Originally posted by lucasetor
I fail to see your argument here spurs4life. Because black people call each other nigger doesnt mean a thing in the ocntext of Ron calling Desailly one. Are u trying to say Ron thinks he is black (maybe becasue he hung out with three of them on his team)? I myself have a problem with other black people I meet referring to me as nigga (note the difference nigger/nigga), how much more a white person. Im sure u are not trying so say that because rappers use in reference to each other white people should have the same right. However, if u insist they should then they could use it in reference to other white folk, because black people do not use it when talking to white or asian people. I am not trying to say there are no exceptions because I have friends here whose white friends use the word with them but with no one else. The word is a form of brotherhood and endearment. It denotes someone who is down with your way of doing things. This came about because historically black people have been maligned and as such not been a part of the mainstram culture. The word nigger was taken and converted to mean something more positive. Every other black person was stuck in the same struggle. Normally when a white person uses the word with a black person its because that black person is certain that he sees eye to eye with him just as he woul d with another black person. Also, here in the US Latinos and blacks call each other nigga (Jennifer Lopez even used it in a song and got away with it). I live in Minneapolis and I hear Hmong kids call themselves and other minority kids nigaa. My understanding is, the term nigga is now a statement by many minority youth who feel outkast from the dominant white culture. I also find it disturbing that white kids feel left out with the use of this word. Ive heard many say: I dont think its fair that we cant use the word and others can. The plain fact is they cant use the word because it is offensive to everyone else when they do. Why? Because, historically, it meant no-good, lazy, dirty, non-human, less-than-an-animal, only-good-for-work, thing. And as long as people like Ron Atkinson exist to this day, and that word being used by a white person can carry the same malice it once did, its going to be hard for a white person to use the word and get away with it. Now, i a feel its better to be safe than sorry.
Another point is a black person will say "whats up nigga?" But not " you lazy fat nigga" that would be an insult, and believe me when a black person insults another using the word nigger anywhere in the sentence its a huge deal. The only difference here is it wont be seen as racist (duh).
I know it isnt customary to call black people niggers where u are from, i was just trying to differentiate between calling someone a black or white cu..t and calling someone a ........ nigger.