Add it to the list

Add it to the list
Add this to the list of things I am tired of, bored with or otherwise pissed at:

This thing where we can't talk about a word and say the word, I'm tired of it.

Now, I grant you, I'm a middle class white guy, but I'm of the opinion that if we're really truly intent on having a frank discussion on the word "nigger," we'll never get there if we're resorting to euphemism, and having adults crutch themselves up on the phrase "The N Word."

There will never be a frank dialog about the state of relations between a group of people if you are constantly skirting around certain words with negative connotations. Facing the ugliness underlying the word, to me, should be priority one, if we're going to dig into the issue. I don't know about you, but if I hear somebody discussing the semantics of the word "nigger," I lose a lot of respect if they say "The N Word." And that frank discussion will never come the minute I lose that respect.

We're not children. If you think it's an ugly word, putting a cover over it doesn't make it any less of an ugly word. I paraphrase George Carlin: It's not the word that's the problem...it's the bigot sitting in his living room that's the problem.

And I don't say that because I particularly want the word nigger flung around. I also think it's an ugly word.

But somehow, it's like we're refusing to face the issue if you keep avoiding and trying to ban the word.

Hiding the word doesn't remove the ugliness.

It's a simplistic post and a sentiment presented many times before by many more eloquent than yours, truly. Mostly I'm tired of my local news doing stories on it, making themselves sound like overgrown, overly shushed children by saying "The N Word" whilst I'm waiting to watch the local weather. I wanna know if it's gonna rain, you asswipes. Get to the weatherguy, and quit trying to make me believe that taking the word out of the lexicon takes away the ugliness in the hearts of people.

That, or show a story about girls in bikinis, or that video of a monkey washing a cat.

edit: got a comment chiding that "This is nothing new," as if I've never watched teevee or studied media before. If it were new, I wouldn't be tired of it.

Also, we don't often feel the need to make news stories out of the word "shit" or "fuck," do we? If we did, I'd feel the same way those bullshit, cheap heat news stories that I do about ones about "The N Word," which generally are designed more to incite than help.

The commentor left a link as his identity to The United Voices which, to my mind, proves my point entirely. I can empathize with the intent, but by using the phrasing "the n-word" it complete invalidates and delegitimizes your stance, in my eyes.

Like I said, there are those who can speak more eloquently to it than I can. But hiding from the word nigger doesn't make it go away.

My thinking on the whole deal is that if we all concentrated a little more on being "Americans" instead of "White Americans" or "African Americans" or "Jewish Americans" or "Samoan Americans," and a little less on what names we're calling ourselves and each other, we'd get a little further along.

Lastly, I'd like to debate the commentor on naming the very worst profanity of all.

I tend to think the words "World Champion St. Louis Cardinals" is much more offensive.