“People are using it out of context. People are also denigrating themselves by using the word and disrespecting their history, disrespecting the history of a people and a country and also putting themselves in a negative light that we need to correct.” - Newsday.com, Councilman Leroy Comrie, sponsor of a bill to enact a moratorium of the use of the word “nigger“ in New York.
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| Councilman Leroy Comrie |
The City Council unanimously declared a moratorium that carries no penalty but aims to stop youth from casually using the word, considered by most Americans to be the most offensive in the English language.
Now, my only problem with this is that we have already been objectified as a people with this word. This argument would be more plausible if we can suggest that the word had recently evolved in daily language and discourse, and therefore was no longer growing in power.
However, this is not the case. The fact of the matter is that the word has held power for over four hundred years and still holds power as demonstrated in the mere fact that Chris Rock, a very notable comedian, still associates the word with its original calumnious meaning.
In one of his stand up shows, Rock says that “there are black people and there’s niggers.” If you listen to one of Chris Rock’s shows entitled “Black People vs. Niggers,” he associates the word nigger with certain types of black people with everything negative. For instance he states “I love black people but I hate niggers. I wish they would let me join the Ku Klux Klan.” and “The worst thing about niggers, niggers love to not know, niggers love to keep it real, real dumb...niggers don’t read”. Here Rock, a black male associates nigger with everything negative like dishonesty, distrust, laziness, and ignorance. Interestingly enough, Chris Rock makes the clear distinction that it’s not all blacks, it’s just the niggers!
To suggest that we could take its power away by using it now, does not make sense simply because slavery has already occurred, black people are still underprivileged in America and the past cannot be erased. Therefore, when African Americans try to rid the word of its power by using it negatively, they are only proving that the word still has power. I'm just stuck.
I love how you stated your opinion clearly. I love the quote from your blog "That African Americans try to rid the word of its power by using it negatively" this i think is your main point you want state.To your blog readers
ReplyDeleteWhat’s cracking, I like the point and the gear that you used to turn the wheel of imagination about the context the “N-Word.” The Dos Equis pic was epic and reminded me of the mood/appearance of scenes of Django, well done. I also like the reflective measures you used by Chris Rock to describe the difference between “Black people” and “Niggers.” Only a few would be able to relate the actuality of how the difference of the two has a negative and positive affect on people of darker complexities. Your post made me feel a bit confused at why the actual word is listed in the dictionary and contains clues as to why its remains to have connections of why it was used to describe the mind-set of people using it during its pinnacle. I don’t totally oppose to your mind-set about your argument but do believe that “us” as a people, need to concentrate on educating each other on the importance and adverse effects that can become with the use of the word (depending on context). I would like to know if you support the purposed moratorium that Councilman Comrie has sponsored. That is all, Thank you for your participation.
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