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What's up with the N word? Keep it out of the Podium please.

12,738 11,124 July 20, 2012 at 06:48 PM in Question
It really bothers me when black people or for that matter anyone uses the N word.

I was walking into Wal-Mart today, when I passed a group of five young black kids. All I heard was N this and you F-ing N. More then once in the short time it took me to get out of ear shot of them.

My question is if it is an offensive word for a white person to say it, what makes it less offensive for a black person to use it?

If I would have been walking past them with some of my white friends and called one of them a N In front of them, I would more then likely would have had to defend myself.
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> bubble2 54,921 Posts
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finzz2dlft
07-20-2012 at 07:36 PM.
07-20-2012 at 07:36 PM.
My thoughts: teenagers like to shock people, get away with whatever they can, and say and do things that other age groups do not usually say or do. Also, when in a group *and the larger the group, the more this happens* kids will act rowdier and say and do things that they usually don't when by themselves or with just one ot two other friends. Hopefully the kids you saw today, Cupcake, were just kids being kids. When I was a teen, my friends and I used to like to say things to push peoples buttons too. Loudly and in earshot of adults. We wanted attention, good or bad.
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gunnerusa
07-20-2012 at 07:42 PM.
07-20-2012 at 07:42 PM.
Quote from cupcake42 :
My question is if it is an offensive word for a white person to say it, what makes it less offensive for a black person to use it?
You're fooling yourself if you think that context is irrelevant.
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> bubble2 12,738 Posts
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Original Poster
cupcake42
07-20-2012 at 07:44 PM.
07-20-2012 at 07:44 PM.
Well Finzz, It's not only young black people I hear use it. I also hear adults throw that word around too. I'm white and it offends me that it's a one way street. Not that I would ever use it, but It should have the same meaning no matter who uses it!

But I do agree with your point too. Hug2
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Iaaaiws
07-20-2012 at 07:45 PM.
07-20-2012 at 07:45 PM.
Quote from gunnerusa :
You're fooling yourself if you think that context is irrelevant.
Exactly what context would make the use of that word acceptable?
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cupcake42
07-20-2012 at 07:46 PM.
07-20-2012 at 07:46 PM.
Quote from gunnerusa :
You're fooling yourself if you think that context is irrelevant.
Context has nothing to do with it! It is an offensive word!
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Last edited by cupcake42 July 20, 2012 at 07:51 PM.
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gunnerusa
07-20-2012 at 07:52 PM.
07-20-2012 at 07:52 PM.
Quote from cupcake42 :
Context has nothing to do with it! It is a offensive word!
Once I got into an argument with a female friend of mine. I said something like "Girls always do this." She got mad, saying that it was improper to use the word "girls" to describe adult women. I explained that context was everything. Would she rather be called "a fun girl," or "a fun woman?" Technically, she was correct that an adult female should be called a woman. But in context, the word "girl" is preferable because it implies youthful vitality, while "woman" implies age.

Context was everything.
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cupcake42
07-20-2012 at 08:01 PM.
07-20-2012 at 08:01 PM.
Quote from gunnerusa :
Once I got into an argument with a female friend of mine. I said something like "Girls always do this." She got mad, saying that it was improper to use the word "girls" to describe adult women. I explained that context was everything. Would she rather be called "a fun girl," or "a fun woman?" Technically, she was correct that an adult female should be called a woman. But in context, the word "girl" is preferable because it implies youthful vitality, while "woman" implies age.

Context was everything.
Not in this case, because there is no correct context for that word!Nono1
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finzz2dlft
07-20-2012 at 08:05 PM.
07-20-2012 at 08:05 PM.
Quote from gunnerusa :
Once I got into an argument with a female friend of mine. I said something like "Girls always do this." She got mad, saying that it was improper to use the word "girls" to describe adult women. I explained that context was everything. Would she rather be called "a fun girl," or "a fun woman?" Technically, she was correct that an adult female should be called a woman. But in context, the word "girl" is preferable because it implies youthful vitality, while "woman" implies age.

Context was everything.

Seems to me like you were generalizing and stereotyping. And then to kick in the part about girls being "youthful and vital" and women being "aged"...well....if I were your friend during that conversation, I would have been mad at you too.
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cupcake42
07-20-2012 at 08:12 PM.
07-20-2012 at 08:12 PM.
Quote from finzz2dlft :
Seems to me like you were generalizing and stereotyping. And then to kick in the part about girls being "youthful and vital" and women being "aged"...well....if I were your friend during that conversation, I would have been mad at you too.
You young whippersnapper. Blowkiss
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gunnerusa
07-20-2012 at 08:20 PM.
07-20-2012 at 08:20 PM.
Quote from finzz2dlft :
Seems to me like you were generalizing and stereotyping. And then to kick in the part about girls being "youthful and vital" and women being "aged"...well....if I were your friend during that conversation, I would have been mad at you too.
Wink

Perhaps, but when I explained things to other female friends later on, all of them admitted that they would rather be called "a fun girl" than "a fun woman." Smilie

I don't make the rules...I just enforce 'em! worship
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SlickChik
07-20-2012 at 08:22 PM.
07-20-2012 at 08:22 PM.
I don't get it, but it is not my culture so I just try not to judge others by my definitions of what people should and shouldn't say.
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cupcake42
07-20-2012 at 08:24 PM.
07-20-2012 at 08:24 PM.
Quote from SlickChik :
I don't get it, but it is not my culture so I just try not to judge others by my definitions of what people should and shouldn't say.
True true, but IMO somethings are just wrong.
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SlickChik
07-20-2012 at 08:27 PM.
07-20-2012 at 08:27 PM.
Quote from cupcake42 :
True true, but IMO somethings are just wrong.
I get that, too. Smilie Cultural differences can cause clashes for sure.
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TigerStar
07-20-2012 at 08:28 PM.
07-20-2012 at 08:28 PM.
Quote from SlickChik :
I don't get it, but it is not my culture so I just try not to judge others by my definitions of what people should and shouldn't say.
I'm white. If I say it's my 'culture' to call women cats, does that make it okay?

I didn't post the cat word, I used the c.u. word.
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Joined Jan 2009
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cupcake42
07-20-2012 at 08:29 PM.
07-20-2012 at 08:29 PM.
Quote from TigerStar :
I'm white. If I say it's my 'culture' to call women cats, does that make it okay?

I didn't post the cat word, I used the c.u. word.
EEK!
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