Using N Word
Jessica T. Bryant
William Wylie
English 101
“Is Using the N-Word Wrong for All Races?”
The memorial to Rickey Moore, the African-American killed last month in a gun fight with a police officer, reads, “We gon miss you my nigga.” Using the word “nigga” five years earlier got Thomas Haas, the white officer who shot Mr. Moore, a reprimand and a two-week suspension. The n-word, once considered vile by everyone has undergone profound change, further dividing and confusing the races. So I ask you today, why do us, as young African American’s use it on a daily basis, but when someone else of a different race say it we get offended. In schools, on the streets, at home and at work, younger African-Americans call each other the n-word daily. So today I hope to make someone think before they decide to use the word again.
Many young blacks and some young whites increasingly use the word as a sign of friendship. Yet use of the word is risky in mixed-race company, even among friends. Some African-Americans who use the word say whites never should, which bewilders some whites who see a double standard. Friendly use of “nigga” upsets many older blacks, who know the pain and humiliation that “nigger” has brought. In the black community it’s like a pet name. We use it as a way to communicate with each other and you may hear it up to a thousand times a day. Many blacks are quick to point out, however, that there's a big difference between saying “nigga” and “nigger.”
When “nigger” is uttered, they say there is no misunderstanding that it's meant to degrade. But the ability to change a historically demeaning word, and make it a friendly word among peers, represents a bond among blacks and triumph over the word's power and sting, some blacks say. It has been shown that some younger whites are using the word to express friendship too. They’re copying their black friends and taking notes from hip hop and rap music. Rap music frequently uses the word to tell...
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