Did most of you hear the flap about a discussion regarding the N word on ABC's THE VIEW Thursday?
Whoopi Goldberg argued that only Blacks should use the N word. Co-hostess Sherri Shepard feels the same way.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck wept, saying this is a word nobody should use.
"It's something that means something way different to me than it does to you," said Shepard who is Black.
My husband and I had a conversation about it and we're wondering what your opinions are.
WE don't use the word......Elisabeth says nobody should. Whoopi and Sherri feel Blacks can....no problem. So.............what do you think?
Would it be better if NOBODY used it?
BY the way...check out Papa Frank's blog....he has a quote by Booker T. Washington you won't want to miss.
*
41 comments:
i don't know what to think, honky.
now, just how ridiculous does that sound?
bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahaha!
if they want to keep the word alive - let them, just know it's not the average white person doing it.
name it and claim it, whoopi.
I find it terribly offensive... but, i suppose if they want to use it.. it's their prerogative.
yes, it is ok to say this if you are black, but not if you are white or another race. So. Obviously there are all sorts of rules and layers of racism in the country, yes?
Pretty two-faced or three faced.
The stench of racism is sure coming out pretty strong these days since the anointed one came on the scene. Lots of things coming into focus.
WVDOTTR
Maybe Obama is actually the awaited messiah for the common white person that he looks down upon. We have finally found someone who has been able to expose the racism in the black community even among the leaders that espouse to want to fight racism and do away with it. To me the issue that was brought out here was not whether or not he or she or they or anyone should use the "N" word but rather who it is that REALLY keeps up the inequality and racism as it is their "business" and way of making their living. Without racism we would be fresh out of ANY need for someone like Jesse Jackson and he would be unemployed as his only "talent" is searching out racism and being paid to speak against it. He has now revealed his anger to be feigned and his indignance to be a rouse. He has now taken his place among the other hypocrites and will fade away as his mask has fallen away and exposed his true self. To end racism we must forget about race until our only recognition of race is an exuberant joy at the amazing wonder of difference that our Creator has generously given to us to celebrate and enjoy.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ - i heard you on the radio! i wish they wouldn't let geller talk so much.......our aow is far more radio oriented.
nanc, I swear, my heart's STILL beating WAY too fast!!! Someone named NANCY called in after I spoke, did you hear her?.. AOW said "bye, nanc.." at the end and I thought it was you but this woman spoke much slower than I pictured you speaking!!
I just wanted to congratulate them on their first night because I think their work is SO important...and I felt it important that AMERICANS hear that these good people are taking their lives in their hands exposing jihadists!
I was surprised Pamela used the language she used..I'm no prude, but THAT on the RADIO!? And yes, AOW has a lovely voice and serene and informative radio personality...Next time AOW and WC host, I guess Geller won't be there, right? Though I DO admire Geller and her passion for the work, right?
yup - that was me.
mr. z - did you hear alan colmes making excuses for whoopi tonight? i could literally be sick to my stomach every time that man opens his mouth - he NEVER goes against the grain of the left. EVER!
my porcelain white sister was married to a black man for over 20 years and they spoke to each other in this manner, but BY GOD, nobody else better - i said something to him once and ended the sentence with "boy" and he came unglued. what are people thinking?
do we have to heavily calculate EVERYTHING we say to the point of being robotic in order to sound correct?
i'm thinking most of u.s. should just shut up and speak only in our own homes. how stifling.
yes, geller's a spitfire - i just wish she'd slow down a little and take some much needed diction classes. even w.c. has changed over the course of time and i think realized he needed to be more concise. geller's a beauty, but a complete turn off as soon as she opens her mouth. aow is a perfect radio hostess.
where'd mr. z's comment go?
nanc...did you see that thing about a Black city councilman (I think it was) who got outraged when a White councilman mentioned something about the 'Black hole'? the GUY WENT BERSERK...took it as racist. Said DEVIl's food cake is Black, Angel is white....etc. This just happened!
We have to get past this. But it's not WE who're perpetuating it. If we are, we need to STOP, too.
I can't ever tell anybody on my blog what I think of Colmes. My Blog could get shut down!! )@*($#&()*^$&%(^*$%
alan colmes is a pantywaste! a pansy! a puttybutt! a leftleaning tower of cheeza!
i'm only surprised that he found a wife. did she marry him in absentia? it had to be an arranged marriage!
there now. if you'd like you can scrub my comment. *;]
hehehe...
z - fact is, people will say what needs to be said regardless of where. the people who need to rise above it are those who are offended. this reminds me of the death of polyester three piece suits - they eventually died because people found them distasteful. they've not been revived. black folk need to let the three piece "n" word suit die, not us - we're not using it.
And speaking of things like this, have you seen Thomas Lifson's ( Lipson?)column about Mr. Obama's speech dated 2 July, 2008 ?
He speaks about cutting the military in half, and creating a group of people..well, another army of people actually to solve problems and so forth.
This man is so anti American and has no idea of what this wonderful country is about.
And this rant about people dissing Michelle, HA.
All the media coverage, I am hoping people are getting as sick of this snobby little jerk as much as I.
He really does look down his nose at everyone.
Oh, and he has a council of advisors that numbers to be 300 people???
WVDOTTR
I don't like name calling period. Epithets just fowl the air in my opinion. Having said that, in a free country, we can't disallow offensive speech. To each his own.
I know some good people who use language I wouldn't use, and I choose to overlook it. We can't live in a bubble.
I would say, if someone like Whoopi chooses to speak using epithets, she really can't expect more of others than she does for herself.
Heck, I'd never watch a movie more recently released than the fifties if I set the bar so high for others. It's not my place to.
Got to admit though, I'm sick of all the gratuitous foul stuff in movies and on TV, and frankly in social interaction. Civility has taken a real beating.
Oh well, I don't make the rules for anyone but myself. Life goes on and we roll with the punches.
Pris
The niggardly manner in which people discuss the issue of colorfully explicit words darkens any conversation to the point where we're more worried more about how what people think might blacken our reputations if we say anything outside the white paper on cordial conversation.
Before I hit the sack last night, I saw Greta van S on FOX had this same question.
I watched the late night (PST) rerun and she'd had 15,000 people reply!
(that vote was HUGELY on the side of 'nobody ought to use that word' by the way)
I never use the word, at least not out loud, but it is reserved for a subgroup of the black community which thinks that the world owes them and they have the right to demand it and take it. I guess that description fits a lot of whites too.
I have never used, nor allowed it to be used, on an honorable black person.
You know, once we GET OVER having taboos and GET OVER permitting ourselves to be "OFFENDED," and once we GET OVER trying to USE being "OFFENDED" as a TOOL either to STOP DEBATE or GAIN special, unwarranted ADVANTAGE, the healthier and happier society will be.
Taking "OFFENSE" is part of a DOMINATION GAME, whether we realize it or not.
JESUS "never said a mumblin' word" when they whipped the flesh off his bones, nailed him to the Cross, then MUTILATED Him to DEATH.
How DARE any of US allow ourselves to be "OFFENDED" if we hold that Image of the Cross in our thoughts?
The freewheeling use of VULGARITY is BORING and shows lack of breeding, profound ignorance or a lack of proper education, but it is not EVIL in and of itself, and it won't HARM anyone, UNLESS we persist in giving it a power it does not possess by making it TABOO.
"Taboos" give rigid, sadistic, authoritarian types the excuse they need to excoriate, incarcerate and possibly annihilate other people merely for what they SAY or even for what they presumably THINK.
That's really BAAAAAAAAD shit.
~ FreeThinke
i would hope if blacks understood its meaning they would never want to use it!!!
I agree with Nanc. It should be retired. It's nasty.
It's such a very ugly word that you'd THINK Black folks wouldn't want to go near it.
Maybe they use it to diffuse it.."if WE use it, the sting will go away".
Still, I don't get it.....'nasty' is SO right.
This word originates with the Latin nigrum, which means black. The word used today comes from Spanish/Portuguese “neger,” and the French “negre” and “negritude.” Today, there are two African countries named from the Latin expression … Nigeria and Niger. I think the “N” word in its common form/pejorative use derives from individuals enslaved from this area in West Africa. My grandmother, born and raised in Georgia, considered the word disrespectful and lacking dignity; she would not allow any of her children or grandchildren its use.
Who should use the word? No one who has a shred of decency because its use, no matter what the context, is regarded as derogatory term. Ms. Goldberg’s argument simply demonstrates that she is a complete (and typical) leftist idiot. The intent of the word’s use is not lessened or mitigated when used by one black toward another.
I just re-read my comment from last night and realize posting at 11:00PM is not always a good idea.
I can't believe I said "fowl" and not "foul".
A big WHOOOOPS! from me!
Pris
not if you're speaking of the pluckster, pris! he's sometimes both...hehehe...
Funny how Jesse wants the word banned, especially by black entertainers... and would have argued against Whoopi, himself.
wow. i missed all this?
very good comments here.
Papa Frank and Shoprat hit the nail on the head.
When I was a teenager I tried to say the n-word in the playful context I heard the other teens in my community say it. I tried once, maybe twice, but then I gave up. It made absolutely no sense to me.
Now that I’ve grown up, I can look back and understand why I couldn’t make that word fit into my vernacular. I was in a different class than the class those kids were living in. It was not that my family had more money than theirs. In the black community the class structure is about mindset.
There are those black people, who no matter how much money they make, or how successful they are, their mentality will always reflect “poor.” And that mindset of poor is angry, hostile, and perpetually disappointed with their lot.
Even if we lived right next door to each other, Whoopi and I would NEVER be friends. Because she has chosen to be poor despite her wealth. Her idea of never forgetting where she comes from is to revert to crass and sarcastic behavior. Shephard too. The reality is that people like Whoopie, Shephard, and Jessie Jackson are living their lives with facades. They think they are fooling everybody. But with a black man in the largest spotlight in America’s history, the truth is coming out. And everyone can see for themselves, the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes.
The jig is up!
So Whoopi, in a display of huge oblivious ignorance, has shown the world her true colors.
The n-word is NOT acceptable. It’s disgusting. And anyone who uses it is a low-life.
~m
Whoopi needs to get with Jesse Jackson's program...
FJ..good for Ridley. His two sons SHOULD only laugh at such a word AND the folks who'd use it. His sons are not and never will be N's...they know that..
Namaste said that so well, too.....only 'low lifes' use it...
Black OR White.
I don't care for word and care even more little if a black choses to call another black it. It is demeaning and it shows a true lack of character and a dangerous level of ignorance.
But look at the source when it comes from whoopi
Whoopi Goldberg...what a joke.
I just came from Layla's blog about this same exact thing.
I was proud of how Elizabeth Hasselbeck spoke up against the use of the word.
It is degrading and I know I wouldn't want to claim it in any shape or form.
I can only reassert my passionate belief that NOTHING is inherently sacred or profane. It is the attitude WE hold that INVESTS certain words with the POWER to do harm.
It is never the words that matter anyway, it is the TONE with which we utter them that conveys our TRUE meaning.
Being exceedingly rude, sarcastic, cutting, cruel and even abussive, while observing ALL the rules of what-used-to-be-considered good standard etiquette, developed into a fine art in highly civilized circles not too long ago.
One can insult, upbraid, demean and threaten without using vulgar terms of contempt and derision. By the same token "simple folk" can express exquisite warmth, kindness and generosity while murdering The King's English and sprinkling it liberally with four-letter words.
T
he substance of communication lies in the INTENT and the TONE not the WORD.
FreeThinke
WFT -- I am going to have to disagree with you here. Words matter. Words are important. Could you imagine if there were a videotape of President Bush saying "n*gg*r" no matter what the tone or what the circumstance? How about John McCain? What about Laura Bush or Cindy McCain? This is a ugly word and what was once a word of hate and abuse and racism is now STILL a word of hate and abuse and racism only it is now racist because only those of a certain race have the "privilege" of using this word without repercussion. If this word is for one race and not another then it is a word of division and a word of separation based solely on race. It is just as racist for an individual to use this word and harbor violence towards another race using as it was for a slave owner to use this word or for a K K K member to use it. As I have already stated race needs to be ignored and forgotten until we come to that glorious day when the only recognition of race is to praise our Creator for having such an imagination and blessing us with variety and difference. Only then will race division have its intended worth.
I meant FT not WFT. Sorry.
Hi Namaste, you make an excellent point, and remimded me of something my Mother once told me.
I had remarked something to the effect that when my sister and I were young, we would, at that time, have been considered poor by today's standards.
She told me that "being middle class is a state of mind".
I realized that, growing up I never heard my parents speak or behave as though we were poor, or complain about the lack of material things, or money.
We kids didn't either. Sure, there were toys or other things we would like to have had, but, we just accepted the way things were, and were happy as clams.
Which proves, I believe, that if you're not constantly imbued with a negative view of life, and are secure, your percepton is, things are pretty darn good.
While Mr. Pris and I have done pretty well for ourselves, I still feel the same. Things are pretty darn good. Middle class is fine with me.
Nanc - too funny. Oh and btw, I have no clue as to how anyone knows how clams are happy!
Pris
Not being born in America, Mr. Z occasionally misspeaks and one of my favorites it "happy LIKE a CLAM!" My sister actually got us a metal sign for the back patio that's in 3 sections and says HAPPY AS A CLAM...and she wrote LIKE A on the AS A part of the sign. It's hanging there now!
He'd pick me up when we were dating, calling if he was late from the car, and say "honey, I"ll be in front of the house...we're late..I'll just HUNK!"
I LOVE THAT...still cracks me UP! Just HUNK!
According to Whoopi's logic, since white's should not use such a word, "it takes one to know one" and at the same time, blacks can't say honky or redneck but whites may.
Michael...I'm not sure I follow your logic, but I will say I take no offense at HONKY or REDNECK.
I heard someone on TV last night say "How would you feel if Blacks said Honky to YOU?" And I cracked up!! GO AHEAD!
Didn't George Jefferson say HONKY on THE JEFFERSONS!? I'm quite sure he never used the N word.
Maybe we just have a better sense of humor, but I suspect two things:
A. Whites don't have a better sense of humor than Blacks and
B. MOST Blacks don't use N or Honky. They're just too polite to, AND they remember their pain at the N word, why would anybody USE it?
I've been thinking it could be generational and I think it's dishonest for Whoopi to have not made this point; Young kids don't have the memories of the terrible times. Heck, when I hear that word, I CRINGE from my toes to my forehead. I told Mr. Z who, as you know very well was not born here, that people who haven't lived here their whole life CAN'T know how bad the N word is, they can't IMAGINE how it makes us cringe, right?....I told him "of ALL the words possible, THAT is one you don't EVER EVER use no matter WHAT and I don't think foreigners QUITE get the depth of that 'ever ever'.."
Perhaps teenaged Blacks feel exactly the same way. They're 20 or 15, for goodness sake. WHO has used the N WORD in the last FIFTY YEARS in the pejorative? ANYBODY but a kay kay kayer or such scum we don't KNOW them? See my point? Maybe the kids who DO use it don't get the reason for NOT using it?
You know we either don't know or quickly forget CONTEXT.
In her long illustrious career the highly respectable Dame Agatha Christie wrote 70-odd mystery novels most of which became best-sellers on both sides of the Atlantic.
One of her most famous–––and most popular–––was originally entitled Ten Little Nîggers. It has been dramatized and made into a movie several times.
The title was changed to Ten Little Indians for publication in America.
The British used this term very differently from the way American White Trash usually does. They have associated it more with Indians from India, and if I understand what I've read over the years, it can even be used as a term of endearment by Britons.
I understand what Mr. Frank and others have said, but I would still insist we INVEST such terms with immense power by continuing to make them taboo.
"... What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet ..."
Also, it's very common for minority communities of nearly EVERY stripe to use the pejoratives outsiders throw at them as a way of NEUTRALIZING the sting of such words.
Don't ask me how I know, but I know, believe me.
~ FreeThinke
PS: Voltiare had it right when he said, "I may not agree with what you, but I would defend to the death you right to say it."
FT
I know, FT...exactly what you're alluding to.
The point is it's shocking for people who are so careful not to use nasty epithets to hear them used by the very people they're aimed at!!! That doesn't HELP anything.
We all use the word, or nobody uses the word.
I am only using her logic which says basically that pejorative words are okay if used solely by targeted group as only they know the manner in which to use it while all others are only able to use it in the pejorative sense so should never use it at all. Hence, the "N" word is off limits to non-blacks and by extension "honky" is off limits to non-whites. Meanwhile, I don't take offense at whatever people say as I prefer to know their real feeling and thereby know where I stand with them. i.e., I don't have any doubt how radical islam feels about me. A Christian who was born Jewish? Ya think they hate me?
Naa, Mikey..I think they'd LOVE ya!! Who wouldn't ! :-)
And, ya..thanks, the logic's clear now...oy!
Post a Comment