Explain the N word - Page 2

On May 02 2012 11:34 dAPhREAk wrote:
only ignorant people use "nigger" to bm other people on the ladder. trying to understand their rationality behind using the word is an exercise in futility.

On May 02 2012 13:38 coZy wrote:
STOP. THIS. FUCKING. DISCUSSION. Holy shit, TL, really? We don't need 500,000 threads since 2010 about racism and thoughts on it. There's been plenty of things happening in the community (ie: orb incident, stuff with destiny), but who gives a fuck? We don't need all these fucking threads.

On May 02 2012 12:44 iTzSnypah wrote:
Nigger has degraded into just another worthless demeaning word ever since rap embraced it.

On May 02 2012 12:26 Kukaracha wrote:
And to those who believe they are just insults like any other, then how come you don't call people white? And doesn't the term nigger, for example, perpetrate through common vocabulary a certain idea of black people, instead of "diluting" it?

On May 02 2012 13:38 coZy wrote:
STOP. THIS. FUCKING. DISCUSSION. Holy shit, TL, really? We don't need 500,000 threads since 2010 about racism and thoughts on it. There's been plenty of things happening in the community (ie: orb incident, stuff with destiny), but who gives a fuck? We don't need all these fucking threads.

On May 02 2012 14:38 Jinsho wrote:
OP, you are a racist and a homophobe. By your personal admission. You are actually in full realization of this. You are self-faware.

So rather than go the final step and try not to be a racist and a homophobe, you get stuck in the details. You try to rationalize your own racism and homophobia as seen in your second paragraph : "racism is human nature as seen here here and here! and I think gays are feminine and we french have always called people dirty arabs so its ok to use as an insult!".

You try to then assume that everyone else is interested in discussing your -- frankly, stupid -- rationalizations, where in fact some common sense would tell you that there is absolutely never any reason or circumstance where homophobia or racism is alright at all, much less logical or justified.


This is mystifiying. Just go the final step and try to change yourself as a person rather than desperately trying not to get away from the status quo.

On May 02 2012 21:16 Mysti_ wrote:


I think you totally misunderstood the meaning of the word.

Nigger =/= "noir" in french, it's translation is "nègre". This word was used to denote slaves and imply that they are inferior to white people.

So when calling someone a nigger, the insult comes from the feeling of superiority the user wants to express by calling you inferior, not the skin color or geographic provenance. (Thats why they don't need to know you are black to call you nigger, the term has just evolved from a sole denomination of black people some centuries ago to an insult usable no matter the skin color.)

On May 02 2012 22:09 Kukaracha wrote:
But again, a "nègre" is a black person. Arab or white slaves weren't called "nègres". How is it OK to associate blacks with inferiority?
And if words are words, would you stay calm if I called your mother a "whore" in front of you?
I'm also curious at what would happen if I called people on the ladder "white boys", I might try that sometime.

On May 02 2012 22:35 Xiron wrote:


I'm german. People call me Nazi on the internet 24/7. Do I care? No. Should I care? No.
Do blacks care if random strangers call them niggers? No. Should they care? No.
Yes I would stay calm if you called my mother a whore. Why? Because it only shows your lack of respect, not that my mother is a whore.
That's just how it is. Insulting words don't mean anything to the one being insulted, but perfectly reflect on the one using them.

On May 02 2012 22:35 Xiron wrote:


I'm german. People call me Nazi on the internet 24/7. Do I care? No. Should I care? No.
Do blacks care if random strangers call them niggers? No. Should they care? No.
Yes I would stay calm if you called my mother a whore. Why? Because it only shows your lack of respect, not that my mother is a whore.
That's just how it is. Insulting words don't mean anything to the one being insulted, but perfectly reflect on the one using them.

On May 02 2012 11:44 Kukaracha wrote:
Well, what interests me more is the meaning behind it. Some people have defended the use of the word "nigger" because they claim they're angry and they don't "mean" it, but mean what? How is that word supposed to be offensive? You don't run around calling people "lamps", because being called a lamp is not particularly offensive. So what's the idea begind the N word? And if someone gives it such a meaning, doesn't it actually mean that they kind of think it's true?

I mean, I don't call people "black" as an insult, because that word is neutral for me. If it wasn't then it would mean I have a strong opinion about blacks in general, no?

On May 02 2012 19:00 FractalsOnFire wrote:
Words only have the power and meaning that you give it.

Racism is generally understood as either belief that different racial groups are characterized by intrinsic characteristics or abilities and that some such groups are therefore naturally superior to others [1][2] or as practices that discriminate against members of particular racial groups,[1] for example by perpetuating unequal access to resources between groups.[3]

The definition of racism is controversial both because there is little scholarly agreement about what the word "race" means, and because there is also little agreement about what does and doesn't constitute discrimination.