Too good to not be posted...

[stickykeys633]

This was in response to a comment in my last post. The situation (which wasn't really a situation, but a misunderstanding of a multispecific nature) has since been resolved, but this is just good stuff.

From thegirliscrazy with inserts by me

Comments

[leila82]

So I have a feeling I'm going to phrase this all wrong, so that's just a heads up, in advance

[stickykeys633]

I think it's more a refocus of the power. I put a more accurate response to a comment in the last post. Check those comments out and then get back to me with your thoughts.

It's less about perception, because the issue isn't really about its use or intention within the black community (per se). The issue is whitefolk using it regardless of it's many definitions. Basically saying that for whitefolk it only has one definition and that definition is negative, and because of the history of this country, regardless of the intent of which it was said, it will always be negative.

It's about an overarching theme vs. a story. Like the Ross and Rachel storyline is the n-word, and the ep where Chandler and Monica get together is a white person rapping the word with his friends. In that context, no harm no foul, cool, but the story line taints it.

Wow that was a crazy example.

[leila82]

Heh, I used to have a theory that everything in life could be tied into Friends. You just proved it.

I know that for a quite a few people - the vast majority even - it's the case that the n-word will always have a negative connotation attached to it; Michael Richards and Mel Gibson did a great job of proving racism was alive and well in this country, in spite of all the naysayers.

And I was reading that comment, and I do see your point. I guess my point was more - maybe it should remain an off limits term, for everyone, the way all the slurs aimed at other racial groups are. Because the more it's used as a not-slur, and the more it becomes a part of mainstream pop-culture, the more this is going to be an issue.

[stickykeys633]

I agree that the end result will probably be the entire phasing out of the word, but I also know that regardless of it's use, there should be a knowledge of who can and can't say it. It's less about the word and more about respect for the people that the word is directed too. I don't like being called tar baby, or coon either. But it's more about the distinct lack of respect.

[darktruth]

The more I think about it, it's not a big deal for me to overlook the "whitey" comments, I guess, because I don't act like a jerk. Well, sometimes I do, but not about this.

So all that to say, I'm not offended by any of this because I'm not the one being discriminated against (except for sometimes the Woman Box, which I slap faces for), so I'm totally on your side (if you allow stuff like that).

<3 and respect

B

[stickykeys633]

Always love, and really that's the key. Get mad, get offended because you are human and it is your wont, and then calm down and think about what's really being said and what can be done to change it.

The last post's comments and the one in this post are so filled with emotion. I got into it with a friend last night and we kept going back and forth and they started venting hard core on me. I get that, I even support it, but then realize that we're all in this together, all on the same side.

No one on my flist is a raging racist a-hole homophobe sexist prig, but we've all been influenced by people who are. Some of those influences rub off and that's going to conflict. So let's hash it out.

That's all I want in life. And money.

[croupier]

I think bitching about the whitey comments was acting like a jerk, but stickykeys633's fuse is a lot longer and more graceful than mine. As a white person, I can get all het up about small instances of racism 'cause I don't have to live with it day in and day out. If a Black person got pissed every time a white person committed some (stupid but) minor infraction, Black people would never get anything done.

stickykeys633 is a lot nicer and more full of grace than I am. She doesn't suffer fools gladly, but she doesn't mind them too much. But I lasted about five minutes reading the comments on her other entry before my bitchslap hand just could not stay still.

[amani87]

I really don't get why it's so difficult for white people (or non-black people in general) to understand that "nigga" is NOT ABOUT THEM. It may stem from their actions, but ultimately, it's about...um, community? I can't think of the proper word, but I hope my point is getting across. It really bothers me when people are like, "Well, if blacks didn't use it, no one else would." First of all, that's a dirty lie. And second of all, it's a complete cop-out because people are entirely too simple-minded when it comes to race and its various implications, and don't seem to understand that the reason why some white people need to use that word is because they feel power slipping from them and they don't appreciate it at all. It really shouldn't be so difficult to understand why that word is off-limits.

[ronniebm]

It really bothers me when people are like, "Well, if blacks didn't use it, no one else would." First of all, that's a dirty lie. And second of all, it's a complete cop-out

Exactly, they would just find something else. It's so not about the word for them as much as it is an exercise of power.

[stickykeys633]

This is Stacey, I'm at my friend's house!

[croupier]

It really bothers me when people are like, "Well, if blacks didn't use it, no one else would." First of all, that's a dirty lie. And second of all, it's a complete cop-out because people are entirely too simple-minded when it comes to race and its various implications, and don't seem to understand that the reason why some white people need to use that word is because they feel power slipping from them and they don't appreciate it at all. It really shouldn't be so difficult to understand why that word is off-limits.

Just /hearts, for the win, truth, etc.

[xpashax]

I don't know which post it's more appropriate to respond to, so I'll just respond here

[stickykeys633]

This is my THIRD attempt to post this! The man is keeping me down! The man hates progress

[xpashax]

It can get overwhelming when lots of people start chiming in, for my own part I tend to avoid commenting on threads started by people not on my friends list in non-community journals because I can't be sure about their sencitivity or rationality. In any case I'll try to re-read the comments later to see what's been covered before responding further.

[stickykeys633]

I mention it only because there's some really great stuff in there. I also appreciate you taking time to comment and vent your concerns as well.

[kalbear]

It's about having some fucking respect and thinking of as people, not 'black people.' Which is a difference crackers will probably never learn or even ponder and I'm tired of even being irritated, let alone thinking you might actually, oh, I don't know, figure it out one day and treat us like normal human beings instead of museum exhibits or your one black friend or eggshells or all of the above.

Yeah, this argument still pisses me off. You might be generalizing cracker to mean 'all white people who are racist fucktards', but it still reads as 'all white people'. I'm not sure that any progress will be made, one way or another, while one asks for people to not see others as a race in one sentence while lumping everyone of one skin color together in the next.

[stickykeys633]

Yes, that's been addressed and I included that sentence specifically because it represents a paradox that really isn't there. I encourage you to read some of the comments, a lot has been addressed, specifically regarding that phrasing.

[kalbear]

I read the comments. I didn't see anything other than 'we're allowed to use racist slurs and you're not' which isn't what I'm talking about at all. You also mention that it might piss off some white people when you make these generalizations, but just think about how bad it is for the other folks. Well, okay, but that doesn't make it okay, does it?

Heck, in the comments I just got more mad. White people aren't as smart, they're clueless, they'll never understand, they're slow. How is this not racism? How is this not exactly what you're fighting against?

I'm talking about grouping anyone by the color of their skin and making sweeping generalizations. How can you not see that making generalizations about one race is going to influence a person to make generalizations in kind?

So yeah, I get what you're saying, and I've never really had a desire to say the n-word and am not asking why. I don't get why it's okay to non-jokingly say racial prejudices about anyone. More importantly, I don't understand how this at all helps racism.

ELJAY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE!

[stickykeys633]

I don't know what it is about replies to this entry! This is my 2nd attempt and dangit it better stick!

1. Read this: http://stickykeys633.livejournal.com/281603.html?thread=2321155#t2321155

2. Then read the edit on this (I don't know if you saw the edit): http://stickykeys633.livejournal.com/281603.html

3. A lot of comments are spoken in feelings. It's not necessarily the words that need to be read, but the sentiment underneath that needs to be understood.

It's hard to think about, but this is where we are. A lot of black people being pissed off and a lot of white people saying, "It's not fair that you're treating me this way just because of the color of my... oh."

It's a very cylon/humans era.
4. The main issue is that more and more white people are starting to see this as a non issue while more and more blacks are getting nonplussed about it. If the only reasoning for