Doublethink rules as Dr. Laura Schlessinger is vilified for saying the word that makes rapper Snoop Dogg a millionaire
Posted by AWB in Politically Incorrect, PoliticsGuest post by Dean Robinson
Dr. Laura Schlessinger has announced that she will stop doing her national radio show once her contract is up, due to the fallout from her discussion with a black woman caller about the so-called “N-word,” otherwise known as “nigger.”
Nigger is just a word. People should not be afraid of words. Only cowards are afraid of words.
Only cowards are afraid of nigger.
Just say the word about a dozen times. Rest assured, it will lose its alleged “power.” It has no power. It is simply a collection of letters.
A person can use the exact same letters to spell the word “ginger.” Where there is ginger there is nigger. According to some, that means the word “ginger” will need to be outlawed. While we are at it, we may as well make the word “nickers” a crime because it sounds too much like “nigger.” Well, maybe black people will be allowed to say “nickers.”
Of course, anyone can say “the N-word” because that only makes listeners see and hear the word in their minds. No one has to soil his mouth with the vile bile of a word.
Or course, in a matter of time “the N-word” will be made illegal because is supposedly means “nigger” … unless you are talking about Nabisco or Navistar.
Are you getting this, people?
As a black man, I agree with Dr. Laura on the split-minded matter of the word “nigger” being reserved for use by a particular race. Allowing one race to engage in behavior while vilifying another race for doing the exact same thing IS racism.
Dr. Laura says that black comics on HBO use the word nigger all the time — and she is absolutely correct. Just listen to a Chris Rock or Katt Williams show. Rappers like Snoop Dogg, Ice-T, Eve and Dr. Dre use the word “nigger” all the time in their COMMERCIAL ART, largely marketed to children, teens and young adults.
This situation is completely ridiculous. Why is it okay for black people to say nigger — black entertainers use the word in public forums all the time — but when a white person like Dr. Laura says it, Hawaii state lawmaker John Mizuno decides to introduce legislation that makes saying the word nigger a crime. Combine that with the 2009 federal Hate Crime Prevention Act — named after murder victims Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. — and Snoop Dogg’s next “Still Smoking” live concert in Honolulu may be a federal crime.
Dr. Laura was being naive when she expressed her notion that racism in the U.S. would disappear with the election of Barack Obama, America’s black AND white president. That concept is hopefully (or hopelessly) silly. That does not make Dr. Laura a racist. A rational conversation about words does not make Dr. Laura a racist.
Brian Maloney, The Radio Equalizer, is on top of the Dr. Laura story. Check out the story here .
Dean Robinson
Summit City Noise
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Political correctness will be the undoing of us all! What other words will our PC overlords deem to be illegal next? Everyone needs to watch Blazing Saddles from 1973 and learn how to laugh at the ridiculousness of this race crap. There is only one race, the human race. What ever happened to "sticks and stones will break my bones but, words will never hurt me"? It is a sad time…..
Dan, I think this blog needs to be much more niggardly in your use of the n-word. As a member of a minority myself (1/16 Cherokee) I can only imagine the great pain of such taunts as Siouxy Q and Injun Jim.
That said, I double dog dare Turkette to type the n-word in six letters himself. I will, in fact, buy him lunch if he does. Really, scout's honor, no Indian giving to be done. (Sorry, no alchohol, but we can smokem the K2 pipe afterwards and hit the casino)
Context matters, and there is a differnece in how this word can be used at times. For example, if two black people were arguing and one of them called the other a nigger, I believe that would be substantially different than if a white person and a black person were arguing and the white person called the black person this. I know that a lot of white people complain that it is not fair that blacks should be able to use a word that whites can't, but there really is a major difference here. I also think this different standard is applied fairly when it comes to it's use in comedy routines. Basically, it's as simple as the difference between saying "us (any offensive term)" and "you (any offensive term.)"
That being said, I think that to prohibit the use of this word in intellectual discussions (such as Dr. Schlessinger's discussion and this particular post) serves no purpose other than to inhibit knowledge and understanding. It makes about as much sense as saying "The Nazis were so evil that we will prohibit people from ever talking about them or what they did."
Context is important but Dean know's that the use of the word between people with dark skin is a cultural thing. People need to face the truth that black and white cultures are not the same. It's not politally correct to say so but it is the truth nonetheless. In fact, it's one of the most difficult issues biracial families have to overcome.
Thanks, Dean.
Shel is right.
They really are 2 different cultures.
A white man can't refer to a black man as a nigger without causing problems.
But, most white men don't raise as large of a problem when a black man calls them cracker, or honky or any other derogatory term that may be out there.
There are a lot of fine black and white people in northern Indiana.
But there are also a lot of prejudiced people of all colors too.
Plus face it, there is people of trash in every color and culture around.
Just my $0.02
Ransom back here, speaking for the people of the wind.
Why is it that sports teams using Redman monikers must be purged, but such icons as The Vikings, the Fightin' Irish and Spartans or Trojans?
As a Cherokee descendant I want to say that any of you can call me "brave" "war chief" or even "raging injun" — won't bother me one whit.
Oh, and I have never figured out what a cracker or honky really is, so call me that as well.
And "dawg" — that does not bother me either.
Just don't call me late for supper.
Or make me walk from Georgia to Oklahoma again.
There is no such thing as white culture. There is no such thing as black culture. White is not a race. Black is not a race. "White" people are not the same color as snow. Black people are not the same color as ink (black ink, that is).
Discussing race in terms of black and white is stupid, which is why there is rarely any wisdom to be found in such a discussion. Only confusion will reign in that conversation.
Let's face it, people: we are all in this together.
I note that the cracker running AWB passed on the double dog dare and refuses to type the n-word. He instead retained a black proxy to make the argument. (And it was a good attempt, Dean) God call by AWB. If Dr. Laura had shown such restraint she would still be dispensing caustic scoldings to the loverlorn on national radio. So here is the question yet remaining … is the double standard on that word justified? I say yes, it is. That word, like it or not, has become one of the “badges and incidents of slavery” referenced in the 13th Amendment. It has also become a code among the descendants of slaves for “we share a common history.” That renders it rare among the lexicon of words. Chris Rock can use it and Dr. Laura cannot because Rock’s ancestors paid the price while Dr. Laura’ ancestors likely owned shares in the slavers ships. Political humor (and racial humor is ever political) in America is potent stuff. Humor, American style, is also self-predicating. If I use cracker to describe Turkette it is self-predicating since he and I share similar melatonin levels. If I use the n-word it is not self-predicating. Not funny. Politically incorrect, but in this case probably rightly so.
Think about it….What was Dr. Laura arguing, at bottom? “Hey, Chris Rock gets to say the n-word and so I demand the right to say the n-word!” Really, Dr., do you really want to say the n-word all that bad? If so then you might have issues.
Dr. Laura says she is quitting her radio show to enjoy the right to say what she wants to about America and Americans. I wish her only the best, but advise her to stick to “Jewish American Princess” jokes if she hits the stand up comedy circuit. (Even if she disavows that ancestry)
Finally, I have to apologize to the spirit of my grandfather’s grandfather for one of my previous posts. The Trail of Tears was no small thing. Yet it, the spoils of war, carries much less stigma 140 years after the fact than does slavery. Could it be that claims of “I own you” assaults human dignity even more than “I banish you?” Yes, for war is more dignified than race based slavery.
To my Cherokee ancestors I dedicate this fine tune ( The Howling) from another descendant of the Nations, Rich Mullins (RIP)
: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-asSZM919c
oops, make that "self-deprecating" (as in color me stoopid)
Dean:
Kudos on one of the BEST observations of this seemingly endless "debate"…well said!
Shel & BuscoPat:
I wouldn't term this as "cultural" per se, but rather a SUB-culture.
(of our unique AMERICAN culture)
ANd within this "sub-culture" is it's OWN value system, rules, verbage, nuances, etc.
THAT is what presents the problems.
Good point made, Phil
Thanks, Dean.
The WTC mosque proposers would do well to learn from Dr. Laura's rant and the resulting brouhaha. The n-word still rubs raw a group of people decades after the civil rights movement. While 9/11 was a single decade ago, mosque proponents appear blind to New York City's still gaping wound.
Both are perfectly within their 1st Amendment rights, and yet public outcry demands a different course. In other words, just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Dr. Laura got the message. Can the same be said for the mosque proponents?
Has anyone seen the South Park episode where Randy was the N-word guy, for saying it on TV?
Those writers nail the way things are.
This argument on the use of the N-Word is more about degrading an African-Americans by using the word. The word is inflammatory. I argue that educational level of many "Black" comedians has limited their black consciousness. Some use it as a shock value, but that does not mean that it is accepted within the African-American community.
Some "Black" continue to use the word because they are posturing themselves amongs their peers, and others because they are limited in their choice of words. But, you can tell when you are in an acceptable group of folks of the N-Word, when you can get away with using it more than once in a conversation.
Dr. Laura, blew it when she publicly used the word to a diverse audience. Dr. Laura was about to lose advertising dollars. No one is stopping Dr. Laura from continuing to use the N-Word but she WILL NOT BE ON ANYBODIES RADIO SHOW using the N-Word if she wants to keep her sponsors.
I would love to see AWB write an article (as some other posters have posted out) on this hateful word if he truly believes that it is a first amendment right.
Jacqui,
It is a first amendment right to use the n-word, at least this week. Hates Crimes could criminalize it next week, but I doubt it. My point is making the call to the angry white boy that you echoed was not against a constitutional framework, as you seem to argue, it is against a civilized framework, as you likewise argue.
Just 'case it is not PC does not make it wrong. And … just 'cause it is PC does not always make it right. But in this case the PC position is the best position, at least given the history and for whitebreads like me. It is PC for crackers like me, Dan and Laura to never use the n-word. Righly so I say, as, it seems, does the management here at AWB.
All of that said, should the community of color, and especially the most fair minded among them, demand that all stop use of that word, lest we have a generation of African American kids still labeling each other as slaves while those confused white children who join in the name calling are sent to Room 101 to have their minds scrubbed?
What say you on that, Jacqui?
Education is the key and the message has been sent to the African-American community to condemn the use of the word. It is a level of consciousness and not so much PC for me. The names you reach for are of shock value, I do not use the words because I have a level of consciousness that can speak beyond the low level of discussion of race.
Ransom justifies double standards.
Double standards establish TWO sets of rules for TWO so-called segments of ONE human race.
People in this society LOVE racism and the class separation it brings. The habits, rituals and traditions of racism will continue to be practiced as long as people agree on double standards for human beings.
Not hiring a man because he is black is racism. Hiring a man because he is black is racism.
Not hiring a man because he is black is a crime. Hiring a man because he is black is equal opportunity.
Doublethink rules …
Slavery was not about race. Race was a simple tool for identifying slaves. Africans enslaved their own people. Africans sold Africans to white slave traders.
Slavery is about man's inhumanity to man. The marriage of race and slavery perpetuated the racism that permeates our minds. The resulting fear, guilt and anger tortures the collective psyche of a nation.
We do not have to allow our minds to be tortured by all of this. Our spirit of intuition knows what is right and what is wrong. Only rational thought and discussion will help us cast away this spectre of hate and division. We are ONE people! What we do to ONE of us, we do to ALL of us.
It is not difficult to comprehend. Sometimes we must address our way of thinking. Sometimes we have been thinking the wrong way for decades. It becomes habit. When we can admit fault in our thinking, we can let go of anger and fear we consider justified. Anger and fear should never be justified. Justified thoughts are difficult to eliminate.
When justified thoughts result in anger, fear, separation and death, the result is justified anger, fear, separation and death.
Decide for yourselves.
"I do not use the words because I have a level of consciousness that can speak beyond the low level of discussion of race"
Got that. It appears that your thinking is much more continental, Jacqui. Well then color me a mostly Northern European-American (with a dash of Native-American), I guess. (I prefer American, actually.)
Maybe we should all get DNA tested so we can assure accurate hyphenation?
And please let me know how that educating against the black youth culture's use of the forbidden (to whites) word is coming along from time to time, will ya? It will be great when they all embrace your consciousness on such verbiage.
Dean, I am guilty of being a coward, for I simply will never type the n-word on the Net as you bravely have done.
But I should get partial credit for calling Turkette a cracker, shouldn't I?
By typing "the n-word," you ARE typing "nigger" … unless by "the n-word" you mean "Nabisco" or "Navistar Navistay." What word are we supposed to think when you say "the n-word"? Nigger!
When you say "the n-word," you are saying "nigger." Dispense all doubt.
When I witness Angry White Boy working a whip, I will award points for calling him a "cracker." Until then, the jury is out.
Check out "Homeland Security" by Burt Skye and the Skylites at summitcitynoise.com. Maybe a top-ten hit can topple an empire.
YIKES!!!!
I meant nincompoop, as in raceless, religionless, ethnicless, sexless, orientationless, non handicapped dumb person. No, not dumb, might offend someone, let's just say unsmart.
Turkette with a whip, eh. And a leather face mask, too?