Why I Should Be Able To Drop The N-bomb
If you define racism as "treating people differently based on the colour of their skin" (and if you don't, then people who do probably think you're a racist), then you are stuck allowing everybody to say it, or allowing nobody to say it.
Still reading? That's it. That's the whole argument. Nothing else should need to be said on the subject, but in the interests of getting more specific and possibly more provocative, I'll elaborate:
For one thing, if we as a society believe in free speech, people should be allowed to speak without regard to whether or not they are racist. Moreover, if we as a society believe that a calm, pleasant, logical discussion should help people realize the errors of their ways, then people who are in fact racist should be encouraged to express what they believe, provided that they do it calmly and pleasantly. As for those that are not racist, why would we even consider censoring them? Consider this statement:
"Nigger is an example of a racial slur."
Now, although I'm sure there will be the occasional dissenter somewhere, HOPEFULLY everyone reading this can agree that what I just said is not, in fact, me being racist or inappropriate. A few notes to mention here:
1. It's wrapped in quotes, as if someone other than me said it and I'm only reproducing it in the interests of accuracy.
2. It's stated in a way that implies the speaker is not condoning the pejorative use of the word.
3. It's stated in a way that is not intended to express hatred.
I contend that any one of the above three descriptions should be enough to make the use of the word acceptable. Examples follow:
1. The head of the KKK said, and I quote, "All niggers should be burned."
2. The negative connotations of nigger began with a link to slavery.
For an example of 3, I'll use a story that happened to a friend of mine. My friend, a white, bald, Polish university student, was meeting a friend of his in a reggae bar. He walked in, saw his friend (who is also white), and affectionately yelled "hey, my nigga!" He then looked around the bar and noticed that the entire rest of the bar (black) was staring at him. One guy went so far as to walk over and say "don't EVER do that again".
Now, IF the guy lecturing my friend would allow black people to say it (a fairly safe bet), then he is being racist. If not, then at least he's not being racist, but I still think that happily allowing it is the healthier approach.
Also, a word to address a common argument against the use of this particular slur. The common argument says "White people have never been victims of systematic racism, so they can't understand what it's like to be black, and as such black people should get to determine how racial issues are dealt with." While it is of course true that black people should have input into how racial issues are dealt with, and that I have never been systematically subjugated in all walks of life, here are some questions to those that would buy into this argument:
1. What about women? Gays? Jews? They've certainly dealt with more than their share of bigotry. Are they qualified to understand what it's like to be black? Further, since I and many black people have never been female or gay or Jewish, does this mean that we do not get any say in how female or gay or religious issues are addressed?
2. Reversing the argument, one comes up with: Black people HAVE been in a position of subjugation, and as such cannot understand what it's like to be a member of a race that traditionally held all the power and is now looking for equal treatment including the usage of certain terms.
3. Under these conditions, what prevents black people from demanding whatever they want?
4. I have been blessed with the ability to extend, infer, and predict. Of course I'll occasionally make mistakes, and I'm happy to listen, but... I should be expected to try to imagine myself in that situation and treat those actually in it accordingly, not to avoid putting myself in their place because "I can't understand". Lack of understanding is one of the CAUSES of racism, so we shouldn't propagate it further.
Still reading? That's it. That's the whole argument. Nothing else should need to be said on the subject, but in the interests of getting more specific and possibly more provocative, I'll elaborate:
For one thing, if we as a society believe in free speech, people should be allowed to speak without regard to whether or not they are racist. Moreover, if we as a society believe that a calm, pleasant, logical discussion should help people realize the errors of their ways, then people who are in fact racist should be encouraged to express what they believe, provided that they do it calmly and pleasantly. As for those that are not racist, why would we even consider censoring them? Consider this statement:
"Nigger is an example of a racial slur."
Now, although I'm sure there will be the occasional dissenter somewhere, HOPEFULLY everyone reading this can agree that what I just said is not, in fact, me being racist or inappropriate. A few notes to mention here:
1. It's wrapped in quotes, as if someone other than me said it and I'm only reproducing it in the interests of accuracy.
2. It's stated in a way that implies the speaker is not condoning the pejorative use of the word.
3. It's stated in a way that is not intended to express hatred.
I contend that any one of the above three descriptions should be enough to make the use of the word acceptable. Examples follow:
1. The head of the KKK said, and I quote, "All niggers should be burned."
2. The negative connotations of nigger began with a link to slavery.
For an example of 3, I'll use a story that happened to a friend of mine. My friend, a white, bald, Polish university student, was meeting a friend of his in a reggae bar. He walked in, saw his friend (who is also white), and affectionately yelled "hey, my nigga!" He then looked around the bar and noticed that the entire rest of the bar (black) was staring at him. One guy went so far as to walk over and say "don't EVER do that again".
Now, IF the guy lecturing my friend would allow black people to say it (a fairly safe bet), then he is being racist. If not, then at least he's not being racist, but I still think that happily allowing it is the healthier approach.
Also, a word to address a common argument against the use of this particular slur. The common argument says "White people have never been victims of systematic racism, so they can't understand what it's like to be black, and as such black people should get to determine how racial issues are dealt with." While it is of course true that black people should have input into how racial issues are dealt with, and that I have never been systematically subjugated in all walks of life, here are some questions to those that would buy into this argument:
1. What about women? Gays? Jews? They've certainly dealt with more than their share of bigotry. Are they qualified to understand what it's like to be black? Further, since I and many black people have never been female or gay or Jewish, does this mean that we do not get any say in how female or gay or religious issues are addressed?
2. Reversing the argument, one comes up with: Black people HAVE been in a position of subjugation, and as such cannot understand what it's like to be a member of a race that traditionally held all the power and is now looking for equal treatment including the usage of certain terms.
3. Under these conditions, what prevents black people from demanding whatever they want?
4. I have been blessed with the ability to extend, infer, and predict. Of course I'll occasionally make mistakes, and I'm happy to listen, but... I should be expected to try to imagine myself in that situation and treat those actually in it accordingly, not to avoid putting myself in their place because "I can't understand". Lack of understanding is one of the CAUSES of racism, so we shouldn't propagate it further.
posted by Gideon Humphrey at 11:33 PM
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