Don't say the N-Word in Texas

[Quakindude]

Story.


Now here's the kicker. My wife and I have a couple that we've been best friends with for the last 12 years or so. The wife of this couple, Melissa, well, the Mayor in that story is her Dad. I've met him a couple of times, we spent one July 4th weekend camped out at a lake in Kentucky, and he's a pretty decent dude.

I don't agree with his stance on this simply because the last thing we need is more government, but I agree with the spirit in which he has made this decision. If government is going to make one word illegal to use as a racial slur, they should at least make ALL racial slurs illegal. However, the 1st Amendment will stop anything like this from ever becoming a law and if a local ordinance is enacted, it wouldn't stand in court if contested.

[Captain Crunch]

Dont even get me started............

[Jokerswild]

Just a waste of time other than to let people know how the law there feels about it. Besides whats offensive to one person is not necessarily offensive to another.

[Redleg]

Quote from story. "Under the proposed Brazoria ordinance, users of the N-word would be fined only if a complaint were filed against them, thus protecting those who think they are using the word as a term of endearment".

Say what??? "Term of endearment"??? So it's ok for one black person to call another black person this, and it isn't offensive??? I'm sorry, but the N-word is offensive no matter who says it. I agree with Bishop Ricky Jones. It is a loophole, the way it's put out in the story.

While the Mayor should be given credit for trying to clean things up, he stopped a bit short in the writing of the ordinance. He should have had it include any and all offensive words. I imagine there are more Mexicans and Mexican-Americans living in Brazoria, than there are blacks anyway, so is there an ordinance against using the S-word, or W-word toward them? I doubt it.

And, what about all the White people living there? is/or will there be an ordinance written against all the white "terms of endearment" we have been called? I doubt it.

As I said earlier, I'm sure the Mayor means well, but he stopped short in the ordinance. I think this will do nothing more than open another can of worms.

Just my $.02

Redleg

[Quakindude]

Redleg, that's exactly what my wife told Melissa on the phone about it. And Melissa agrees! It shouldn't be about just one word, Honky, White Bread, Wonder Bread, Cracker....any and all of them should be included when using any word as a derogatory slur. No matter who says it.

The thing is, my daughter had a lot of friends over here a couple months back for a "Study Party". About 8 kids including my daughter. One of them said to another, "That teacher is whack ma nigga." One black kid to another. I asked them what made it OK for them to use that term in public, and in mixed company, when i don't tolerate it from my friends or family in any form. The kid told me this:

"Nigga between two black people is a term of endearment. It's when someone puts the "er" on there that it becomes offensive. Even among the Black population."

Now I grew up in East Point, Ga. Spent some of my childhood in Texas, but the majority in East Point. My sister, brother and I made up 75% of the white population at our school. A good friend of mine, still today as a matter of fact, is named Marty. Marty told me when we were kids that dark skinned blacks are racist against lighter skinned blacks. And he still tells me today not to refer to him as African-American. He says that is some politically correct term some idiot came up with and if anything, to call him a Proud Black American.

So the intricacies of the terminology(ies) are somewhat lost on me, but I find it interesting from a cultural point of view.

[garetjax]

Originally Posted by Quakindude

"Nigga between two black people is a term of endearment. It's when someone puts the "er" on there that it becomes offensive. Even among the Black population."

This holds true. I have spoken about this to several black friends of mine and was told the same thing.

[wtcnbrwndo4u]

Same. I was told that it's your basic meaning of friend or buddy.

Lol, the kicker is that I actually use it regardless of me being brown... but I say it to other brown people so no one else actually hears me use it.

[Capper]

Originally Posted by garetjax

This holds true. I have spoken about this to several black friends of mine and was told the same thing.

Originally Posted by wtcnbrwndo4u

Same. I was told that it's your basic meaning of friend or buddy.

Lol, the kicker is that I actually use it regardless of me being brown... but I say it to other brown people so no one else actually hears me use it.

Well, we'll end up closing this thread I'm sure, but I have to say that if the word is so offensive, no one should be using it. Minorities are so completely out of touch, for things people we don't know and have never heard of, did 150200 years ago......I think its time for the PC police to get in touch with reality.

[wtcnbrwndo4u]

True. People use that word for friend and all and also see it offensive, but other words like say "twinkie" for an Asian person aren't as bad. It's just this word in specific.

But banning the word would be defying basic rights.

[Capper]

I just think that as a society, we are out of control with the laws and corrupt people telling us whats right or wrong.....this isn't even the stupidest law I've seen today.....California is trying to push an anti-spanking law, that says you can be arrested and your child taken away if you spank him/her in public.