I am not a person who believes that we can really “take back words.” Bitch is bitch, whether a woman is saying it affectionately to another woman or a man is screaming it through clenched teeth moments before his fist connects with a woman’s face. Nigger is nigger, whether a black person is using it to describe his best friend or a crowd of rabid racists is chanting it as a man swings from a noose tied to a tree. Faggot is…well, you get the picture.
I overstated the case a little there for dramatic effect. Of course I understand “intent” and how one must take this into account in the scenarios I listed above. I don’t think that all people who use bitch or nigger as affectionate words are bad — that would mean I would have to cut off half of my friends. “Intent” goes a long way toward changing the meaning of a word. But it doesn’t. Quite. Cut it.
Not for me. Not for a lot of people.
So no, I don’t think that nigger is going to turn into a “good” word. Even if you replace the “-er” with a more friendly “a.” Why? Because plenty of people still use it as a bad word. Racist slaveowners were using it to degrade us at least 200 years ago, and many of their descendants (plus some newcomers!) are still using it today. We use it too, sure. But it’s not our word. And it won’t ever be.
There’s a larger point here. I get to it after the jump.
The preceding paragraphs turned into a very long intro to what was supposed to be a post criticizing the LA City Council for their symbolic ban of the word “nigger.” All of that other stuff was to say, as much as I personally disagree that time is slowly turning nigger into a word with a different meaning and that we as black people can “take it back” and turn it into something positive, I disagree even more with banning it. Even symbolically. Not only because this is America and we don’t do things like that here, but also because it’s totally ineffective. A waste of time for a local government with bigger fish to fry, such as a veritable race war — ethnic cleansing and all — going on within the city limits. It’s an old person’s solution to what is now a young person’s problem. Change starts with education. It starts at the home. It starts with rappers putting the pen to the paper when they write out their lyrics. It doesn’t start with symbolic bans and mock funerals. That stuff is a joke.
We have to realize that banning a word doesn’t ban racism. It shuts people’s mouths — some people’s, anyway — but it doesn’t change their thoughts. And we’re talking about a WORD here. Yes, it’s a bad word I wish people didn’t say. If you’re white and famous and you say it, for instance, I will write a post about you. But it is what it is. Black Americans have a hell of a lot more to deal with than a word. Especially one that’s not even ours.
Great post. I am not one of those blacks that feel it’s “our” word to take back or ban, but I also use it amongst close friends/fam from time to time. I realize that some ppl feel it should never be used others see context, etc. So I generally stay out of the argument all together b/c I feel like a hypocrite making an argument either way.
Great post. I definitely agree. Regardless of the intent, the effect is the same. Bigotry is still institutionalized in our society (racism, misogyny, etc.) and until that is completely obliterated (don’t hold your breath), those slurs will still reinforce bigoted assumptions that justify injustice against us all.
Again, great post.
Excellent post that hits it totally on the head. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve used the word less and less b/c I realize just how hurtful and offensive it is. Not only is the word ignorant, it makes the user sound just as ignorant. The sad thing is that there are many people (black and white) that will never change their way of thinking and continue to use the term. Think the Confederate flag.
Love this rant.
I don’t so much care that some people won’t change their way of thinking. That’s a given. I really don’t think you can completely change your way of thinking. As I’ve stated previously, my family hates Muslim people not really because of Islam but due to troubles with another tribe that happens to be Muslim. I’ve tried to undo it. I have an automatic negative response still. The difference between me and my family members is that I know it’s wrong and I know not to make someone else feel bad for something that’s really my problem. Oh and I have plenty of Muslim friends so I don’t buy the “I’m not racist because I have (insert offended group) friends” argument. If you’re a racist and you’re proud of it as many are, then you have no incentive to think consciously about your attitudes or work towards changing them. The only time I think I’ve made someone possibly feel prejudged in regards to their religion is when one of my friends said she couldn’t eat because she was fasting for Ramadan. There was an awkward “oh” on my end and I felt badly about it.
Excellent rant, and I agree wholeheartedly.
Love this post! Banning words is pointless and a total waste of time and money. I agree that the n-word is just plain ugly, no matter if it ends in “er” or “a.” I personally do not use it, but I will repeat it if I’m saying the words to a song. And let me be in a club with white folks and a song with the “n-word” in it comes on…I betta not catch one little collagen injected mouth saying that word. Double standard? Absolutely. It’s a very sensitive word. White folks who claim they aren’t racist and just want to show they’re “down,” should not want to go within 100 feet of that word. And I do actually cringe when I hear the young black guys on the subway using the n-word with one another. It’s just an ugly word that needs to be retired. Like negress…you never hear that word any more. Let’s do that n-word like that.