often said he was so black he was navy blue. We are still very close, and every time I'd say something stupid, he's simply say "Nigga Please". To this day, when he sends me an email, he signs it "Nigga Please".