Racial offences are common. Even if they are legally punishable if they are committed in public, they are still used in private circles. There is no law obliging a person to befriend another from a different race although the same law obliges him/her to show equal treatment.
It's unfortunate that black people still face prejudice because of their colour. But black people should be proud of what they are. In some parts of Africa, white people are pejoratively described as "pale".
One of the latest controversy about the word “nigger” is the ban of an advertising poster about a show called “Pride And Prejudice And Niggas”.
If "negro" is accepted as a term as there were American black activists in the 60s calling for "negro culture", the word "nigger" should be avoided as it has diminutive meaning.
What hurts is not the word but the notion that goes behind it.
After all "gay" used to be a term to express joy now it can be used derogatively or a way to express one's identity. For racial harmony, it's better to devise affectionate terms or refer to people as they look like and not how we perceive them.
Racial offences are common. Even if they are legally punishable if they are committed in public, they are still used in private circles. There is no law obliging a person to befriend another from a different race although the same law obliges him/her to show equal treatment.
3 comments:
Smith, thanks a lot for the information.
Abdelilah,
Regardless of a word's original or alternative meanings, if it is predominately tied to diminutive associations, it is hard to revert back to its more benign nature. The n-word is such a charged term here in the US, I find it hard to even refer to it. However, that is because I am white; if African Americans and other blacks want to use it, more power to them. They cannot be as easily accused with racism for using the word.
Oh yeah, thanks for alerting me about Anu's response on the WHYS blog. I just replied back go her.
Steve,
Thanks for your comment.
I take your blog as a reference. It was through you that I,for example, knew in August that Kevin was changing job to the Guardian.
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