Rapper DMX calls Obama "nigger"

An interesting addendum:

I discussed this with my class today...they said that as much as it's a race thing - it's also an age thing.

They said that they've heard, where they've lived, young asians calling young asians 'My nigga' - they've heard young mexicans calling young mexicans 'my nigga' etc...

They said that they have no problem with white saying 'my nigga' to them as long as it was with the same understanding of the meaning of the word (to them) and intonation with which they'd say it - in fact they said that'd be, 'Good bread' (that's great) that's what they're trying to achieve...an acceptance of each other beyond race.

I don't impose my values on anyone - not at all. I myself don't use the word - I could- but I choose not to. But I also don't try to tell anyone else why they shouldn't.
And I will say - that if they're trying to take ownership and take away its power over them - that's been achieved. It's been achieved for ME...when I first got there I cringed every time I heard it - even in it's approximation.
I have heard my FAMILY called NIGGERS.. have you? You want to talk about a hated word?
But I'm happy to say that it can't hurt my students anymore. It can't hurt my kids anymore - it can't hurt me anymore- it's been depleted.
I think there's something to be said for that.
But maybe you've felt the sting more than me....who can say...
We DID have an assembly with all 400 students on this very subject. It was very enlightening to me. In fact it helped me change my views on the subject. And every week I have thirty to forty new students rotate through my class and part of my job is to talk about career success standards which include appropriate language.

And while I wouldn't condone the use of this word in the workplace and tell them that- I also don't tell them what they can and cannot call themselves and their friends.

Finally - I'm sure we parent differently Lash. I won't assume anything about your parenting ability and style except to say that it's different than mine - has to have been - we're very different people raising probably very different kids in very different environments.

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And just so it's clearly understood - I am reporting what these people have said to me.

I am not inserting my opinion as theirs. My opinion as a white person doesn't matter to me - I'm interested in what black people think about the situation. I fully recognize that my background and circumstances have been so very different that even having lived with black people I have no idea what it is to be black...

I will also tell you that I fully recognize that many black people feel differently from my students. My childrens' father cannot ABIDE to hear the word- in whatever context.
But that doesn't change what my students are telling me.

All I'm telling anyone is that for some young black people the word NIGGA as in 'my nigga' does not carry negative connotations. I also am saying that I do not feel comfortable telling people what they can and cannot call each other.

Just as since I'm not gay - I don't think that my opinion on whether gay people call each other 'faggot' or not really matters.

I guess I am liberal in that I believe people should have the right to choose their own nomenclature.
And I dislike anything that speaks to residual paternalistic attitudes of whites toward blacks. Whites called black people nigger for hundreds of years...and now that the black people want to take the word back- whites take issue. They're a free people now - they can do what they like.

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aidan wrote:

I don't impose my values on anyone - not at all.
Everything you've said here is evidence to the contrary. How is you sharing your opinion, and me sharing mine any different?

And I will say - that if they're trying to take ownership and take away its power over them - that's been achieved.
Glad to hear there is no controversy surrounding the word any longer...but you may want to let the rest of the world onto this piece of information.

I have heard my FAMILY called NIGGERS.. have you?
You are FOREVER trying to act as though your experience negates others' because of your family's racial make-up. It doesn't. It is so funny to watch you criticize me for doing exactly what YOU are doing. You really don't see those other fingers pointing right back at you?

But maybe you've felt the sting more than me....who can say...
You certainly are TRYING tyo say....
We DID have an assembly with all 400 students on this very subject.
...which is a far cry from "in depth" discussions about the subject with 400 individuals, as your previous comment implied.

I also don't tell them what they can and cannot call themselves and their friends.
They never had any guidance on this from you? Somehow I doubt that.

I took issue LONG before rap was in the public arena, long I ever heard it used by blacks. I used to think it should be widely used to take the power out of it. Then, of course, the Usual Suspects just think one who advocates that is dying to say it. Of course, now YOU advocate this--and all is fine. And this is why I despise PC and gerrymandering around this issue based on who said the same word. We've shared the SAME opinion. We received quite different responses.

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Lash - this is what I think on the subjecct:

whatever I do or do not think - it is not up to me to tell people what they can call themselves.

I do have an in-depth discussion with each group of students that come through my door. Every week that's thirty to forty students. Over the course of ten weeks - yes that's four hundred students - not at one time - no but yes- over the course of the semester - that's how it works.

We do talk about appropriate language. I have learned a lot from them about the context in which they are using this word, what it means to them, and why the feel justified in using it.

It doesn't matter what I think. They don't think it matters what I think about it. And I don't think it matters what I think about it.

Bottom line - I respect their opinion on the matter. I think they know a lot more about it than I do.

And the only thing that living with black people has taught me that white people who haven't lived with black people might not know is that I learned moreso than ever that I have no idea what it means to be black.
That's why I never try to tell them what they should do, think or call themselves.
I let them tell me.

You are more than welcome to your opinion. This is simply mine.

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I am just thankful your children have managed to raise themselves without a mother who will tell them anything.

Kidding, but you are really wearing yourself out, trying to insinuate that I go around telling people what to call themselves.

Opinions...

You said, "It doesn't matter what I think. They don't think it matters what I think about it. And I don't think it matters what I think about it."
Then, PRAY TELL, what was all this about?

Jeez, get over yourself.

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dmx, i always hated his music, now i just mainly hate him.

what a reject. no wonder he went to movies. or tried to.

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is he one, isnt he? and if that word really affected black people, they wouldnt use it on eachother

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they both are

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cjhsa wrote:

they both are

Is that right (you racist bastard)?

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Whatever ya little traitor.

Cast your ballot for B. Hussein Obama. I'm sure he has your best interest at heart.

Embrace your inner blackness. Celebrate their tremendous contributions to our country. Don't let them continue to kill themselves and their own culture through pure laziness and entitlements.

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Call me "nigger". Please. I'll wear the badge with pride.

I live in a community where forty-something folks still pretend they're in high school. Same message to all of ya - grow up.

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cjhsa wrote:

Whatever ya little traitor.

Cast your ballot for B. Hussein Obama. I'm sure he has your best interest at heart.

Embrace your inner blackness. Celebrate their tremendous contributions to our country. Don't let them continue to kill themselves and their own culture through pure laziness and entitlements.

Keep running your mouth and I'll come get your guns myself. Twisted Evil

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Aidan

Thank you very much for what was a series of very interesting posts, not just about what you think yourself but also what all the kids you work with and have had discussions with about this think. None if it new but still definitely interesting.

And I agree - who would I be to tell a black kid what to call himself or another kid?

If someone uses "nigger" as word to cuss a black person out or put him in his place, that's hateful. If kids (black, white, whatever) use the word with each other without that intent, on the other hand - their choice.

Intent determines meaning. I dont get what the incomprehension about that is.

Just goes to show that individual words cant and shouldnt be banned or approved by definition, as a blanket rule. So I dont like the kind of PC that says, nobody should ever be allowed to use it (which reached its ridiculous climax when people werent even allowed to use the word in the context of quoting or describing how it was used in racist times); and I also dont like the kind of outrage where people say, well if person X gets to say nigger or nigga in this context, then fairness just demands that anybody should be allowed to use the word in any context and with any intent. Just seems a dim position to take, really.

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OCCOM BILL wrote:

cjhsa wrote:
Whatever ya little traitor.

Cast your ballot for B. Hussein Obama. I'm sure he has your best interest at heart.

Embrace your inner blackness. Celebrate their tremendous contributions to our country. Don't let them continue to kill themselves and their own culture through pure laziness and entitlements.
Keep running your mouth and I'll come get your guns myself.

Double dog dare ya. Here's a quarter. Buy a clue.

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cjhsa wrote:

OCCOM BILL wrote:
cjhsa wrote:
Whatever ya little traitor.

Cast your ballot for B. Hussein Obama. I'm sure he has your best interest at heart.

Embrace your inner blackness. Celebrate their tremendous contributions to our country. Don't let them continue to kill themselves and their own culture through pure laziness and entitlements.
Keep running your mouth and I'll come get your guns myself.

Double dog dare ya. Here's a quarter. Buy a clue.

Finally the voice of reason, or A2K's resident racist, has arrived.

Listen carefully!

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CJ said:

Quote:

Call me "nigger". Please. I'll wear the badge with pride.

I live in a community where forty-something folks still pretend they're in high school. Same message to all of ya - grow up.

and then he said:

Quote:

Double dog dare ya. Here's a quarter. Buy a clue.

Now when's the last time I heard a forty year old say, "Double dog dare ya"?
And you're talking about your neighbors...

If you did say what you just said, they would call you a nigger - as in "Nigger, that is so played out...get a clue" or something.
And then ya'll could become friends or something...who knows what miracles might occur.

Nimh - Thanks - I'm glad you found it helpful or interesting or whatever. This has been my favorite teaching job bar none. I find these young people incredibly objective and resilient...as I said, I've learned so much from them - most importantly that I should never make assumptions not only about them- but for them. We talk about everything from Barry Bonds to that woman who bullied the girl over the internet (this is interesting - their first question was: "No offense Miss, but was she white?"). Then we talked about how white and black people might deal with conflict differently and why that might be culturally based - fascinating.
But anyway - I've been so surprised and impressed that the majority of them approach things that I'd think they'd be infuriated about with an almost fatalistic calm. On the other hand - it makes me sad about what it says about how they view the world.
I think they've been through the mill and have learned how not to let the small things (like idiots who would still call them names) shake them.

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Are you really all that stupid that you don't see the inherent racism in Political Correctness?

Kill whitey!!!

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A notable idea, though I doubt it will amount to anything.

Honest and civil are the qualities of the dialogue that will be difficult to sustain.

Conference on Race

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nimh wrote:

Aidan

Thank you very much for what was a series of very interesting posts, not just about what you think yourself but also what all the kids you work with and have had discussions with about this think. None if it new but still definitely interesting.

And I agree - who would I be to tell a black kid what to call himself or another kid?

If someone uses "nigger" as word to cuss a black person out or put him in his place, that's hateful. If kids (black, white, whatever) use the word with each other without that intent, on the other hand - their choice.

Intent determines meaning. I dont get what the incomprehension about that is.

Just goes to show that individual words cant and shouldnt be banned or approved by definition, as a blanket rule. So I dont like the kind of PC that says, nobody should ever be allowed to use it (which reached its ridiculous climax when people werent even allowed to use the word in the context of quoting or describing how it was used in racist times); and I also dont like the kind of outrage where people say, well if person X gets to say nigger or nigga in this context, then fairness just demands that anybody should be allowed to use the word in any context and with any intent. Just seems a dim position to take, really.

Interesting concept. Used to be mine--which I got fussed at continually for. Intent...how bout that...

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Any of you niggas listen to any rap lately?

Niggah be dis. Niggah be dat. Cap dat niggah and dat be dat.

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Rapper DMX calls Obama "nigger"

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