White people using the 'N-word'

It seems that unless legally grown people become adult enough to understand the concept of social context we will continue to have simpleton views like this. Yes, the use of the word in this movie intended to offend, but its used to show how far this guy has fallen and disassociated he has become. Anyone can say the word if they want, but don't pretend that it will get the same reaction in all situations. Free speech requires responsibility...

Yeah, becuase white people never called black people the n-word until blacks started using it on one another. You fail.

Jesus Christ, tomcat69w, learn how to properly use the apostrophe..I know that you probably had a message in there somewhere, but I personally couldn't get past your horrible grammar. Here it is....you don't use "'s" with a plural noun (such as "black's") it should be "blacks" WITHOUT the apostrophe. Same with, "white's", "Day's" (which shouldn't have a capital letter either, by the way), or Stick's". The apostrophe denotes ownership, not plurality. So, use it if you were going to say "The day's end was approaching", not "I wish summer day's would never end." You have a very valid message to get across-just say it properly.

Anyway, I wanted to say that I personaly feel that we all need to realize that all our ancestors were called variations of *beep* at one point. It's just easier for blacks to be singled out because of their race. It doesn't make it right or excuse it in any way, but I hope that we can relate and stop the petty name-calling *beep* So African-Americans had it hard. We are all equal now, so big deal. Honestly, women should be the ones bitching, because we don't even have a Constitutional Amendment making it illegal to discriminate against us yet. So, realize that we all have our struggles, be them racial, sexual, or whatever. And that this whole discussion stemmed from a *beep* MOVIE!!!

steve miller band


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I don't have TIME for this Mickey Mouse bullsh!t!!!

finally someone who makes sense of the whole ordeal

i don't at all mind the way you think, but if the word is to be legally limitted it should be done with some care and balance. banning a word in art for instance would be stupid. art should always always hold the complete right to offend people, it's half its job. as long as it doesn't actually involved an immoral act to make the art, what the art represents emotionally and artistically should be allowed. using certain words can be immoral but sometimes is more quotation or reference or examplification or even just plain harsh emotional expression through direct use of the word in the context of art, is not so immoral. by the way rap and movies like this aren't exactly on the same level of taste so don't go overrelating them.
also use of the word in social situations in a less racist but still derogatory way i think is more questionable than use in a friendly manner. it seems depraived really, but not to everyone. some ought to think about it more than they do, some ought to be called ignorant about it, but it shouldn't necessarily be illegalized.
use of the word by white people, i think is most scary when it starts to encompass a sense of somehow being treated unequally and unfairly by not being allowed to use it. that can be a gateway to racism. might not be all bad though i dunno.

Save the whales!!!

You can't outlaw words. A word is just a group of letters that encapsulates a thought. Let's say all racial epithets got banned. What next? Sexist words? Words that discriminate based on sexual preference? What about general insults like "stupid" or "arrogant?" If you go that road, eventually you get to a society in which it is illegal to say anything negative. That sounds like Orwell to me.
I agree with you saying "no free speech without absolute responsibility", I just disagree with your conclusion on where that takes us and society.
I have the right to walk through Harlem calling everyone I see a *beep* But if I do so, knowing the emotional charge that word carries, I have to accept total responsibility for getting my ass beaten half to death, or worse.

As a pejorative word, *beep* sums up all the negative stereotypes people can apply to black people and puts it in one, super-powered, easy to use word. Ban the word and all you'll end up doing is force racists to expand their vocabulary.

In the end, a word is just the vocal expression of a thought, and you cannot make thoughts, as unpleasant as they may be, illegal. The word "gay" used to mean happy and carefree. Now it means homosexual, because that's how people use it. If enough people used "n*igger" to refer to their best friend, or their bicycle, or that thing in the drain that is supposed to stop the toothpaste cap from falling in, then guess what? *beep* would no longer be an offensive word.

Your advocation of criminilzation of speech offends me deeply. You don't understand the First Amendment very well. Don't you think there are enough Americans in prison already? I got news for you, the word is part of the English language and culture in this day and age, and it's African Americans who you can thank for that after 20+ years of integrating it into the cultural norm. I ain't saying your a Gold Digger

As to your "heritage" , how cool for you. That's so "in" right now to be half.
I don't know how anyone can be half 6 different things, but I hear it all the time.

As for the word *beep* I'm bored with it. I am old enough to remember when *beep* was the most offensive word any English speaker could use. And it's
everywhere now. You want to put a LAW on the use of speech ? It's not the words, it's the intention. The psych student poster makes some valid points.
(more like 15%, but I see what you're saying).

This is a different world now. I don't care if you're 1/3 Irish and 1/3 Italian. I only care about who you are and what you do with that.

It is time that EVERYONE stopped trying to cash in on the abuse of their
ancestors. Period.

This is just a disturbing movie. And worth watching.


p.s. I suggest you all start learning Spanish.



Very early in my life it was too late.
-Marguerite Duras

Well feel free to go back to Sudan or South America or the Caribbean. In the USA we have the right to free speech. That speech may piss people off and in some cases there may be legal consequences (e.g. yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, inciting people to violence), but simply uttering a word even if intended in a hateful manner is protected by the First Amendment.

There is a good historical reason why speech is not limited in the US. Our country is founded on the idea of overthrowing an oppressive regime which wouldn't want people talking badly about the monarchy.

I recall an interesting case from the '90s - a black ACLU lawyer actually defended the KKK's right to free speech. I doubt the ACLU lawyer agreed with what the KKK had to say, but he did believe they had a right to say it.

The "N-word" is just a word. I'm old enough to have heard people even older than myself use that term as just a word - not in a hateful manner. I cringed when I heard an old lady say it, but she wasn't being hateful. It was just the word she used to refer to black people. Might she have been racist? Well, that's certainly possible, but she wasn't displaying any racism when I heard her use that word. Context matters and despicable as it may be it's not illegal to be racist.

It's certainly not socially acceptable. If you want to shun or ostracize racists and even call them horrible names I'm actually on your side. If you want to assault them or lock them up in prison for their beliefs or speech then I am not.

And that's the great thing about America - you can call the president a "n-word". You could even try to make the case that black people are inferior or evil, but you will be mocked and scorned and laughed at by most of us but you have that right.

Try that in some other countries and you will be put in prison and perhaps even executed.

In some countries it is illegal to even criticize the head of state and that law is actually enforced. There are people right now who are rotting in prisons worse than any that exist in the US simply for saying their head of state is not cool.

And once you start passing laws against certain types of speech where does it end? Who gets to decide what is approved speech and which speech is criminal?

Let people say what they will and let society in general judge it on its merits and take it seriously if it has any merit and let them criticize it or ignore it if it doesn't.

Also, why are white people obsessed with Al Sharpton? It's not like blacks are obsessed with Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh.

Its just words if someone wants to feel offended let them
they are the ones pissed off
is just a movie
and those words were said with a purpose, and that is to make you think and discuss, exactly what is happening here.