For the love of God, Barack Obama didn't use the word "nigger." He mentioned it. Have we lost our minds? There is as much difference between using a word and mentioning it as there is between using a hammer (to pound a nail, for instance) and talking about it ("This hammer cost me $12"). I'm writing a scholarly article entitled "'Nigger.'" This is precisely what it's about.
Addendum: Here are five uses of the word "nigger" (or "niggers"):
- "You're a nigger."
- "That nigger stole my wallet."
- "No nigger will ever take my job."
- "A nigger would never have helped me."
- "I hate niggers."
Here are five mentions of, or references to, the word "nigger":
- "The word 'nigger' derives from the Latin word 'niger,' which means black or dark-colored."
- "The word 'nigger' is a disparaging term for blacks."
- "The word 'nigger' has six letters."
- "Black people can call each other 'nigger,' but white people cannot."
- "Nobody should ever use the word 'nigger.'"
Just so you know, I did not use the word "nigger" in this blog post. Not once. I did, however, mention it several times, which is to say that I referred to it or talked about it. How can we, as a society, get beyond racism if we can't talk about the words that offend, disparage, insult, or degrade (and how they do these things)? Using "N-word" or "n—–" rather than "nigger" is stupid and dishonest.
