[Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
Tony
tonytime at clearwire.net
Fri Feb 9 09:25:11 PST 2007
J, I never defended the use of any term save RAGHEAD. Well, today I also
defended the use of the term white trash, even describing my past behavior
at times as such. I don't use the term nigger myself, so you will have to
address such questions to one who does.
Have a good weekend, OK?
-T
----- Original Message -----
From: "J Ford" <privatejf32 at hotmail.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 4:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
> Gotta disagree with you here, Tony; each of the following come down to one
> thing...it is a RACIAL SLUR:
>
> Usage note: The term nigger is probably the most offensive word in
> English.
> Its degree of offensiveness has increased markedly in recent years,
> although
> it has been used in a derogatory manner since at least the Revolutionary
> War. Definitions 1a, 1b, and 2 represent meanings that are deeply
> disparaging and are used when the speaker deliberately wishes to cause
> great
> offense. Definition 1a, however, is sometimes used among African-Americans
> in a neutral or familiar way. Definition 3 is not normally considered
> disparaging-as in "The Irish are the niggers of Europe" from Roddy Doyle's
> The Commitments-but the other uses are considered contemptuous and
> hostile.
> -noun
> 1. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.
> a. a black person.
> b. a member of any dark-skinned people.
> 2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or
> origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.
> 3. a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who
> is
> economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised.
> [Origin: 1640-50; < F nègre < Sp negro black]
>
>
> nigger
> 1786, earlier neger (1568, Scot. and northern England dialect), from Fr.
> nËgre, from Sp. negro (see Negro). From the earliest usage it was "the
> term
> that carries with it all the obloquy and contempt and rejection which
> whites
> have inflicted on blacks" [cited in Gowers, 1965]. But as black
> inferiority
> was at one time a near universal assumption in Eng.-speaking lands, the
> word
> in some cases could be used without insult. More sympathetic writers late
> 18c. and early 19c. seem to have used black (n.) and, after the American
> Civil War, colored person. Also applied by Eng. settlers to dark-skinned
> native peoples in India, Australia, Polynesia. The reclamation of the word
> as a neutral or positive term in black culture, often with a suggestion of
> "soul" or "style," is attested first in the Amer. South, later (1968) in
> the
> Northern, urban-based Black Power movement. Variant niggah, attested from
> 1925 (without the -h, from 1969), is found usually in situations where
> blacks use the word. Nigra (1944), on the other hand, reflects a
> pronunciation in certain circles of Negro, but meant to suggest nigger,
> and
> is thus deemed (according to a 1960 slang dictionary) "even more derog.
> than
> 'nigger.' " Slang phrase nigger in the woodpile attested by 1800; "A mode
> of
> accounting for the disappearance of fuel; an unsolved mystery" [R.H.
> Thornton, "American Glossary," 1912]. Nigger heaven, "the top gallery in a
> (segregated) theater" first attested 1878 in ref. to Troy, N.Y.
>
> " 'You're a fool nigger, and the worst day's work Pa ever did was to
> buy
> you,' said Scarlett slowly. ... There, she thought, I've said 'nigger' and
> Mother wouldn't like that at all." [Margaret Mitchell, "Gone With the
> Wind,"
> 1936]
>
> Used in combinations (e.g. nigger-brown, nigger-head, nigger-toe) since
> 1840s for various dark brown or black hues or objects; euphemistic
> substitutions (e.g. Zulu) began to appear in these senses c.1917.
>
> Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
>
> nigger
>
> noun
> (ethnic slur) extremely offensive name for a Black person; "only a Black
> can
> call another Black a nigga"
>
> WordNet® 2.1, © 2005 Princeton University
>
> Etymology and history
>
> Main article: Negro
>
> The Spanish word negro originates from the Latin word niger, meaning
> black.
> In English, negro or neger became negar and finally nigger, most likely
> under influence of French nègre (also derived from the Latin niger).
>
> In Colonial America, Neger (sometimes spelled "neggar") prevailed in
> northern New York under the Dutch and also in Philadelphia, in its
> Moravian
> and Pennsylvania Dutch communities. For example, the African Burial Ground
> in New York City was originally known as "Begraaf Plaats van de Neger."
>
> In the United States, the word nigger was not always considered
> derogatory,
> but was used by some as merely denotative of black, as it was in other
> parts
> of the English-speaking world. In nineteenth-century literature, there are
> many uses of the word nigger with no intended negative connotation.
> Charles
> Dickens, and Joseph Conrad (who published The Nigger of the 'Narcissus' in
> 1897) used the word without racist intent. Mark Twain often put the word
> into the mouths of his Southern characters, white and black, but did not
> use
> the word when speaking in his own voice in his autobiographical Life on
> the
> Mississippi.
>
> In the UK and other parts of the English-speaking world, the word was
> often
> used to refer to people of Pakistani or Indian descent, or merely to
> darker-skinned foreigners in general; in his 1926 Modern English Usage, H.
> W. Fowler observed that when the word was applied to "others than full or
> partial negroes," it was "felt as an insult by the person described, &
> betrays in the speaker, if not deliberate insolence, at least a very
> arrogant inhumanity." The note was excised from later editions of the
> book.
>
> The perception of the term nigger as derogatory is no doubt related to the
> fact that the black people were a race regarded by many white people of
> the
> time as inferior, lazy, simian in appearance, stupid, and criminally
> inclined.
>
> In the 1800s, as nigger began to acquire the pejorative connotation it
> holds
> today, the term "Colored" gained popularity as a kinder alternative to
> negro
> and associated terms. For example, abolitionists in Boston, Massachusetts
> posted warnings to "Colored People of Boston and vicinity." The name of
> the
> National Association for the Advancement of Colored People reflects the
> preference for this term at the time of the NAACP's founding in 1909.
>
> Southern dialect in many parts of the southern United States changes the
> pronunciation of "Negro" to "nigra" (used most famously by Lyndon B.
> Johnson, a proponent of civil rights).
>
> Black became the preferred term in English in the late 1960s, and this
> continues to the present day. In the United States this has been displaced
> to some extent by African American, at least in politically correct usage;
> this resembles the term Afro-American that was in vogue in the early
> 1970s.
> Nevertheless, black continues in widespread use as a racial designation in
> the US and is rarely regarded as offensive.
>
> Today the word is occasionally spelled nigguh or even nikuh in imitation
> of
> some speakers' pronunciation. However, the forms nigga and niggah are far
> more common alternatives. Other variations designed to avoid the term
> itself
> include nookah, nukka, nagger and the much older "*jigger."
>
> In the United States
>
> In the United States, the word was freely used by some whites and blacks,
> until the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s. It seems that the word acquired a
> pejorative meaning in the Northern United States before aquiring the same
> connotation in the South.
>
> Louisiana Governor Earl Long also used the term when advocating expanded
> voting rights for "African Americans." At that time, the term was less
> noteworthy than the expressions of support by white Southerners, as it was
> a
> common regional term for blacks, along with negro and colored.
>
> Today, the implied racism of the term is so strong that the use of nigger
> in
> most situations is a social taboo in English-speaking countries. Many
> American magazines and newspapers will not even print the word in full,
> instead using n*gg*r, n**ger, n--, or simply "the N-word." However, some
> African Americans use the word as a term of endearment and familiarity
> (see
> nigga, hip hop culture).
>
> A Washington Post article on Strom Thurmond's 1948 candidacy for President
> of the United States went so far as to replace it with the periphrasis
> "the
> less-refined word for black people." The word was also completely excised
> from the Microsoft Encarta dictionary, despite its common usage.
>
> The shock effect of the word can also be used to deliberately cause
> offense.
> Several activists, such as Dick Gregory, have said the use of "N-word"
> instead of "nigger" robs younger generations of the full history of black
> people in America.
>
> The term nigger has sometimes been extended in meaning so as to refer to
> all
> disadvantaged people. For example, Ron Dellums, an American politician,
> once
> said that "it's time for somebody to lead all of America's niggers".[1]
>
> In Australia and New Zealand
>
> In Australia, although in general the word is perfectly well understood to
> refer to black people, it is now rarely used by urban light skinned people
> in any context; when referring to indigenous Australians, the casual terms
> Abo and the more derogatory boong or 'coon' are used in its place.
> "Nigger"
> is sometimes used amongst working class Australians, when used in a casual
> sense between friends or work colleagues of both white and mixed race. It
> is
> generally used in the emulation of American slang, e.g. "Wassup my
> nigger".
> Black, Aboriginal or Maori people may use the term to greet each other.
> Australians, black or white, do not on the whole have the same sensitivity
> to the word as Americans, at least when it is used in a lighthearted,
> non-derogatory fashion among established groups of friends. It would not
> be
> acceptable to use the term to a stranger or casual acquaintance. The
> relaxed
> attitide is mainly because there was no direct slave trading or slave use
> in
> Australia per se, as the country was built on the exploitation of European
> convict labour. The mistreatment, and genocide, of the indigenous people
> is
> generally covered under the term of "racial abuse" rather than "slavery";
> however, the increasing use of American vernacular has sensitised
> conservative Australia to its use.
>
> However, nigger has seen common use in rural or semi-frontier districts.
> In
> this context, the usage was British colonial, that is, applying
> generically
> to dark-skinned people of any origin (cf. Rudyard Kipling). This has led
> to
> controversy, since Australian Aborigines have started to take the term
> strongly to heart, in both the pejorative and revisionist senses (see
> below
> under Names of places and things).
>
> In neighboring New Zealand the term has been used infrequently to refer to
> the Māori people as well (Simpson, 1989), but the word Māori
> itself is often used as a derogatory adjective, much the way nigger is
> used
> in the US.
>
> Other Languages
>
> In various Romance languages, including the Spanish and Portuguese
> dialects
> used in Latin American and parts of Africa, a variety of words cognate
> with
> the Latin niger and sounding similar to the English word nigger are used
> without the disparaging connotation the word holds in English.
>
> Interestingly, in some places these words refer to people with an only
> slightly darker appearance than those native to Northern Europe, i.e.
> people
> who might be said to have a typically Mediterranean or Southern European
> appearance without any facial or hair-texture characteristics associated
> with black people.
>
> Cognates of the Latin niger that refer to people exist in other languages
> as
> well, many of them devoid of a negative connotation.
>
> Non-human uses
>
> In the past, nigger was sometimes used as a synonym for "defect." For
> example, the May 1886 issue of Scientific American, page 308 said, "The
> consequence of neglect might be that what the workmen call 'a nigger'
> would
> get into the armature, and burn it so as to destroy its service."
>
> Similarly, when performing shoddy but functional work, one is said to
> "nigger rig it," especially when duct tape is used in place of proper
> equipment. It seems that this usage is taken directly from the derogatory
> use of the word to refer to a black person. "Nigger it up" has been used
> to
> refer to excessively gaudy, non-functional decorations to automobiles to
> attract attention.
>
> The term nigger was used in lumber mills until the mid-point of the 20th
> century. It refers to a device that turns a log while it is being stripped
> of its bark. This may be an off-hand reference to the prejudicial use of
> the
> word, as until the machine was invented, this was considered a job too
> dangerous for anyone other than a black man.
>
> Literary uses
>
> Nigger has a long history of controversy in literature. Carl Van Vechten,
> a
> white photographer and writer famous as a supporter of the Harlem
> Renaissance, provoked debate and some protest from the African American
> community by titling his 1926 novel Nigger Heaven. The controversy
> centered
> on the use of the word in the title and fueled the sales of the hit novel.
> Of the controversy, Langston Hughes wrote:
>
> No book could possibly be as bad as Nigger Heaven has been painted. And
> no book has ever been better advertised by those who wished to damn it.
> Because it was declared obscene, everybody wanted to read it, and I'll
> venture to say that more Negroes bought it than ever purchased a book by a
> Negro author. Then, as now, the use of the word "nigger" by a white was a
> flashpoint for debates about the relationship between Black culture and
> its
> White patrons.
>
> The famous controversy over Mark Twain's novel Adventures of Huckleberry
> Finn (1885), a classic frequently taught in American schools, revolves
> largely around the novel's 215 uses of the word, often referring to Nigger
> Jim, Huck's raft mate.[2][3]
>
> Nigger in the Window is a book written by a young black girl who describes
> the world from her window.[4]
>
> Slaves often pandered to racist assumptions by using the word "nigger" to
> their advantage in the self-deprecatory artifice of Tomming.[5] Implicit
> was
> an unspoken reminder that a presumably inferior person or subhuman could
> not
> reasonably be held responsible for work performed incorrectly, a fire in
> the
> kitchen, or any similar offense. It was a means of deflecting
> responsibility
> in the hope of escaping the wrath of an overseer or master. Its use as a
> self-referential term was also a way to avoid suspicion and put whites at
> ease. A slave who referred to himself or another black as a "nigger"
> presumably accepted his subordinate role and posed no threat to white
> authority.
>
> An example of this historical use in American literature occurs in Edgar
> Allan Poe's short story The Gold Bug (1843). The narrator and a white
> character in the story use negro to refer to a black servant, Jupiter,
> while
> Jupiter himself uses nigger.[6][7]
>
> Bram Stoker, the Irish author best known for Dracula, frequently makes use
> of the word in his 1911 novel, The Lair of the White Worm. Edgar Caswall's
> African servant, Oolanga, is often referred to as a "nigger" throughout
> the
> book.[8]
>
> Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None, also known as Ten Little
> Indians, originally appeared as Ten Little Niggers. Among the classic
> novels
> of Joseph Conrad (famous for his use of the word in Heart of Darkness) is
> The Nigger of the 'Narcissus' (1897).
>
> Harper Lee's 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, also uses the term
> "nigger"
> throughout showing the widespread use during the 1930s.
>
> Other examples of literary usage in the United Kingdom during the late
> 19th
> and early 20th centuries suggest a more neutral usage of the term, which
> can
> cause a problem when reading such books today when the word has such an
> offensive meaning.
>
> The Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado uses the word "nigger" two
> times. The executioner Ko-ko, in his song "I have a little list", sings of
> killing "the nigger serenader and the others of his race" (this is
> generally
> understood to mean white performers performing minstrel songs in
> blackface,
> a popular Victorian entertainment). The Mikado, in his song "Let the
> Punishment fit the Crime", sings of having overly-made-up society ladies
> "Blacked like a nigger/ With permanent walnut juice". Both lyrics are
> frequently changed in performance nowadays.[9]
>
> The Scarlet Pimpernel contains a black character referred to casually as a
> "nigger", in a way which suggests no serious insult is intended.
>
> In one John Buchan novel the hero goes into a night club in the early
> 1920s,
> where "a rather good nigger band" is playing.
>
> P.G. Wodehouse's Thank You, Jeeves has Bertie Wooster mention that he
> would
> like to practice the banjo with a "troupe of nigger minstrels".
>
> It has been suggested that the USA usage became more prevalent in the UK
> during and after the Second World War. Whether this is through contact
> with
> American troops or whether it reflects a growing racism in UK society is
> open to question. [citation needed]
>
> War Comes to Willy Freeman by James Collier and Christopher Collier (ISBN
> 0-440-49504-0) mentions the word "nigger" nineteen times. Current readers
> complain as this use of the word is unnecessary and, in the 18th century
> context of the story, is not historically correct.
>
> Rudyard Kipling's Just So Story "How the Leopard Got His Spots" tells of
> how
> an Ethiopian and a leopard, who are originally sand-colored, decide to
> paint
> themselves for camouflage when hunting in dense tropical forest. The story
> originally included a scene in which the leopard, who now has spots, asks
> the Ethiopian why he doesn't want spots as well. The Ethiopian's original
> reply, "Oh, plain black's best for a nigger", has been changed in many
> modern editions to read, "Oh, plain black's best for me."
>
> At one time, the word was used freely in branding and packaging of
> consumer
> commodities in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. There were brands such as
> Nigger Hair Tobacco, Niggerhead Oysters, and other canned goods. Brazil
> nuts
> were, and still are, referred to as "nigger toes". As times changed, so
> did
> labeling practices. The tobacco brand became "Bigger Hare" and the canned
> goods brand became "Negro Head". Eventually, such names disappeared from
> the
> marketplace altogether.[10][11]
>
> In the 1954 film The Dambusters, Wing Commander Guy Gibson's dog was
> called
> Nigger (as in real life). This has been edited out of recent British TV
> screenings.
>
> The comedian and activist Dick Gregory used the word as the title of his
> best-selling autobiography in 1964.
>
> In 1967, Muhammad Ali explained his refusal to be drafted to serve in the
> Vietnam War by saying, "I got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese
> ever called me 'nigger,'".
>
> In 1972, John Lennon released a song, "Woman is the Nigger of the World".
> The song advocated a pro-feminist stance - and used the word "nigger" to
> convey how poorly Lennon felt that women were treated in society. Lennon's
> use of the word in this particular context was endorsed by some prominent
> Black American leaders.
>
> During the same year, Curtis Mayfield used the word in the first verse of
> "Pusherman" (a hit song from the Superfly soundtrack).
>
> When it was translated into English, the 1968 book Les Nègres blancs de
> l'Amérique by Pierre Vallières, a founding member of the FLQ terrorist
> group, was published under the title White Niggers of America.
>
> British punk rock pioneer Elvis Costello used the term in one lyric of
> "Oliver's Army", from the album Armed Forces. This usage - 'One more
> widow,
> one less white nigger' - has aired uncensored on several music programs
> and
> networks, such as MTV and VH1.
>
> Jewish comedian Lenny Bruce used the word repeatedly in a comedy routine,
> suggesting that the more it was used and heard, the less potency it would
> have.
>
> Richard Pryor, whose albums included That Nigger's Crazy and Bicentennial
> Nigger, vowed to never again use the word after a trip to Africa in the
> 1980s. Commenting that he never saw any niggers while in Africa, Pryor
> said
> he realized that niggers were figments of white people's imaginations.
> Hip-hop group N.W.A.
> Hip-hop group N.W.A.
>
> In 1988, hip hop group N.W.A. ("Niggaz With Attitude") released the album
> Straight Outta Compton. Although they abbreviated it in all official
> contexts, their self-referential use of the word caused a great deal of
> controversy in America over the language and lyrics of hip hop. Today, the
> word is used frequently by black rappers in casual contexts [12]. Not all
> black hiphop acts appreciate the increased use of the word, however;
> Public
> Enemy plainly state on the fifth track of Apocalypse '91...The Enemy
> Strikes
> Black, "I don't wanna be called 'Yo Nigga'". The usage is parodied in the
> 1994 film Fear of a Black Hat, a mockumentary about a ficticious rap group
> named "N.W.H", or "Niggaz With Hats" (the title of the movie itself being
> a
> play on Public Enemy's album Fear of a Black Planet).
>
> While nigga raises relatively few objections when used by black rappers,
> it
> generally is considered off-limits to nonblack performers, with
> exceedingly
> rare exceptions. The Beastie Boys, an all-white hip-hop group, left the
> stage mid-performance after a friendly but ill-received use of the word to
> refer to their audience. [1]
>
> In 2001, Latina performer Jennifer Lopez provoked the ire of the African
> American community when she used the word in a song written by two black
> songwriters.[citation needed]Patti Smith released the song "Rock 'n' Roll
> Nigger" in 1978. Marilyn Manson covered the song in 1995 and later used
> the
> word in their own song, "Irresponsible Hate Anthem."
>
> The Dead Kennedys (whose drummer was black) say nigger in their song
> "Holiday in Cambodia," by saying, "acting like you know how the niggers
> feel
> cold and the slums got so much soul."
>
> MDC (aka Millions of Dead Cops) use nigger in their song "Dead Cops,"
> saying, "hunting for queers, niggers, and you".
>
> British anarcho-punk band Crass in "White Punks on Hope" say, "If you care
> to take a closer look at the way things really stand, you'll see we're all
> just niggers to the rulers of this land."
>
> The word nigga has been used by non-black latino rappers such as Big Pun,
> Cuban Link, Fat Joe, Pitbull and other latin artists demonstrating the
> growing acceptance of the use of the word by latinos [12]
>
> African American comedian Chris Rock's 1996 television special Bring the
> Pain and 1997 album Roll with the New included a segment known as "Niggas
> vs
> Black People". Rock cast "niggas" as "low-expectation-havin'"
> individuals -
> proud to be ignorant, violent, and on welfare. The controversy surrounding
> this, to which many took exception because they felt it pandered to
> racism,
> was such that Rock ceased performing it.[citation needed]
>
> White American comedian George Carlin had a routine concerning sensitive
> words. "We don't mind when Richard Pryor or Eddie Murphy uses it," he
> quips.
> "Why? Because we know they're not racists. They're niggers!" Carlin also
> comments that nigger is simply a word, and it is the context in which it
> is
> used that makes it offensive.[13]
>
> In a famous skit on Saturday Night Live, Chevy Chase and Pryor portray a
> job
> interview devolving into racial name-calling on both sides, with Pryor
> calling Chase "honky" several times; when Chase says "nigger", Pryor
> responds with "dead honky".
>
> Television broadcasts of the film Die Hard with a Vengeance which
> originally
> featured a white character (played by Bruce Willis) being placed in
> jeopardy
> when forced to carry a sign saying "I hate niggers" around Harlem, are
> altered so that the sign now says "I hate everybody" [citation needed].
>
> The comedy series All in the Family is rarely censored even though the
> "N-word" is used frequently.
>
> In the first season of African-American comedian Dave Chappelle's,
> Chappelle's Show, a blind white supremacist, unaware of the fact that he
> is
> black, uses the word repeatedly in remarks disparaging black people and at
> the end of the sketch, after learning the truth, comments that he left his
> wife because she is a "nigger-lover". The second season of the Dave
> Chappelle show featured the sketch "The Niggar Family", a portrayal of a
> 1950s white family with a last name resembling the infamous word. The
> comedy
> hinges upon the interaction among other members of the community and
> results
> in an uncensored and laughable outcome. (source: Multimedia Events-John
> Cashew)
>
> In the 1987 novel The Commitments, an Irish fan of soul music
> characterizes
> the Irish as "the niggers of Europe" and Dubliners as "the niggers of
> Ireland", finishing by quoting James Brown's words "Say it loud, I'm black
> and I'm proud". In the 1991 film adaptation, the speech was altered,
> referring to Irish as "the blacks of Europe", etc.
>
> In the controversial animated series The Boondocks, the word "Nigga" is
> used
> by the main characters and sometimes others. In one scene, Granddad tells
> Huey not to use the word in his house and Huey reminds him that he himself
> used the word 46 times the day before. Granddad's reply is "Nigga hush!".
> In
> the same episode, a drunk Uncle Ruckus sings a song entitled "Don't Trust
> Those New Niggas Over There". Afterwards, there is a short clip with two
> non-black characters, one of whom says "I think it's OK if they say it."
> The
> show also makes note of "Nigga Moments", where a black man acts in an
> ignorant or self-destructive way out of anger. The show was criticized for
> putting the word "Nigga" in the mouth of a fictionalized Martin Luther
> King
> Jr.[14]
>
> Actor Damon Wayans of the Wayans Brothers tried in 2005 to trademark the
> word "Nigga" for use on clothing, books and other merchandise.[citation
> needed] His application was rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark
> Office, citing a law that prohibits marks that are "immoral or
> scandalous."
> A previous attempt by entrepreneur Keon Rhodan to trademark the term
> "Nigga'Clothing" in 2001 was also unsuccessful.[citation needed]
>
> In the 2005 film Be Cool, the leader of the Russian Mafia tells Sin
> LaSalle
> (Cedric the Entertainer) to "Be cool, nigger!" Then, Daboo (Andre 3000)
> whispers "Nigger?". At this point, LaSalle launches into a long lecture on
> how only truly ignorant people use the term to disrespect someone's race.
>
> In the movie "Malibu's Most Wanted", Jamie Kennedy's character "B-Rad"
> uses
> the term "nigger" in front of an all-black crowd at a rap-off. The next
> sound that is heard is a phonograph needle being dragged to a screaming
> halt
> on the current record that's playing.
>
> There are multiple uses of the word in Mel Brooks's comedy, Blazing
> Saddles.
> One example is when the people of Rock Ridge plan to kill their new
> sheriff,
> who is black. The sheriff, played by Cleavon Little, pulls a gun on
> himself
> and in a faux Southern voice says, "Hold it! Nobody move or the nigger
> gets
> it!"
>
> In Quentin Tarantino's film, Pulp Fiction, there are uses of the word by
> both black and white characters. In one instance, Tarantino, playing the
> character Jimmie, asks a bloodied Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta if
> they saw a sign outside his house that said 'Dead Nigger Storage' because
> they had brought a dead black man to his house in their car. He
> sardonically
> reminds the hitmen that they did not see such a sign because storing dead
> niggers was not his business.
>
> In the 1998 movie Rush Hour, Jackie Chan's character (a Chinese detective
> with very limited English-language ability) hears several black characters
> address each other as "my nigger". Trying to be friendly, he greets
> someone
> with "What's up, my nigger?", provoking a barroom brawl.
>
> In 2006, comedian Michael Richards stirred controversy with a racist rant
> utilizing 'nigger' in a Los Angeles nightclub.1 See: Michael Richards
> Laugh
> Factory incident
>
> Comedians Andy Dick and Damon Wayans were two other comedians cited for
> their use of the word.3
>
> In 2006 comedian Reginald D Hunter had a show at the Edinburgh Fringe
> Festival called Pride & Prejudice & Niggers.
>
> Names of places and things
>
> Because the word was used freely for many years, there are many official
> place-names containing the word nigger. Examples include Nigger Bill
> Canyon,
> Nigger Hollow, and Niggertown Marsh. In 1967, the United States Board on
> Geographic Names changed the word nigger to Negro in 143 specific place
> names, but use of the word has not been completely eliminated in federal
> government.
>
> One specific example is that of 'Nigger Head Mountain', located just
> outside
> of Burnet, Texas. For decades, a particular hillock was referred to as
> such
> due to the forestation at the peak resembling a black man's hairstyle of
> the
> times. It became a popular spot for the predominantly white local high
> school students to show their spirit by holding pep rallies and post-game
> parties, and even during the start of the Civil Rights Movement news
> services continued to refer to the hillock as 'Nigger Head' with almost no
> reported complaints from either side of the rights struggle. In 1966,
> First
> Lady Lady Bird Johnson, as part of her beautification efforts at the time,
> denounced the name and asked both the US Board on Geographic Names and the
> US Forest Service to take immediate steps to change the name to something
> more acceptable to reflect changing views. The name was officially changed
> to 'Colored Mountain' in 1968, and while both maps and road signs were
> replaced with ones bearing the new name, local inhabitants still refer to
> the location by its original name. There was also a "Dead Nigger Creek" in
> central Texas that changed its name to "Dead Negro Creek".
>
> "Nigger Nate Grade" in Temecula, California was named after former slave
> and
> early settler Nate Harrison, but was changed in 1955 due to a request by
> the
> NAACP and renamed to Nate Harrison Grade.[15]
>
> A point on the Lower Mississippi River was known well into the middle and
> late 20th century as Free Nigger Point, or Freenigger Point. A later
> variation was Free Negro Point, but the location, in West Baton Rouge
> Parish, is now known as Wilkinson Point.[16] The geographic coordinates
> are
> 30.5126893° N 91.2126084° W.
>
> A jagged rock formation resembling a silhouetted human face protruding
> from
> a cliff over highway 421 north of Pennington Gap, Virginia was called
> "Nigger Head Rock" until the 1970s, when the name was changed to "Great
> Stone Face." Checks issued by a local bank in the 1940s bore an
> illustration
> of the rock accompanied by the original name.
>
> The British term for a black iron marine bollard, made from an old cannon
> partially buried muzzle upward with a slightly oversize black cannonball
> covering the hole, was "niggerhead". Sailors also once called an isolated
> coral head a niggerhead. The latter are notorious as navigation hazards.
>
> Many varieties of flora and fauna commonly are still referred to by terms
> which include the word. The nigger-head cactus, which is native to
> Arizona,
> is round, the size of a cabbage, and covered with large, crooked thorns.
> The
> colloquial name for echinacea, or coneflower, is, variously, "Kansas
> niggerhead" or "wild niggerhead". The "niggerhead termite"(Nasutitermes
> graveolus)[17] is native to Australia.
>
> Around the world, the names of several varieties of foods do, or did,
> include the words. Brazil nuts are often referred to as "nigger toes". An
> Irish colloquialism described prunes as "nigger's knackers". A popular
> chocolate snack in Belgium is widely known as Negerinnetetten (negress's
> tits), however it is sold under the trademark Melo-cakes. Another
> chocolate
> treat in Holland was until recently called Negerzoenen (Negro kisses), but
> is now called Buys Zoenen (Buys Kisses) after the vendor's name. In
> Sweden,
> the traditional treat Negerbollar (Negro balls) is now more commonly
> referred to as Chocolate-, Oat- or Coco-balls.
>
> In April 2003, there was a stir in Australia over the naming of part of a
> stadium in Toowoomba, "E.S. Nigger Brown Stand". "Nigger Brown" was the
> nickname of Toowoomba's first international rugby player. Edward Stanley
> Brown used the shoe polish brand "Nigger Brown". The stand was named in
> the
> 1960s. As in the United States some decades ago, the word was used
> casually
> by whites, with little thought. Brown himself was happy with the nickname,
> and in fact it is written on his tombstone. A growing black consciousness
> among Australia's aboriginal population, however, has led to the term
> being
> considered increasingly offensive, particularly when uttered by whites.
>
> Australian activist Stephen Hagan took the responsible local council to
> court over the use of the word. Hagan lost the court case at the district
> and state level, and the High Court ruled that the matter was beyond
> federal
> jurisdiction. The federal government cited the High Court ruling on a lack
> of federal jurisdiction as its legal justification for continued inaction.
> (Hagan also has tried changing other supposed racial slurs such as the
> Coon
> brand of cheese.)
>
> General John Pershing is remembered by the nickname "Black Jack", which
> was
> coined by World War I reporters who couldn't print his actual nickname
> "Nigger Jack".[2]
>
> Ethnic Qualifiers
>
> Qualifiers may also be added as a prefix to denote inferiority of the
> recipient person or group. In conjunction with the original pejorative,
> the
> new phrase is also considered to be just as offensive as the original.
> Examples include "sand nigger" (Middle-Eastern), "taco nigger"
> (Hispanics),
> "rice nigger" (Asian), "spaghetti nigger" (Italian), and "prairie nigger"
> (American Indian).
>
> Avoiding offense
>
> "The N-Word"
>
> The euphemism "the N-word" became a part of the American lexicon during
> the
> racially polarizing trial of O.J. Simpson, a retired football player
> charged
> with -- and ultimately acquitted of -- a widely publicized double murder.
> One of the prosecution's key witnesses was Los Angeles police detective
> Mark
> Fuhrman, who initially denied using racial slurs, but whose prolific and
> derogatory use of it on a tape recording brought his credibility into
> question. The recordings were from a session in 1985 that Fuhrman had with
> Laura McKinney, an aspiring screenwriter working on a screenplay about
> women
> in the police force. According to Fuhrman, he was using the word as part
> of
> his "bad-cop" persona.
>
> Members of the media reporting on and discussing his testimony began using
> the term "the N-word" instead of repeating the actual word, presumably as
> a
> way to avoid offending audiences and advertisers.
>
> Acclaim comic book Quantum and Woody features a masked African-American
> (Quantum) teamed up with an unmasked white man (Woody). One issue featured
> a
> character who referred to everyone as "nigger," but fearing backlash, the
> first 2 pages of the comic are an announcement/disclaimer that throughout
> the issue, the "N-word" would be replaced by "noogie," and the "S-word"
> would be replaced by "S-word." This announcement, which breaks the fourth
> wall, featured Acclaim's lawyer and also stated that, "the word comes from
> the problem, not the other way around."
>
> Near-homophones
>
> The word niger is Latin for "black" and occurs in many Latin scientific
> terms and names. (See Niger for other meanings such as the country in
> Africa.) Niger is the root for some English words which are near
> homophones
> of nigger. Some sellers of niger seed, a small black seed commonly used as
> wild bird feed, have begun to sell it under the name Nyjer seed, in part
> to
> avoid the common mispronunciation. Also, the Classical Latin pronunciation
> /niˈgeɾ/ is uncomfortably close to the English
> /ˈnɪ.gə(ɹ)/. The situation is not the same with Church
> Latin pronunciation, /niˈdʒeɾ/.
>
> Nigra, which is the way Negro is pronounced by some people in the American
> South, was considered by some to be a more polite way to refer to a black
> person. Because of its similarity to the n-word, however, it is generally
> detested by blacks and is no longer regarded as acceptable.
>
> The words niggardly ("miserly") and snigger ("to laugh derisively") do not
> refer either to black people or to characteristics or behavior attributed
> to
> black people, nor do they have any etymological connection with the word.
> Niggard (a miserly person) is related to Old Norse nig, "stingy," and the
> verb niggle is most likely derived from from the Old Norse verb nigla --
> "to
> chew, gnaw, or potter at". As such words are easily mistaken for "nigger,"
> their use is frowned upon by some and sometimes seen as offensive. David
> Howard, a white city official in Washington, D.C., resigned from his job
> in
> January 1999, when he used niggardly in a fiscal sense while talking with
> black colleagues, who took offense at his use of the word. After reviewing
> the incident, Washington Mayor Anthony Williams offered Howard his job
> back.
> Howard declined that position but accepted another position in the Mayor's
> administration. [3]
>
> The word wigger is a portmanteau combining the words white and nigger
> generally used to describe a young, white mimicker of certain affectations
> of hip hop and thug culture.
>
> A colloquialism in the British music industry for a freeloader is the word
> "ligger" (one who seeks to attend concerts and music industry events
> without
> paying). The word derives from another colloquialism lig (a gig or event)
> and variations therof "to go ligging" (to go to a series of events.) In
> other words - the term "ligger" evolved as a derivative of the other words
> rooted in the word "lig" and NOT as a variant of "nigger". However - the
> fact that it is a "near-homophone" of the word "nigger" has led to it
> being
> less used.
>
> Revisionist usage
>
> In the United Kingdom, the word was in common use throughout the first
> half
> of the twentieth century to denote a shade of dark brown. "Nigger" was
> famously the name of a Black Labrador [4] belonging to the RAF Second
> World
> War hero Wing Commander Guy Gibson. The dog died before the 617 Squadron's
> 1943 raid on the Ruhr dams (the "Dam Busters raid"), and "nigger" was
> adopted as the radio code word signaling the destruction of the Möhne dam.
> Because of the modern connotations of the name, the British television
> broadcaster ITV now tries to reduce offense by editing out some scenes
> including the dog when it broadcasts the film Dam Busters. This has been
> condemned by some as "revisionist", although the edited version apparently
> produced fewer complaints than a previous uncensored broadcast. However,
> this scene probably has been viewed more times than any other part of the
> movie. It was watched by Pink (Bob Geldof) in the hotel-room sequence in
> the
> Pink Floyd film The Wall, during which the dialogue relevant to the dog's
> death is screened.
>
> Nigga
>
> Main article: Nigga
>
> Historically, nigger has been used self-referentially by many in the
> African
> American community. With the rise in popularity of rap and hip-hop, the
> term
> has become more widely used among some black youth and among some
> non-blacks
> as well. This neo revisionist usage, particularly among non-blacks, has
> been
> the source of considerable controversy. In such applications, the word
> often
> is spelled phonetically as it is pronounced in African American Vernacular
> English and in Southern American English. In an interview in the
> documentary
> Tupac: Resurrection, Tupac Shakur claims that there is a distinction;
> "Niggers was the ones on the rope, hanging off the thing; niggas is the
> ones
> with gold ropes, hanging out at clubs." [sic]
>
> A passage from the African American Registry argues:
>
> Neo revisionist arguments for the use of "nigga" may not be true to
> life. Brother (Brotha) and Sister (Sistah or Sista) are terms of
> endearment.
> Nigger was and still is a word of disrespect. ...the artificial dichotomy
> between blacks or African Americans (respectable and middle-class) and
> niggers (disrespectable and lower class) ought to be challenged. Black is
> a
> nigger, regardless of behavior, earnings, goals, clothing, skills, ethics,
> or skin color. Finally, if continued use of the word lessened its damage,
> then nigger would not hurt or cause pain now. Blacks, from slavery 'til
> today, have internalized many negative images that white society
> cultivated
> and broadcast about black skin and black people. This is mirrored in
> cycles
> of self- and same-race hatred. The use of the word nigger by blacks
> reflects
> this hatred, even when the user is unaware of the psychological forces
> involved. Nigger is the ultimate expression of white racism and white
> superiority no matter how it is pronounced.
>
> H. Lewis Smith, author of Bury that Sucka: A Scandalous Affair with the
> N-word, concurs.
>
> "ER" to the "A", this is one excuse that would insult the intelligence
> of a sixth grader. Brother or brotha, sister or sista, n***er or n***a,
> all
> have two common denominators. First, they came about as the result of a
> ghetto vernacular. Second, replacing the "er" with an "a" changes nothing
> other than the pronunciation
>
> In the past, nigger was sometimes used as a synonym for "defect." For
> example, the May 1886 issue of Scientific American, page 308 said, "The
> consequence of neglect might be that what the workmen call 'a nigger'
> would
> get into the armature, and burn it so as to destroy its service."
>
> Similarly, when performing shoddy but functional work, one is said to
> "nigger rig it," especially when duct tape is used in place of proper
> equipment. It seems that this usage is taken directly from the derogatory
> use of the word to refer to a black person. "Nigger it up" has been used
> to
> refer to excessively gaudy, non-functional decorations to automobiles to
> attract attention.
>
> The term nigger was used in lumber mills until the mid-point of the 20th
> century. It refers to a device that turns a log while it is being stripped
> of its bark. This may be an off-hand reference to the prejudicial use of
> the
> word, as until the machine was invented, this was considered a job too
> dangerous for anyone other than a black man.
>
>
> J :]
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Tony" <tonytime at clearwire.net>
>>To: "david sarff" <davesway at hotmail.com>
>>CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
>>Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 15:49:17 -0800
>>
>>A critical distinction: One can use a term others regard as inflamatory
>>toward a race of people, without himself intending to cast aspersions on
>>that group as a whole. Perhaps one finds the bombing of woman and
>>children
>>as well as the be-heading of terrified innocent captives abhorant, and
>>finds
>>that such perpetrators invariably wear head scarves. It is not entirely
>>inconcievable that he might then use the term RAGHEAD in reference to
>>these
>>beasts who kill good people and kids, not in reference to their race, but
>>out of a justified outrage over their BEHAVIOR. Such a scenario will
>>frequently cause those hearing such commentary to conclude the
>>writer/speaker is racist, ignorant as they are of his specific,
>>non-racial,
>>rather, behavioral based criticism.
>>
>>Therefore, Sunil, if an African American had be-headed Daniel Pearle, and
>>another had criticised the killer as a miserable nigger, the other would
>>be
>>guilty of using a term most folks would regard as referencing the
>>perpetrator's race. However, for reasons stated above, the other could
>>actually harbor NO RACIAL intent whatsoever, but himself be referencing
>>the
>>perp's atrocious behavior.
>>
>>Now, Sunil, you have the information you need to avoid making anymore
>>erroneous postings as to my motives.
>>
>>Cheers, -T
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "david sarff" <davesway at hotmail.com>
>>To: <jampot at adelphia.net>; <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
>>Cc: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 2:53 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
>>
>>
>> >
>> >>Hi Gary,
>> > It seems to me there is a difference between cultivating hate and
>> > expressing
>> > situational anger. Cultivating kindness, a higher order art. In my
>>opinion
>> > a
>> > better route to an improved humanity. Not easy for a lot of us.
>> > I don't see you as a hate cultivator, in fact it seems you might even
>> > be
>> > trying to make efforts against it in concentrated areas.
>> > In this situation and others similar to it, I think you miss-measured
>> > Sue's
>> > reaction. It was situational in reaction to a clear practitioner of
>> > hate
>> > cultivation. Can she do better, you bet. Your knowing that, taking the
>> > grain
>> > of truth in her grain of fault and hyper-inflating it, is a bully's
>> > support
>> > group method. This technique is not a strength for anybody.
>> > I agree with Sunil's response, but in light of your effort here, wonder
>>if
>> > you might be amenable to exploring your examples a bit.
>> > Recently, comedian Michael Richards made a lot of trouble for himself
>> > using
>> > the N word. I suspect you are familiar with that news line. Do you
>> > think
>> > Richard made a forgivable mistake? Is there something there that he
>>needs
>> > to
>> > remediate within himself?
>> > Dave
>> >
>> >
>> >>Gary,
>> >>
>> >>So if an African-American killed the same person in the manner you
>> >>describe,
>> >>the statement "That miserable nigger just cut the head off of a
>> >>American
>> >>non-combatant," would not be racist?
>> >>
>> >>You're right, I don't like or agree with your rationale.
>> >>
>> >>I think it's a mistake to link emotion with the use of racist language
>>or
>> >>attitudes. Racist decisions and statements are easily made in the
>>absence
>> >>of emotion; I think they're the results of attitudes developed over a
>> >>lifetime and ingrained in cultures and individual people. I don't
>> >>think
>> >>any
>> >>particular 'race' or group has a monopoly on racism. I know I've often
>> >>heard racist statements expresses as casually as a request for a drink
>>of
>> >>water. There's no requirement for actions as you suggest; statements
>> >>express one's views quite effectively.
>> >>
>> >>Sunil
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> >From: "g. crabtree" <jampot at adelphia.net>
>> >> >To: "Sunil Ramalingam" <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
>> >> >CC: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>> >> >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
>> >> >Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 07:12:39 -0800
>> >> >
>> >> >Well Sunil, since you insist on trying to chase me out onto a thin
>>limb,
>> >> >I'll give you my take on comments such as the one you refer to. You
>> >> >won't
>> >> >like or agree with it, I suspect, but here goes. Please bare in mind
>> >> >that
>> >>I
>> >> >speak for myself and not anyone else to who you might attribute a
>> >> >lack
>> >> >of
>> >> >sensitivity.
>> >> >
>> >> >When someone makes a remark like "All ragheads are vermin and have no
>> >>right
>> >> >to live" it is inexcusably racist and deserves to be denounced at
>>every
>> >> >possible turn.
>> >> >
>> >> >When someone says "That miserable raghead just cut the head off of a
>> >> >American non-combatant," it is a minor lapse of manner(s) or tact.
>> >> >Unfortunate but, forgivable. Not, in my opinion, an indication of
>>racism
>> >> >per se.
>> >> >
>> >> >In the first you are calmly stating your contemptible and
>>unsupportable
>> >> >opinion of a large group/race of people. In the second you are
>> >> >expressing
>> >> >your anger and frustration at an individual or small group of proven
>> >> >evil
>> >> >doers with language that is intemperate and poorly chosen.
>> >> >
>> >> >Racism is, in my opinion, demonstrated by actions. It is hinted at,
>> >> >sometimes incorrectly, by individual words.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >I hope that this does not change your opinion of my fitness as
>> >> >company
>> >> >on
>> >> >the list.
>> >> >
>> >> >g
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >----- Original Message -----
>> >> >From: "Sunil Ramalingam" <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
>> >> >Cc: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>> >> >Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 9:31 PM
>> >> >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > > Gary,
>> >> > >
>> >> > > Are racist slurs minor lapses of manner or tact?
>> >> > >
>> >> > > I hope this question isn't considered trash talk, or 'self
>>righteous,
>> >> >self
>> >> > > satisfied, school yard sputtering,' though you may well consider
>> >> > > me
>> >> > > an
>> >> > > additional player; happy to have you as company on that list.
>> >> > >
>> >> > > Sunil
>> >> > >
>> >> > >
>> >> > >>From: "g. crabtree" <jampot at adelphia.net>
>> >> > >>To: <debismith at moscow.com>, <suehovey at moscow.com>,
>> >> ><vision2020 at moscow.com>
>> >> > >>CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
>> >> > >>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Godwin's Law Strikes Again!
>> >> > >>Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2007 20:07:27 -0800
>> >> > >>
>> >> > >>Extremely interesting. Should someone from the mildly conservative
>> >>side
>> >> >of
>> >> > >>the fence have a minor lapse of manners or tact, the squealing and
>> >> > >>castigation rises to a level at which our canine friends
>> >> > >>experience
>> >> > >>profound and lasting aural pain.
>> >> > >>
>> >> > >>But on the other hand it's OK to demean the offender with a level
>>of
>> >> > >>calumny several orders of magnitude greater then anything
>>originally
>> >> >said.
>> >> > >>I mean really, when you feel you have to resort to not so subtly
>> >>calling
>> >> > >>someone's mother a bitch along with the silly BS in the post to
>>which
>> >> >I'm
>> >> > >>responding, you really have to wonder If Ms. Hovey, Ms. R-S, Mr.
>>Fox,
>> >> >and
>> >> > >>the rest of the usual suspects have any sense of irony at all.
>>Double
>> >> > >>standard risen to the power of hypocritical joke. What's even
>>funnier
>> >>is
>> >> > >>that this communication will likely raise the trash talk to the
>>next
>> >> >level
>> >> > >>as well as spread it to additional players. Who needs comedy
>>central
>> >> >when
>> >> > >>we've got the V.
>> >> > >>
>> >> > >>Commence self righteous, self satisfied, school yard sputtering,
>> >> > >>g
>> >> > >>
>> >> > >
>> >> > >
>> >> > > =======================================================
>> >> > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> >> > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>> >> > > http://www.fsr.net
>> >> > > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> >> > > =======================================================
>> >> > >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>=======================================================
>> >> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> >> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>> >> http://www.fsr.net
>> >> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> >>=======================================================
>> >
>> > _________________________________________________________________
>> > Check out all that glitters with the MSN Entertainment Guide to the
>> > Academy
>> > Awards® http://movies.msn.com/movies/oscars2007/?icid=ncoscartagline2
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>> > =======================================================
>> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>> > http://www.fsr.net
>> > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> > =======================================================
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>>
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>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>> http://www.fsr.net
>> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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