Preview

Why People Use The N Word

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
500 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why People Use The N Word
In today's generation, people so loosely use the word that is demeaning and caused so much hurt in the past. It is amazing that people have selective amnesia and conveniently forget that the N-word brought among hurt, confusion, death and betrayal. Now people are trying to say that the N-word can be used as a word of endearment, a word that sets apart an enemy from a foe. Of course depending on the tone and nature that the term is spoken in. I have been deeply offended and distraught at the thought that this word could be used in any way uplifting. So many people died not be called that word and now so many people thrive and look forward to being labeled such a terrible word. I have also come to the realization that people that use the …show more content…
Accepted by the same people that are on the streets hustling, living paycheck to paycheck. Spending their time killing and fighting versus trying to execute change. I found myself asking those that use the N-word freely how actively involved in the 2008 presidential election they are. Not to my surprise, many people don't even know the full names of the respective candidates, let alone their stands or beliefs. The N-word should not be used by anyone. But how do we get past the word if it is so accepted and so actively used in all forms of entertainment and media. I await the day when this generation, as well as generations preceding, realize the true meaning and the true effect that the N-word had on the lives of so many great people that have gone on. So many people that risked their lives to be called by their government, family given names gone down the drain. Do we let those people's legacy and fight go down the drain, simply because we'd rather use a demeaning slang term? Regardless to race or color, the term should not be used. It is even more a slap in the face to our ancestors when it is used by those of the African-American distinction. The use of the word is disrespectful and should be banned from the minds and vocabulary of people of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Post civil rights movement blacks took the word from racists by changing it from nigger to nigga. Nigga is supposed to mean friend. The word was supposedly reinvented and meant something entirely different. People were just conforming with each other and lost their way when they came up with this. Then blacks took pride in being “niggas”, a variation of a word they just spent generations fighting. “Nigger” oppressed black people for hundreds of years, people died fighting against that slur, just because an ‘A’ was added at the end, and all of a sudden it’s…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    People of different races use the word “nigga”—especially the younger generation of the America—however, using either n-word is still very offensive to people of all races. For instance, Tehran Von Ghasri, an African-American actor, said, “I’m still uncomfortable with [a] white guy saying, ‘You’re cool nigga.’ But in 25 years, I would hope that my kid’s not uncomfortable—because that white guy wouldn’t mean it in a demeaning, degrading way.” What Ghasri’s sentiments about the use of “nigga” by non-blacks reveal is that some African-Americans are still ambivalent about its use outside of the black community. By Von Ghasri explaining how he does not feel comfortable being called “nigga,” clearly illustrates the negative connotation of the word…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Nigga Please Summary

    • 431 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Moreover, our nature born instincts tend to do things that are banned so even if we are banning people from saying the word, they will continue to use it more often. Continually, he also points out why Black people can be the biggest perpetrators of white supremacy. In reality, I also see a lot of African-Americans call each other "niggers" more than any other ethics and rappers usually include the n-word in songs more often than white rappers. Since many Black people are saying the word, non-black people must have thought that why would they say it even though they know its history, gradually it becomes an excuse for non-black people to say it too, but with a wicked mind. By that reason, I do agree with his statement," We become the victim of it and the perpetrators of it at the same damn…

    • 431 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    has taken on different forms. While it is still clearly considered an insult to end all insults by the majority…

    • 315 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In this cartoon, Mike Luckovich is referring to the controversial use of the word “nigger” within Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Luckovich wants his audience to note the changes in the meaning of the “n-word” over time. In the early 19th century, the “n-word” was a common term used to identify an African American. In today’s society, this word can often be heard throughout pop culture and rap lyrics, which is why the young boy has mistakenly referred to Mark Twain as one of the great “gangsta rappers.” However, Luckovich uses this scenario to indirectly explain that since the “n-word” is considered an acceptable identification of an African American in modern music, why should it not be allowed within Twain’s work?…

    • 143 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    “Nigger” is closely associated with slavery and the mistreatment of African Americans. Slaves date back to a very long time ago. In the Slavery throughout History: Almanac, on page 2-3, the almanac says, “Historians believe it [slavery] happened around 10,000 years ago.” Slaves in that time were prisoners of war tamed like wild beasts. Then in 3500 B.C.E., a new form of slavery called debt slavery was used and often led to lifelong imprisonment (Sylvester 2-3). After that, the slave trade came along and humans were being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean producing…

    • 1533 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although many African Americans support the use of the word "nigger" in certain circumstances, the mass majority of African Americans who lived in the times where whites used the word in order to degrade African Americans would passionately believe that the word "nigger" should be eliminated from all forms of language. Gloria Naylor clearly states her stance on the issue in "The Meanings of a Word" when she writes, "The people in my grandmother's living room took a word that whites used to signify worthlessness or degradation and rendered it impotent" (68). Consequently, people should never use the word "nigger" because not only does it represent shamefulness, but also the word can serve as a double standard when non-blacks say it.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What most critics today have an issue with is the infamous “N-word”, which at the time was commonplace language for white people in speaking to their black slaves. Some critics in the south were greatly upset by the way that Mark Twain portrayed them, and they thought he made them look bad. I’d like to remind them that the book is meant to be fiction, although it may attempt to portray American life realistically. I think that people everywhere already know and should accept the fact that the word was used, and just be thankful at how our civilization has progressed over the years. We can’t ignore that the language exists and was used the way it…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck Finn Research Paper

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Ernest Hemingway once said that “all modern American literature come from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn” (Flood 1). Therefore, removing or replacing the n-word in the novel would make it viable to do so for all classic American literature containing the word. However, setting that example only leads to major problems. Removing or replacing the n-word could distort the history in a novel and in the case of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it could incorrectly portray a vital…

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tropic Thunder Analysis

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The reason being that it comes with too big of a price and would be useless as a permanent solution. Bauer discusses the aftermath of Rahm Emanuel’s use of the R-word being that government fought to remove the term “mental retardation” from government agencies and state codes.They used this to contrast the origins of the word’s use, to convey dignity and respect. Their argument being that no matter how many times we purge words with negative connotations and replace them, taboos would just materialize once more, as can be seen in the replacement of the word idiot. Bauer also said that if a word is too stigmatized people develop what she calls a “word fetish”. This phenomena is backed by the writings of Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy, making it credible information. The example provided to back both claims was the case of David Howard nearly being fired for using the word “niggardly”. Overall Bauer’s evidence for this claim support her arguments well. She makes it clear that restrictions on speech create needless taboos and government restriction.…

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I see it happen every day. People in the hallways yell out mean words to other people. There are some teens that call their friends the “n word”, that is another name for African Americans, to people that aren’t even of that color. Racial issues in the US are becoming a big deal now because of immigration laws and past events such as slavery. “Racism is very touchy to some people. Some even argue about supporting racism” (article). When Obama was elected president, there were many racial comments. "The anger wasn 't only about President Obama and his re-election," said Keisha Bentley-Edwards, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies race, adolescence and academic and social development. "It was overall frustration at the emerging power of diverse people in this country”…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Should cussing be socially acceptable or should it remain offensive among present day society? In the article “Cuss Time” by author Jill McCorkle she proposes that cussing should be acceptable in moderation. The article speaks of how it restricts freedom of expression and takes away from thoughts. But that simply cannot be the case though as cuss words really don’t have a place in society now and have never had one before. Society should refrain from repulsive language as it is not acceptable in most environments, it hinders your linguistic ability, although some people argue that it has certain benefits.…

    • 1165 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analyzing White America

    • 437 Words
    • 2 Pages

    After viewing "Analyzing White America" by Paul Mooney, I was initially taken aback by the content. I never expected the rawness that Mooney brought to the stage and he hit the ground running with such a tone without looking back. A lot of the material made me laugh or at the very least smile because i found it to be identifiable with my own life and some of the surroundings that I was brought up in. The part that I found most amusing was Mooney's suggestion that white people were happier before slavery was abolished. I believe racism is very much present in today's world. When I was growing up, I can recall plenty of neighborhoods in my hometown that were considered "white" or even "black" for that matter. In these neighborhoods, if you were not from that part of town, you were not considered welcomed there. Any parts of the film that I did not laugh at, there was no particular reason other than I simply was not amused by the material because there were not any parts that I found personally offensive. I feel as though the word "nigger" is so controversial solely because of it's history and the origin of it's meaning. This word was meant to degrade and disparage African Americans when it was originated.Today, people use the term in a different context. The new meaning is one of affection but with it's use comes this unwritten rule that white people are prohibited from saying it. I never could wrap my mind fully around the idea that I can say the word "nigga" in reference to a friend of mine but a white kid was not allowed to use it, in the same context, all because we are of different races. In my opinion, it's not right for either myself or a white person to use the word in any context. In today's society, everything is just as much about race as it was in the days of slavery. The only difference between now and then is that openly addressing the issues that we, as a culture, all have with race is socially unacceptable. Mooney's antics on stage were…

    • 437 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    This is just not true because although the “N” word is a very racist term, To Kill a Mockingbird is about racial injustice and dealing with racism. It uses the “N” word in a very real sense. The “N” word today is still used negatively and children should know the significance of that word. High Schoolers today are living in a time where there are a lot of issues involving racial discrimination and there are a lot of movements for Black lives regarding police…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Essay On Racial Slurs

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The word nigga and nigger are both words that I do not care to say or hear. I have been raised up around the word nigga all my life and it still has not made the list of my normal words to describe someone in a good way. While at the same time, the word nigger is used by other race to degrade an individual within the black race. My mind would not let me separate the two from being negative so I do not care to use or hear them. I do not like…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays