How does this even work?

I believe this is a touchy topic, that mods may find rather offensive.
Honestly I don't care about anyone else who finds this offensive, because I only care if moderators do.


Anyways, this belongs in serious discussion, so hopefully we can keep this completely serious and controlled without pointing fingers, and stay away from racial remarks, twords all cultures.


In all seriousness, does this bug anybody? Honestly? In movies, Tv shows, even BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION? Honestly How are white people so racist? For a historic injustice that happened ages ago? That this country has gotten over forever ago?

Yes there are still racist groups, but they're just groups. If people ignore them, don't you think that it'd just die down in time, instead of puting it all over the news, and having people line up for miles to protest against them, because that's what they want.

I shall allaberate;
First I'd like to discuss about the constant use of the N-word in society, music, television?
It can only be used by black african american people, or else it's racist.
Now my reaction to that is, "WHAT?!" Why should anybody be saying it at all, even as a term of indearment? How is it even a term of indearment? I find this completely garbage on how many good teachers lost their jobs just trying to act cool, but snot nose loud mouthed douche bags make them loose their jobs. I understand freedom of speech, but all I hear everywhere is that everyone wants racism to stop. So why continue using racial remarks such as the N-word? And call people out who aren't even racist who have no idea.

And if anyone obligates to this, you're honestly braindead, because I can't think of any good explanation for this. White kids get beat up for just being white, or saying you people, or something that never was meant to be racist in the first place, but have them make it out to be. just as much white kids recently have gotten jumped for no reason, then black kids in the passed.

Another thing, if people want to get over racism so much, why make a BET channel?


Or isn't saying white people can only be racist is racist within itself?

I honestly think this whole system is ****ed up, and I don't know how so many district courts appeal to such obsurd charges for hardly anything.


Yes, I understand the kkk, but whoever talks about the Black Panther? Why don't they ever get Boo'd or looked at badly?

If you listen to the music, it's all race related, if they want to get over racism so bad, why don't they just stop, because they're the only culture/ethnicity that is promoting it through popular record companies, and such.
Why?

Why doesn't anyone stand up, and just put a stop to all this B.S. that black people cannot be racist, or anyone else but white people. I believe racism is stupid, everyones human, but honestly why? This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Why am I so worked up over it? because I had to go to the office in highschool for a racist remark by saying "You People."? What?

I don't get it.

If this is completely offensive, which I have no idea how, just close it, I'll get the picture.

Honestly, and if you're bothered by this, don't go posting in here calling me racist, because I'm just going to look at you like the rest of this messed up system.

There are a lot more examples, but I'll leave that to you guys.

I'm just taking the side that's against racism, so don't think I'm out to get African Americans, I'm just telling the other side of the story. And that I think it's all completely stupid. The whole subject of racism, and that it's even going around today.

Why don't they ever get Boo'd or looked at badly

They do.

The Black Panthers weren't a racist organization. They stood for black nationalism because blacks in america were, and still are, oppressed. You can not even begin to entertain the thought of equality between races when oppression of one over the other still exists.

That said, what exactly is your problem? Are you seriously upset that black people seemingly have the privilege of saying nigga? That seems extremely trivial when you take a look at eurocentric society, and the legacy minorities have inherited from centuries of white colonialism.

A: I use the n-word in front of black people on a daily basis, and I live in Flint. Maybe you just come off as racist, you sure as hell do here, to me, at least.
B: Nobody said black people can't be racist.
C: Black people get beaten up for being black too, even nowadays.
D: BET channel isn't racist. Black people want their own culture and I completely understand that. Of course 'black people want their own culture' is a more simplified, less elaborated, slightly more ignorant-sounding explanation but my point doesn't change.
E: Black Panther may have been militant, yes, but it's not a racist group, first and foremost. Also, it's much different. KKK is a bunch of racist, red-neck ass holes. The Black Panthers consisted of black people who had injustice thrown in their face.
F: I listen to rap/hip-hop all the time and you clearly don't know what you're talking about. It's all related to race? Hell no. At the top of my head, I can maybe think of one song by Jay-Z (99 Problems) in which he parodies an actual conversation he had with a policeman.

Just some of my food for thought, I suppose.

white flight to the suburbs in the 60's and 70's.
Property values plummeting when a black family moves into a white neighborhood.
real estate agents capitalizing and encouraging such behavior.
Jerry mandered school districts in KC.
the troost wall (also in KC).

Highway projects splitting up minority communities.

yea, racial tension is still very much alive in my neck of the woods.

Originally Posted by Discussion

The Black Panthers weren't a racist organization. They stood for black nationalism because blacks in america were, and still are, oppressed. You can not even begin to entertain the thought of equality between races when oppression of one over the other still exists.

That said, what exactly is your problem? Are you seriously upset that black people seemingly have the privilege of saying nigga? That seems extremely trivial when you take a look at eurocentric society, and the legacy minorities have inherited from centuries of white colonialism.

Are you talking about the old Black Panther group? Or the current one? As the new Black Panther group are racist basically.

And do you remember what Khalid Abdul Muhammad said about white people? Or, as the pejorative he used for white people, "crackers": "There are no good crackers, if you find one, kill him before he changes".

He was the national chairman of the new Black Panther party. Would be a national crisis if a white man had said a similar statement about black or brown people.

But, I pretty much agree with the OP.

Say Cracker, just say it out loud, now see if you can say ****** out loud, do those words carry the same weight for you?

Words from Tim Wise if you will

"When a group of people has little or no power over you institutionally, they don’t get to define the terms of your existence, they can’t limit your opportunities, and you needn’t worry much about the use of a slur to describe you and yours, since, in all likelihood, the slur is as far as it’s going to go. What are they going to do next: deny you a bank loan? Yeah, right.

So whereas “******” was and is a term used by whites to dehumanize blacks, to imply their inferiority, to “put them in their place” if you will, the same cannot be said of honky: after all, you can’t put white people in their place when they own the place to begin with. "

A teacher in an African American studies class I took explained racial struggle in America today, his analogy went a little like this:

Imagine if 10 people from each race walked up to the starting line of a track meet, the moment the green light shown only the white runner was allowed to run, he ended up lapping the 9 other racers 3 times before the other track members were allowed to run, is that a fair race?


sorry, I lost track of things for a bit (forgive the pun)

P.S I can't wait to see this thread develop into a gaggle of white youngsters defining what black culture is, don't get me wrong, I love peer education, I just love irony.

EDIT: I'm I such a ZU oldie that even the dreaded god forsake N-word is censored?

Originally Posted by vacumgod

EDIT: I'm I such a ZU oldie that even the dreaded god forsake N-word is censored?

It's censored for black people as well.

Originally Posted by Forte

A: I use the n-word in front of black people on a daily basis, and I live in Flint. Maybe you just come off as racist, you sure as hell do here, to me, at least.
B: Nobody said black people can't be racist.
C: Black people get beaten up for being black too, even nowadays.
D: BET channel isn't racist. Black people want their own culture and I completely understand that. Of course 'black people want their own culture' is a more simplified, less elaborated, slightly more ignorant-sounding explanation but my point doesn't change.
E: Black Panther may have been militant, yes, but it's not a racist group, first and foremost. Also, it's much different. KKK is a bunch of racist, red-neck ass holes. The Black Panthers consisted of black people who had injustice thrown in their face.
F: I listen to rap/hip-hop all the time and you clearly don't know what you're talking about. It's all related to race? Hell no. At the top of my head, I can maybe think of one song by Jay-Z (99 Problems) in which he parodies an actual conversation he had with a policeman.

Just some of my food for thought, I suppose.

A - while I understand that black people should be able to use the word, at the same time, continued use of the word prolongs the misunderstanding between the races. There will always be a white guy who uses it in the wrong context, simply because the widespread use confuses him as to where the line is. No good comes of using the word, so it makes sense to let it go.
B - Plenty of people take that attitude, however. Words like honky and cracker, 'fair' though they may be (given that if blacks were oppressed for so long, whites should also get oppressed for a while to redress the balance), will not help. It is an expression of ill will, and ill will breeds more ill will. So present-day white people, who had nothing to do with racism, will understandably feel unfairly-maligned. If a black person wants to 'get back' at the oppressors, then he should focus on the actual oppressors rather than everyone who looks like the oppressors.
C - This is true, and the correct way to deal with that is with the law. If the law unjustly turns a blind eye, then that's another story, and America still has a problem then. But given that the President is black, I'm sure that we can agree that the institution he presides over will attempt to do its best, so there is always a more fair way to deal with bigots than to take it out on everyone.
D - This SEEMS true, but 'black' isn't a culture any more than 'white' is (I realise that you had a disclaimer how how your point was an oversimplification, so I'm not judging). I really don't know anything about BET (living in Europe), but if BET wants to represent poor people in the deep south, or urban people who like hiphop, or people who are from or descended from people from Africa, or whatever other culture it wants to represent, then it should also represent white people (and people of other races) who also fall into that category. If it does, then there's no problem. If not, and it actively excludes white people who might be interested in being represented, then it's no different from a channel 'for whites' that ACTIVELY excludes black people. Like I said, I don't know much about BET, but that's the position I'd take.
E - Having read a good deal about the Black Panthers, I would say that yes it is sort of racist. Minority Panthers, maybe? Why do they not care about the representation and defence of, say, Native Americans? As Chris Rock has rightly said, NO-ONE has it worse than the Indians.
F - I agree. Hiphop is no longer about race. Perhaps that's a good thing; a sign that the walls are coming down.

african american musik up dis ****

Now, doesn't the idea of the Imperialist Pale-Faces oppressing the emaciated African peoples, have far more drama and poetry to it than the reverse? It's theater for the media when a white guy kills a black guy; it's also political fodder for the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Any chance to show how the white man keeps putting them down is a chance they take.

I'll make it simple: ******, chink, kyke and beaner are not offensive terms if people don't get offended by them. I don't get offended if someone calls me a cracker, but hell, that's just a horrible insult. Cracker? People are right about minorities being left behind in education if that's the best insult they can bring against the pale-faced demon.

The problem here is more economic or societal, however, which just so happens to mean you'll likely never hear of a minority being harmed in any way because they tend to live in areas where that is common place as the nature of our society makes such a thing unavoidable.

Originally Posted by Furii

In all seriousness, does this bug anybody? Honestly? In movies, Tv shows, even BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION? Honestly How are white people so racist? For a historic injustice that happened ages ago? That this country has gotten over forever ago?

What now?

There's still a surprisingly large amount of racism against people with black skin. In the entertainment industry the most obvious manifestation of this is the lack of black TV/Movie stars. They're outnumbered by white people at least 100:1.

I shall allaberate;
First I'd like to discuss about the constant use of the N-word in society, music, television?
It can only be used by black african american people, or else it's racist.
Now my reaction to that is, "WHAT?!" Why should anybody be saying it at all, even as a term of indearment? How is it even a term of indearment? I find this completely garbage on how many good teachers lost their jobs just trying to act cool, but snot nose loud mouthed douche bags make them loose their jobs. I understand freedom of speech, but all I hear everywhere is that everyone wants racism to stop. So why continue using racial remarks such as the N-word? And call people out who aren't even racist who have no idea.

You seem to be arguing two, contradictory, points here.
The first is that the N-word is bad no matter who uses it in any context.
The second is that it's a crime that people lose their jobs for using the N-word to try and be cool.

Which is it?

Anyways, you've heard of the word "Queer"?
Currently it's not seen as a terrible insult. 20+ years ago? On par with the N-word now.
The Queer community decided that enough was enough and decided to "reclaim" the term. It worked wonderfully.

Something similar is going on with the N-word. Nothing wrong with changing it from a horribly insulting and racist word into an affectionate one. After all, words have no innate meaning, and if they want to change what it means, where's the harm?

As to the latter, teachers calling students the N-word should not happen.

And if anyone obligates to this, you're honestly braindead, because I can't think of any good explanation for this. White kids get beat up for just being white, or saying you people, or something that never was meant to be racist in the first place, but have them make it out to be. just as much white kids recently have gotten jumped for no reason, then black kids in the passed.

"You People"/"Your People" was, and still is, an incredibly racist term.

Further, you seem to have changed your argument again. It's no longer about racism against black people, but about racism against whites, which is so much less of a problem that comparing the two is like saying that the bit of gravel in your shoe is as large as Mt. Everest.

Another thing, if people want to get over racism so much, why make a BET channel?

A what now?

Or isn't saying white people can only be racist is racist within itself?

What? Who says that?

Yes, I understand the kkk, but whoever talks about the Black Panther? Why don't they ever get Boo'd or looked at badly?

They do. Moreso in areas where they, you know, had an actual influence on things. The KKK gets mentioned everywhere in North America because they had a massive impact on the history of the continent. The Black Panthers did not.

In the smaller areas where they actually had influence they still get mentioned.

If you listen to the music, it's all race related, if they want to get over racism so bad, why don't they just stop, because they're the only culture/ethnicity that is promoting it through popular record companies, and such.
Why?

What? Black entertainers are not, in fact, promoting racism.

Why doesn't anyone stand up, and just put a stop to all this B.S. that black people cannot be racist, or anyone else but white people. I believe racism is stupid, everyones human, but honestly why? This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Why am I so worked up over it? because I had to go to the office in highschool for a racist remark by saying "You People."? What?

Ah, so this isn't a general issue, it's about one, specific, instance.

"You People" is a very racist term, always has been, probably always will be. It is, roughly speaking, the equivalent of the N-word.

Perhaps you didn't know, but now you do.

And if you have issues with how your school handles racism then that's an issue with your school, not society at large.

The only way to be sure to be politically correct is to make fun of everyone equally!

In Britain we have channels dedicated to Black Culture, Asian Culture, Arabic Culture even, God forbit, a channel called 'Blighty' dedicated to British Culture!

It's an embracing of culture- I very much doubt that any of these channels claim 'Our culture is the best- death to the others'.

It's just allowing to see things specially aimed at a culture you're likely to identify well with as well as providing a good medium for others outside the culture to learn of it.

Because not everyone wants to get over racism.

I'm no pacifist. But I don't think everyone should be of killing each other either.

Everyone should have their own land and not interfer with the other. We're not ever going to mix in well. Just take a trip to Queens, NY if you don't believe me.

I've heard the words "white *****" used maliciously more than I've used the word "******" used the same way. Maybe that's just me, though. Not that I don't think racism still exists; it's just been my experience that most white people I know aren't.

Originally Posted by John

A what now?

Black Entertainment Television.

Then again, I'm an imigrant aswell, and I almost got suspended from my highschool for not even knowing what I did, and by you people I meant americans, and I just so happened to be talking to an african american.


I am not racist, I just believe if people want to get over racism so much, why continue to shout dirogitory terms, especially the people that complain the most. It's just that if a White guy started yelling ****** this ****** that, it'd be a national crises, but you see black people going down the street yelling left and right.

There are also groups that blame the government for their misfortunes and mistakes.

I even heard a bunch say Obama was going to give african americans special treatment.

I know a lot of very nice African American people, I'm friends with five at my school, they never complain.

Maybe I worded it wrong, but if I have to be racist by posting this, then I'm racist against ******s, not african americans.

Of course there are white people that do it, but there is a larger majority continuing bringing up the topic, and complaining and making rediculous accuzations twords good hearted people.

What? The kkk makes up about 30% of the american population? Probably less that don't go around showing or enforcing their beliefs.

You have basically a rough estimate 70% of african americans continuing bringing it up, maybe 80% including the black panther.

Ohwell, I'm just sharing my view of this, and how a lot of other countries may come and see this.
I'd be embaressed.

How many black people do you think get arrested or charged for calling whites, cracker, or whitey, or gringo?
None that I have ever heard of.

I figured if I made a topic like this, all fingers would point at me, and I guess a lot of people don't really realize it.

So now I know.

I really think some Black people are a little too sensitive when it come to some things. Acutally all races can be. Not to offend anyone but why do Asian people get so upset over the term Oriental? It's just something to whine about. While rascism still exists i think it's much better than it was when my parents where growing up. We have a Black President i may not like him(it's for political not racial reasons) but still that's saying something.

Originally Posted by Furii

I am not racist, I just believe if people want to get over racism so much, why continue to shout dirogitory terms, especially the people that complain the most. It's just that if a White guy started yelling ****** this ****** that, it'd be a national crises, but you see black people going down the street yelling left and right.

Again, nothing wrong with reclaiming a term.

It's not as if the existence of the word "******" turns otherwise fine people into racists.

I even heard a bunch say Obama was going to give african americans special treatment.

And their source was...?

How many black people do you think get arrested or charged for calling whites, cracker, or whitey, or gringo?
None that I have ever heard of.

Just like white people can't get arrested for calling anyone a "******".

Plus, of course, "cracker" is nowhere near as insulting as "******".

Originally Posted by John

Again, nothing wrong with reclaiming a term.

Plenty wrong with it. If a person wants to erase the history that a word has, then they should either erase the word, or ignore it. Creating a complicated set of rules where people are only allowed to use the word if they're black or honorarily black is like building a wall to divide people even more.

It's not as if the existence of the word "******" turns otherwise fine people into racists.

In some people's eyes, it does. I think that was Furii's complaint.

Just like white people can't get arrested for calling anyone a "******".

Plus, of course, "cracker" is nowhere near as insulting as "******".

Why not? One means white person, another means black person. Is there something wrong with black people? No. So claiming that one slur is worse than another is like telling black people that they must be victims.

Originally Posted by Attorney of Law

Are you talking about the old Black Panther group? Or the current one? As the new Black Panther group are racist basically.

The New Black Panthers are not a legitimate successor to the original organization, so yes, I'm talking about the old panther group.

Originally Posted by Evilsbane

Plenty wrong with it. If a person wants to erase the history that a word has, then they should either erase the word, or ignore it. Creating a complicated set of rules where people are only allowed to use the word if they're black or honorarily black is like building a wall to divide people even more.

Not at all. Once again, see "queer", used to be an insult on-par with "******", now is used in everyday conversation.

In some people's eyes, it does. I think that was Furii's complaint.

How would that work? The KKK wouldn't have existed if someone hadn't mis-pronounced "negro"?

Why not? One means white person, another means black person. Is there something wrong with black people? No. So claiming that one slur is worse than another is like telling black people that they must be victims.

No. Words have meaning derived from how society uses them.
"******" has been used as a severe insult with a huge amount of historical, social, and political baggage.

"Cracker" has nothing like that.

It's like insisting that "fool" is just as insulting as "retard". Or that "crap" is equal to "****".