Racism and Society

[Pinball Wizard]

All my black friends say that "nigga" is almost like a bond word, which you would only say to your friend and they only get offended when you say "nig**r". I get called "cracker" a lot, I've even seen it in game and nothing happens, but my view is that you should shrug it off, if someone calls you a derogatory term on the internet, then your living up to the meaning of the word if you get offended by it.

One of those words has centuries of oppressive history tied to it, the other is a modern invention used against people who find it easy to shrug it off as they never had to deal with being a racial minority. There is a difference, and equating the two is fallacious at best.

But both can be seen as equally derogative (both are saying that the other race is below them) and there is no slavery now in America, so all the people who are being called the n word have no way to know what it is like to be like a slave, and the name callers don't even know what it is like to own a slave. I do not really know where you are coming from with this "oppressive history tied to it" other than the fact that the n word has been used over 200 years.

[Deofuta]

Just because a word has very negative roots doesn't mean it's follows in the same path.  People and words can change over time.

Look at Germans, if I followed your logic I'd call every one of them a Nazi who hates Jews/Blacks/Gays etc.  Doesn't matter if that happened a long time ago, it's "in their roots".  And don't try to say, "that's completely different" bla bla bla.  It's the same thing.  A word and it's meaning can change, just like people.  It takes an educated mind to see change, and you can say "it hasn't changed it's still the same", but you'd be lying to yourself.

It's not the word that is the problem, it's ignorant people.


Edit:

I know not every Nazi hated Jews/Blacks/Gays etc. It might sound like I believe they all were like that.

What do modern Germans do that in any way contribute to this conversation? Being called German was never negative or derogatory, its a nationality. Your allegory has me confused.

[AntonioTheWorstAtMelee]

Just because a word has very negative roots doesn't mean it's follows in the same path.  People and words can change over time.

Look at Germans, if I followed your logic I'd call every one of them a Nazi who hates Jews/Blacks/Gays etc.  Doesn't matter if that happened a long time ago, it's "in their roots".  And don't try to say, "that's completely different" bla bla bla.  It's the same thing.  A word and it's meaning can change, just like people.  It takes an educated mind to see change, and you can say "it hasn't changed it's still the same", but you'd be lying to yourself.

It's not the word that is the problem, it's ignorant people.


Edit:

I know not every Nazi hated Jews/Blacks/Gays etc. It might sound like I believe they all were like that.

What do modern Germans do that in any way contribute to this conversation? Being called German was never negative or derogatory, its a nationality. Your allegory has me confused.

I can understand the confusion, it's not to say German is deragoatory or negative etc. it's the labeling something as bad because of something that happened years ago and not letting go. 

[Rikugun Taishō Ito]

      My opinion, the word Negro isn't a racist or derogatory remark, it's just the world American ancestors called Africans,
even the whites that supported Negros said the word nigger or negro as in reference to the African-american. But over time,
you have all these parties who don't support the African-Americans, but they still don't use the word Negro as a negative remark just in reference. But, our generation has transformed the meaning of the word into something negative, then you have people saying they're offended just for attention and FSE has the "racist" remarks rule just to keep their business going so they get more money, and make sure people have a good time in a game.

But all in all, people need to use the mute button, seriously ...

[AntonioTheWorstAtMelee]

      My opinion, the word Negro isn't a racist or derogatory remark, it's just the world American ancestors called Africans,
even the whites that supported Negros said the word nigger or negro as in reference to the African-american. But over time,
you have all these parties who don't support the African-Americans, but they still don't use the word Negro as a negative remark just in reference. But, our generation has transformed the meaning of the word into something negative, then you have people saying they're offended just for attention and FSE has the "racist" remarks rule just to keep their business going so they get more money, and make sure people have a good time in a game.

But all in all, people need to use the mute button, seriously ...

We are talking about nigga, nigga.

[kpetschulat]

Tbh, I was kinda insulted I was put away as a racist just for using that word.

Then don't use a word with ties to centuries of systemic oppression of a race.

You're kidding, right? So, when someone calls a white person "cracka," it's okay? Same fucking shit, dude. Nigger and cracker have been used for centuries, but only nigger is bad? I don't see the logic in this, and never will. It's alright for society to call a white man cracker, but once nigger is thrown out, then everyone goes berserk saying that the people who say such words are racist, bigots, whatever.

Same goes for saying nigga' or cracka'. Same shit, but once nigga' is said, it's racist.

[O`Finnegan]

Abloobloobloo

[kpetschulat]

Nigger. There I Said It.

Way to contribute nothing to this thread, and just make yourself look like a backwoods dumbshit.

[O`Finnegan]

Who Says I Wasn't? 

[McEwan]

There's a difference between discussing it and saying it for the hell of it. Don't think the word is allowed here no matter the context; this thread is still part of the forum.

[König]

Just for a little context:

The word "nigger" comes from the Latin word for "black" (as in the colour black) which is "niger".

[Deofuta]

Tbh, I was kinda insulted I was put away as a racist just for using that word.

Then don't use a word with ties to centuries of systemic oppression of a race.

You're kidding, right? So, when someone calls a white person "cracka," it's okay? Same fucking shit, dude. Nigger and cracker have been used for centuries, but only nigger is bad? I don't see the logic in this, and never will. It's alright for society to call a white man cracker, but once nigger is thrown out, then everyone goes berserk saying that the people who say such words are racist, bigots, whatever.

Same goes for saying nigga' or cracka'. Same shit, but once nigga' is said, it's racist.

Hah. This conversation is over.

You can discuss the plight of the white man on a different forum.