That said, I agree with you when you say no one has the right to call you a cracker if it's a word you're offended by. A number of my white friends in high school self-identified as crackers, so it's hard for me to see it as being on the same plane as slurs directed at racial minorities, but that certainly doesn't negate how it makes you feel, and I think it's good that you've thought about it.
See, I have black friends who identify with the N word and call each other it, but if I where to say it, it's a racial slur and it's not okay. Racial slurs are never okay, and being from a somewhat small town where the vast majority are white, I've gotten into no more then a few arguments because of ignorant racist attitudes. But if someone of a different race where to call me a cracker, then that's okay, because I'm white. It's a racial slur no matter how you look at it, it's never okay. It's putting me down as a white person. It's very biased, I mean, it doesn't happen a lot and I don't get a lot of flack for it, but when I bring it up with other people, they ask me why am I so offended. I say, well they insulted and judged me on my skin color, aren't we trying to work past that?
I am very touchy on this subject if you cant tell. I have my friend Katy whom people are always, "OH! You’re an Indian right? Do you like the red skins? *insert other horrible things here*" That referring to native Americans in that manner is okay, because it's such a supported thing. I was involved in a very interesting class that brought up this very subject and when people at baseball games where asked if they though that calling teams "The red skins" and "The chiefs" where insulting to American Indians, they said "No! It's a way of honoring them." To me that's like saying "Well, segregation was okay because we didn't want people to mix and get hurt."
And it's very environment based. And some don't even care to change. It's very sad, I hope to see more change in my life.
See, I have black friends who identify with the N word and call each other it, but if I where to say it, it's a racial slur and it's not okay. Racial slurs are never okay, and being from a somewhat small town where the vast majority are white, I've gotten into no more then a few arguments because of ignorant racist attitudes. But if someone of a different race where to call me a cracker, then that's okay, because I'm white. It's a racial slur no matter how you look at it, it's never okay. It's putting me down as a white person. It's very biased, I mean, it doesn't happen a lot and I don't get a lot of flack for it, but when I bring it up with other people, they ask me why am I so offended. I say, well they insulted and judged me on my skin color, aren't we trying to work past that?
I am very touchy on this subject if you cant tell. I have my friend Katy whom people are always, "OH! You’re an Indian right? Do you like the red skins? *insert other horrible things here*" That referring to native Americans in that manner is okay, because it's such a supported thing. I was involved in a very interesting class that brought up this very subject and when people at baseball games where asked if they though that calling teams "The red skins" and "The chiefs" where insulting to American Indians, they said "No! It's a way of honoring them." To me that's like saying "Well, segregation was okay because we didn't want people to mix and get hurt."
And it's very environment based. And some don't even care to change. It's very sad, I hope to see more change in my life.
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