I think it is because we constantly hear it in music, movies, and everyday life. If it is heard we learn to want to say, its human nature. Not to say that I want to say it but others would. If it so offensive for one group yet they say it themselves then why say it in the first place? No need to downvote I'll be happy to hear anyone out.
I mean if you really feel down or left out because you can't use the N-word then maybe you're the one with a problem, I'm white and I really don't feel the need to go dropping N bombs now and then, and it doesn't bother me at all when black people say it. I don't ever feel the need to say Fag but I'm fine with gay guys saying it. It's really not that big of a deal
Oh, I agree with you 100%. It's silly that people want to say it; it's like some forbidden fruit and they get all mad and start spouting of stupid justifications for why they should.
Even if we put aside the very unique history of that word, and the relationship between whites and blacks in American history- there’s a really simple reason “you” can’t say it. A Chinese guy can use “racially offensive” language in a joking, neutral, or friendly way to another Chinese guy because... both are Chinese. Latino, etc etc. because even if they don’t know each other- even if a listener doesn’t know them- the default assumption is that it is 99% not going to be coming from a place of racism. A white guy can similarly make offensive but like meaning non hostile racial comments to a friend of a given race because that friend understand it isn’t coming from a place of racism so long as whatever “line” isn’t crossed.
But the same Korean who calls his black friend a certain racial name of stereotype amongst them, or the white guy who uses such language with his Muslim friend- generally knows they any go around saying that to every person of that race because not all of them will understand that they’re joking and know that they have close ties to that community.
Now- in THEORY, in “happy hug world” where there’s no dark humor or sarcasm or negativity- none of us would ever use offensive language. Sure. One might say “then why can people who aren’t white make fun of whites?” Well- on the surface and in concept that’s a valid point. But- put simply- whites are the majority population in the western world, and make up the majority of the richest people on earth. Both the Uber rich as well as the “developed country middle class rich that in the under developed world is rich but is maybe even poor in their country” rich.
So when we look only at the present and not history- we can still see that when a majority group in power “picks on” a minority, that is distinctively different than the opposite. Or we can use math. If every minority group in America made fun of white people at once or used a slur like “cracker,” you’d have about 32 million people insulting about 290 million. If every white person did the same to every minority, you’d have 290 million sluring 32 million. Simple math tells us the damage 32 million can do to 290 million is far less than the damage 290 million can do to 32 million.
You can say whatever word when the following happens:
- US and UK police stop treating all black folks they find suspicious as killers;
- US and UK stop find almost every black folks suspicious;
- wendont have a black homeless mother getting 10 years in jail because she enrolled her daughter in her brothers address, while white actresses do worse and get a week;
- we have an equal number of black millionaires;
- we have an equal number of black university professors;
- we have an equal number of black elected politicians;
- we dont have a new case of Barbecue Becky in at least 10 years;
- people understand how institutionalize racism set black families to failure for centuries, and fail to see how their ascension into society is severely crippled;
- white folks stop asking to be able to use the N word because they think it's fun.
Well said. The only exception I take is with your use of the word “equal,” such as “an equal number of black millionaires.” Equivalent I would agree with, proportional I would agree with. “Equal” carries tones or forced inequity. In America for example, 14% or so of the population is black. That would mean if we raised the number of black millionaires to equal that of all other races combined- you’d end up with a scenario where we have a larger percent of the black community living as millionaires. Black millionaires aren’t a bad thing- but a system with such wildly disproportionate privilege drawn on race is broken. It’s what we have now just trading who is benefiting.
In other words, a disproportionate number of whites have privileges others don’t at all or have fewer of. Only a few years ago over 90% of tv show stars were white. That doesn’t represent our world. However if we made 90% of tv show stars black, that would still not represent our world fairly. Not to mention that it still would exclude people of color and other races which aren’t “black” or “white” who are left to divide up the other 10%, which is problematic since “Hispanic/Latino” is a major percent of minorities in America along with “Asian/Pacific Islander.” So instead of just passing the Barton for who gets to sit at the top, personally I’d like to see things like jobs and media brought to a point where they better represent the make up of our society, and change along with that make up, with many predictions showing “non whites” will surpass 50% of the population within the next lifetime.
You've seen those headlines "Black people should get their own (blank)"
- US and UK police stop treating all black folks they find suspicious as killers;
- US and UK stop find almost every black folks suspicious;
- wendont have a black homeless mother getting 10 years in jail because she enrolled her daughter in her brothers address, while white actresses do worse and get a week;
- we have an equal number of black millionaires;
- we have an equal number of black university professors;
- we have an equal number of black elected politicians;
- we dont have a new case of Barbecue Becky in at least 10 years;
- people understand how institutionalize racism set black families to failure for centuries, and fail to see how their ascension into society is severely crippled;
- white folks stop asking to be able to use the N word because they think it's fun.