Race/Ethnicity
Questions 111-120
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THE
QUESTION:
R120: Why do white teen girls seem to prefer Chaldean boys?
Charles W., 17, Stamford, CT
ANSWER 1:
I used to work with a Chaldean woman. According to her,
many Chaldean men are supposed to give their bride-to-be a platter of
gold on their wedding day. Also, they tend to spend quite a large
amount of money on their women. Being a white female, like many other
white females, money is important. I think they like the attention
and money being spent on them.
POSTED APRIL 3, 1998
Jessica, 21, white, Orion , MI
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R119: As a white male living in the South, the often-times ugly
racial history of my region is constantly brought up. I honestly feel
relations between blacks and whites are better in this part of the
country than anywhere else. I hope this is because the races have had
to work and coexist together here longer - even though not always in
the right way. What do black Southerners think who have traveled
around, and what do other folks from other parts of the country
think?
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Wallace, Southern-American, Atlanta, GA
ANSWER 1:
I am originally from the North, but have lived in the
South nearly 10 years. I think the way things are in the South, it is
easy to fool yourself into thinking race relations are good. They may
be a little better, but good they are not. In the South, blacks have
to stay within a certain range for whites to accept them, unless they
are very educated. Then they have a better range. It seems as though
there is an invisible line separating communities by race. More
blacks and whites where I am from in Ohio live in the same
neighborhoods, there are more interracial couples and I had more
white friends there than I do here. I met more whites there, too.
Don't get me wrong: The South is great, and I like it here, but race
is still a very real issue. Until you are suffering from the
conditions of race, it is hard to understand the issue. It is
somewhat like men and women not understanding each other, only it is
more than that.
POSTED APRIL 9, 1998
Carmela
<pecola@hotmail.com>
Atlanta, GA
FURTHER NOTICE:
I lived in the South for 30 of my 38 years, and felt
similar to the way you (Wallace above) feel for much of that time.
However, after moving out of the South to California and having
traveled throughout the United States on business in the last few
years, I have changed my opinion. It seems to me that many
individuals in the South may feel as you do, but that the
overwhelming culture and history of the South makes for a rather
distinct yet subtle form of racial separation. Noticing color is a
constant thing, and you are always aware of what you can and cannot
not say to whom, especially when speaking to other white
people, especially older ones. "Not being racist" seems to
require a "stand" or commitment in the South, and when living there,
that seems normal, yet it's particularly ... relaxing.
After moving away, I've found that this previously "normal" need
to be consistently aware of the potential (probable?) racial bias of
a given person has disappeared. The races mix much more transparently
and comfortably, and I don't see nearly the stratification of social
and work-related groups. Color? It never comes up, and I never think
about it anymore. I treat everyone the same now out of habit and out
of comfort, where before it was something I had to remind myself
about, as I was bucking hundreds of years of history, and many people
in the South worked very hard to make sure I didn't forget it.
POSTED APRIL 9, 1998
Craig, white, Foster City, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I disagree with these two answers. I think it's better in
the South. I'm in an interracial relationship, and here in the South,
most people don't look twice. I lived in California (Fremont) for 10
years, and was subject to much more overt prejudice. For example, I
would go into a store with my young son, and the clerk would look at
me, look at my son, look back at me, look back at my son, at which
point I would say something like "I know what you're thinking" and
they'd get all embarrassed. I had police stop me on the street
several times to see if my son was actually mine, despite him riding
on my shoulders having a good time! Here in Georgia, nobody says
anything about it - they understand what the deal is, and pretty much
could care less.
POSTED APRIL 10, 1998
Alex, 39, white
<aleavens@mindspring.com>
Lawrenceville, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
When I was in high school in Houston in the early '80s,
many of my classmates were quite open and unashamed about their
racism. I recall one incident when a cross was burned on the lawn of
a black family who had moved into our 99.9 percent white suburb. I
also discovered that the local Realtor, who was the mother of a
friend, refused to show houses in our area to black families. My
friend matter-of-factly stated that her higher obligation was to the
property values of her neighbors. As an adult, I have heard many
racist gibes and jeers from other whites who assume that all whites
privately share their "we're all in this together" attitude. Racism
is alive and well in the South. I can't speak for the North, but I
expect it's still flourishing there as well.
POSTED APRIL 24, 1998
A. Morgan, 33, Houston
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I grew up in California and moved to the South when I was
20. I was used to people treating each other equally. I grew up in a
small town and went to a small college. When I made the decision to
make the move to Alabama (my parents had moved there the previous
year) I asked one of my college friends to visit me over the summer
break. She was a young black woman and refused to make the trip. Her
response to me was: "No! Down there they kill folks like me." I was
dumbfounded. Yeah, I'd read the history, but thought we'd progressed
further than that. Unfortunately, this friend and I have lost touch
over the last 18 years.
When I did make the move and began to make friends, I developed a
close friendship with a black man. We would go to movies, dinner,
hang out. We were good friends. My mother worried about me, not
because of my choices but because of the "Southern mentality." She
would not forbid me to see him (or my other black friends) because
this was not consistent with the values she and my father raised us
kids on.
I finally understood the depth of the racial barriers in the South
when Bobby and I were headed to a movie one evening and, while
driving through a residential neighborhood, a group of young men
started chasing us in a car and began shooting at us. Luckily, they
were not good shots, and I ended up with only a few bullet holes in
my car and very shaky knees. I lived in that same part of the country
for almost nine years and saw no significant change in the attitudes.
There is still a great deal of separation between the black and white
communities (as well as other ethnic groups). I have never seen any
evidence that blacks and whites get along better in the South. I saw
less tension and fewer racial problems (between all races) in the 20
years I lived in California. Granted, I lived in a small town and
then a small city, but we seemed to get along much better than
anything I have observed while living in the South. I have since left
the city where Bobby and I were shot at and still live in the South.
I still see the definite lines that have been drawn. Although they
are not quite as sharp here in Texas as they were in Alabama, they
still exist.
POSTED JULY 16, 1998
Chole, 38, white female
<cirra@usa.net>, Rowlett,
TX
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I grew up near Philadelphia and race was no more of an
issue there than it was anywhere else - just something to be informed
about and sensitive to. However, since I have moved to South
Carolina, I am more aware (and much more sensitive to) the problems
of race that still exist in this country. All the things I chalk up
to racial paranoia are true in this region: The media, courts and
government treat blacks and whites completely differently. Racial
jokes are appropriate in any context. A restaurant in Savannah, Ga.,
has a sign outside that reads, "If we knew how much trouble you'd be,
we would have picked our own damn cotton." It is disgusting, and the
strangest thing about it is that people like it this way. I cannot
speak for the black community down here, but I know that white people
I've been observing cling very strongly to this degradation of
minorities. They do not acknowledge the human error of judging people
based on color and have a strong system of justification for the
inferiority of non-whites. I never imagined I would witness such
arbitrary hatred and ignorance; I thought we had moved past this. Yet
in this past year I have cried twice out of shame for my race. People
around the country would be shocked (I hope) as I was at how truly
bad it is here. It wasn't perfect in Philadelphia (race-wise), but
there was at least an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and an effort to
make right.
POSTED JULY 27, 1998
D.M.M.
<donikam@hotmail.com>,
Charleston, SC
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
I would like to respond to the issue of racial separation
in the South by addressing it simply from a numerical standpoint. I
heard a statistic that only around 10 percent of the U.S. population
is black. My mouth dropped open! I went to a high school that was 60
percent black, and I have a very good friend who was the only white
person in his high school. It seems to me the percentage of blacks in
the South is more around 40 percent, at least. Having visited the
Midwest, I would guess the percentage there is closer to 1 or 2
percent. Since the South has such a greater pool of blacks, it seems
logical (not necessarily right) that there would be more racial
separation, because there is more opportunity to have black
neighborhoods, black schools, etc. I have a good friend originally
from Nigeria who lived in Salt Lake City. She did not like it there
because there were too many whites. This doesn't mean she dislikes
white people (we are very good friends), but she disliked the lack of
cultural diversity. She felt uncomfortable living among so many
whites. She loves the South because there are choices for
association.
POSTED JULY 28, 1998
M.A.M., 25, white female, Atlanta, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I lived in New York state for 26 years and definitely
encountered racism. It exists in urban and rural areas. I then moved
to Texas for five years, and I did notice the difference the
questioner mentioned. Although relations between the races appears
much more harmonious in the South, it is because true feelings are
seldom publicly spoken. There is a strong undercurrent of mistrust,
and tensions go largely unexpressed in public or mixed forums. In the
Northern states, the racism is more overt, and confrontations occur.
Although this might give the appearance of worse relations, I believe
it creates more dialogue and results in more societal acceptance of
racial mixing. Recently I moved to the Midwest, and find that the
situation here is much like the South.
POSTED JULY 28, 1998
Gypsy, white female, St Louis, MO
FURTHER NOTICE 8:
I had the misfortune of having a layover in the Atlanta
airport just as O.J. was being run to the ground in his Bronco. I was
in a cafe filled with white people and serviced by blacks. I don't
know how many of these people were from the South, but I assume the
majority. The interplay between the blacks and whites in the room was
far more interesting than the one playing out on the TV. The glee in
the expressions and postures of the whites grew more evident as the
chase wore on, as did the distress of the blacks. The truly amazing
part was that the whites didn't even notice the effect this event was
having on the blacks in the room. The looked right through them as if
they were somehow unreal or fixtures of the room itself. I have
encountered prejudice before in the North and the West. I have even
met members of the Klan whose ancestors fought for the Union, but
that scene in the cafe was surreal. Eventually, one of the waitresses
broke down and started screaming and crying at the crowd, and looking
at me for support, which I gave as best I could. The rest seemed
oblivious as to the source of this blatant breach of social
etiquette. Based on this experience, I would suggest that the
peculiar attitude of the South toward race is alive and well.
POSTED NOV. 21, 1998
Kevin, 28, white male
<hotemet@aol.com>, AZ
FURTHER NOTICE 9:
I grew up and live in the New York area, but I lived for
close to four years in Louisiana. My perception is that racism is
well-entrenched in the North and the South, but it manifests itself
in different ways. In the North, whites like to pretend they're
progressive and non-racist, even as they refuse to live near or
socialize with minorities, and even as faceless, institutional racism
carries on. In the South, I was initially appalled at how open the
racism was, but eventually it dawned on me that the effect was no
different than the "sneaky'' racism of the North. Indeed, at least
people of both races know where they stand with each other, in an
unfortunate kind of honesty.
POSTED NOV. 23, 1998
Andrew, 34, white, former temporary Louisianian
<ziptron@start.com.au>,
Huntington, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 10:
"Nigger" is a derogatory term only if you mean it to be. A
couple of years ago the slang term for friend was "dawg." Now it's
"nigga." It's all in how you use it.
POSTED DEC. 2, 1998
Michele, 14, white female
<blue_cardinal@yahoo.com>,
Battle Creek, MI
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R118: I live in an average, middle-class Detroit suburb. I have
noticed that when I drive through areas of the city, African
Americans quite often drive cars that are rather expensive, such as
Cadillacs, BMWs, and Mercedes-Benzes, etc. Yet, these same people
will live in a $5,000 to $10,000 house. Is an automobile of high
stature more important than living in a stable, safe neighborhood?
Please help me understand this concept, or misconception.
POSTED MARCH 29, 1998
B.B. 26, white male
<Skullxbonz@aol.com>
Detroit suburb
ANSWER 1:
Read the response to question R64 in the archives answered
by Claire D. Her answer offers one perspective on your question.
While I don't completely agree with her response, I do believe it has
some merit. It is much more difficult to qualify for a mortgage than
an automobile loan. Also, consider the difference in the down
payments needed. There are many lease and new car purchase programs
with virtually no money down. Don't assume that driving a nice car is
more important to someone than living in a "safe" neighborhood. And
just for the record, you don't know where the people driving those
cars live.
POSTED APRIL 6, 1998
Michelle V., 32, white
<MVroman@prodigy.net>
Detroit, MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
It is not that it is more important to have a more
expensive car than the house they live in. It is important to have a
good, reliable car to get back and forth to work, or these
individuals may not have the home that they do.
POSTED MAY 20, 1998
Michelle S., African American
<yngmom18@aol.com>,
Jacksonville, FL
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Why does someone have to live in a suburban environment
when they become financially successful? There are many safe
neighborhoods in major cities. I am a black male who is financially
successful. I choose to live in a major city, and I choose to drive a
nice car. I am closer to museums, galleries, libraries, universities,
cultural facilities, clubs, restaurants, mass transit, etc., because
I live in an "inner-city" area. (And I do not have an oppressive
mortgage hanging over my head!) With the money I save, I can buy a
nicer car. To me, the suburban lifestyle (with its isolation) is
sterile by comparison.
POSTED JULY 26, 1998
S.G.D. 23, black male, Oakland, CA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R117: Is there any statistical data that would show how much time,
effort and/or money is spent by white people (women) on tanning,
perming, plastic surgery for lip/buttock enhancements, etc.?
POSTED MARCH 29, 1998
Myra, African, 42, Milwaukee, WI
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE
QUESTION:
R116: I have come up against the bias that I am some to blame for
400 years of black enslavement. Why blame me? It makes me feel that I
am not considered an individual, but the sum of the white race. I
treat people based on my experiences with them, not on their
ancestors. What can I do?
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
Ian F., white, 31
<Iroc_56@Yahoo.com>
N.Y., NY
ANSWER 1:
I feel that most African-Americans are not blaming any
individual white person for past wrongdoings. African-Americans are
mostly concerned with the things that white people (I am talking
about those who are in positions of power and those who support them)
are doing now. Much of the discrimination and oppression we face can
be related (directly or indirectly) to slavery. However, not all of
our hardships are related solely to that time period. I am not mad at
white people for their past wrongdoings. I am angry at those who are
oppressing us and supporting that oppression (either actively or by
silence) now.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Kara H., African-American, Japan
FURTHER NOTICE:
See the reply to R87 from Molly (in the Archives). It's a
great answer to your question. I think it's important to remember
that the legacy of slavery continues, and that every day black folks
are mistreated without deserving it, while white folks are given
entitlements they haven't earned. If you are stopped by a policeman
and treated courteously, that's an entitlement. If you go into a
store and are not followed around as if you are a thief, that's an
entitlement. White folks need to recognize all the "hidden"
entitlements they get each day that people of color do not get. As a
white man, when you walk into a room, everyone assumes you are
honest, upstanding, noncriminal, trustworthy, etc., until you prove
otherwise. If you were a black man, a lot of folks would assume the
opposite until you proved otherwise - so you would spend your whole
life trying to prove things other folks take for granted. Unlike
slavery, this is happening right now, and whites need to understand
and take responsibility for the benefits they continue to receive
from the racism in our society.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Sara, Oakland, CA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Sara, thank you for responding to my question. I do not
feel that personally I take for granted the indignities you have
described. I am sure that many do not understand. I just started to
write that I felt frustrated by being judged by my skin color, and it
occurs to me that this is what you are saying. The feelings I have
pale in comparison to the racism that exists today. I am not trying
to compare them. I suppose that I am saying that I treat people as
people, and that I would like the same in return. Perhaps, I need to
take a better look at my feelings and realize that the "racism" that
I am subjected to in no way compares. Again thank you for your
thoughtful reply.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Ian F.
<Iroc_56@Yahoo.com>
NY, NY
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
Also, I ran across and bought a wonderful book that all
white folks who want to do what they can to erase racism should read:
Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Social
Justice, by Paul Kivel.
POSTED APRIL 9, 1998
Sara S., Oakland, CA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE
QUESTION:
R115: How do black parents talk with their young children about
slavery and historical and modern racism? How do you explain such
enormous, organized evil? Same question for Jewish parents explaining
the Holocaust.
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
Margaret B., 53, white
<lib_best@online.emich.edu>
Ypsilanti , MI
ANSWER 1:
We talk to our kids about it in the entire context of what
went on. Slavery was primarily driven by economic factors, and the
racism that went with it was a justification for why "we" were
treating "them" the way "we" did. People have done terrible things
throughout history, and tried to justify them based on the notion of
the "other" - "we are good, they are bad", etc. At some level, this
is an almost inherent human behavior (take a look at Bosnia), and we
talk to them (our kids) about this. Again, it's the context that
matters - not only what was done, but much more importantly, why was
it done? If you don't examine the why, these acts become "senseless"
acts.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Alex, 39, white
<aleavens@mindspring.com>
Lawrenceville, GA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE
QUESTION:
R114: Why was there so much hatred toward minorities in the early
1900s in California?
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
Joshua Z.
<tightcivic@aol.com>,
Rohnert Park, CA
ANSWER 1:
It wasn't just in the West, but all over the country.
During that time, millions of immigrants poured into the United
States from countries all over the globe. Most of these had little or
no money, and even more couldn't speak English. As their numbers
grew, they formed enclaves by nationality. This was all viewed by the
established white populace with horror. Here were "outsiders" coming
to the United States, taking jobs from them, creating places in the
cities where WASPs were the outsiders, and bringing with them
languages and practices that WASPs did not understand, and thus
feared, and thus hated.
POSTED SEPT. 3, 1998
Dan, white male, Newport News, VA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE
QUESTION:
R113: Do people consider Bruce Lee an Asian American hero?
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
David Johnson, San Jose, CA
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE
QUESTION:
R112: I teach parents and teachers about non-violent, effective
guidance and discipline techniques with children. I often encounter
resistance from African Americans who believe hitting/spanking is OK.
It has been my experience that many African-American parents
disapprove of hitting and spanking as discipline, but when those same
behaviors are called "giving a whooping," it is acceptable. How can I
get them to consider otherwise?
RE-POSTED APRIL 3, 1998
Richard C., 33, white male
<richie1@mcs.net>
Chicago, IL
ANSWER 1:
Do you come up against similar bias from non African
Americans? I ask this because I've heard from others who propose
never striking children, and I've heard from
Caucasions/Whites/European-Americans just as much protest. Most
people in this country have grown up with their loving parents
striking them in an effort to show them the wrongs of their ways. In
fact, there are those who say that some situations will always call
for physical chastisement, i.e. running out in the street, hitting
another child, striking a parent. Most people didn't learn to correct
their children without striking them because they were raised with
striking.
POSTED MARCH 29, 1998
Apryl P., black
<apryl@mail-me.com>
Oak Park, MI
FURTHER NOTICE:
A jury in California found that it was appropriate for the
police to whip Rodney King, but when a mother fought with her
recalcitrant teenage daughter who refused to follow her curfew, the
mother was arrested. When the Jonesboro, Ark., boys were caught, the
Federal Government was attempting to see if it could supersede the
state so that an 11 and 13-year-old could be treated as adults. We
have a dichotomy in our society: Never hit a child, but it he commits
a heinous crime, kill him.
POSTED APRIL 6, 1998
Richard R., 51, black male
<romarti@erols.com>
Westbury, NY
To respond
BACK TO TOP
THE QUESTION:
R111: I teach anti-bias education. When I use the word "nigger" in
a learning situation (i.e., a discussion about racism) I have been
told that because I am a white male, there is no acceptable context
in which I should utter that word. What do you think?
Richard C., 33, white male
<richie1@mcs.net>
Chicago, IL
ANSWER 1:
N----r is an especially offensive word even to me as a
white person, unless you are using the word in an educational
context (i.e. "black people used to be called n-----.") Even then,
you could probably just say "black people were called the n-word."
POSTED MARCH 30, 1998
Dan M., 40, Los Angeles, CA
FURTHER NOTICE:
Maybe you should just refer to the word as the "N-word."
Even though you are using the word in the context of discussing race
relations, some people may view the use as a challenge to them.
Personally, I would feel that you were trying to see what my response
would be; i.e. would I get angry, would I try to act as if you had
not said it, etc.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
Lisa J., African American female, 32
<lisa.jackson@cmsx.com>
Smyrna, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
By avoiding the word "nigger," we are all giving it more
power. If someone were to call me a "honky," it would not bother me;
in fact, I'd feel sorry for the person who used it. If blacks tell
people that the word "nigger" bothers them and make a big deal out of
it, then it will be used to do so. The fact that broadcasters, who
would otherwise report that a political candidate had been overheard
to use the word "polack" or "dago," would actually say that the
politician had been overheard to say "the n-word", proves that blacks
have given this word tremendous power. What if I called you a
"glorf?" It's the meaning behind it, not the word, so blacks and
trendy whites should not avoid this word if it's used in a normal
discussion.
POSTED APRIL 3, 1998
S.M., Kansas
FURTHER NOTICE 3:
To S.M., Kansas: I don't understand how you can say blacks
gave the "N-word" power. The word was coined by whites to refer to
blacks in an insulting manner. As is the case with most words, it is
still viewed as an insult when spoken by whites and blacks. I think
the usage of the words by some blacks is actually an attempt to
nullify the meaning and the power the word has. You also stated that
it is the meaning behind the word, not the word, and that blacks and
trendy whites should use it in normal conversation! Why would one
need to use that word in normal conversation unless the purpose was
to offend the black person? Since you are not offended by the word
"honky," would you suggest that blacks and trendy whites use words
like honky, cracker, wetback, dago, etc., in normal conversation?
Also, what is a trendy white?
POSTED APRIL 4, 1998
Claire D., black female, Stone Mountain, GA
FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I am an African-American, and to me the word "nigger" is
offensive and demeaning. Why anyone would choose to add this word to
a conversation, educationally or otherwise, is highly offensive. I
agree with an earlier assessment of using "n" if a point is trying to
be made.
POSTED APRIL 4, 1998
Debra P., Dallas, TX
FURTHER NOTICE 5:
In an educational explanation, I'm not sure it's so bad.
For people to say "use the N-word" would denote childish taboos.
POSTED APRIL 6, 1998
Scott M., 39, white
<Scal8r69@aol.com>
Macomb , MI
FURTHER NOTICE 6:
To Claire D. and Debra P.: When I say "in normal
conversation," I mean like the discussion we're having now, or if we
were discussing Mark Fuhrman's perjured testimony, or if we were in a
classroom, or if a news organ were reporting on the use of the word
by a politician or sports figure. When I say blacks give the word
power, I refer to the fact that people can't generally hurt you - but
that you can let them hurt you. The fact that both of you tell me
this word offends you tells people, "A-ha, here's something I can use
to get blacks going." I can't believe that either of you, if you were
saying to a friend, "Did you hear that President Clinton was
overheard to use the word (Chink/Whop/Spic)?", would actually use the
phrase "C-word" or "W-word" or "S-word." We can reference other
racial slurs in a normal discussion without being racist - why single
one word out and give it special power?
If someone calls you "jerk" and it doesn't get a reaction, and
then calls you "bitch" and sees that it sets you off, they now know
that "bitch" is something they can use to get to you - because you've
given that word power. Let's treat "nigger" like any other word and
it will lose its power to offend.
Finally, a trendy white is someone who suffers from collective
white guilt and says and does all of the politically correct things
regardless of his or her belief in them (i.e., a reporter who will
use the word "dago" in a story but says "n-word" because he or she
doesn't want to be seen as racist).
POSTED APRIL 6, 1998
S.M., Kansas
FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I took a linguistics class and we briefly discussed the
phenomenon of a demographic group "taking back" a derogatory term.
The gay community did this with words like "queer" and "fag," which
are now used within their community. I do not think this necessarily
parallels the word "nigger" because of the historic context and
because the majority of the African-American community has not
accepted taking it back. And why would they? The word has such
atrocious connotations. However, we must teach our children what did
happen and what words like this mean. Does this mean we have to use
it openly? No. That only models an undesirable behavior. Must we
acknowledge its disturbing history and meaning? Yes, so that we never
forget.
POSTED APRIL 6, 1998
Rob, 25, white
<jrmcnair@ouray.cudenver.com>,
Denver, CO
FURTHER NOTICE 8:
I was surprised by the opinions of those who felt it was
innapropriate for whites to use the word (utter the sound) "nigger"
no matter what the context. Is the American taboo about discussing
racial issues so strong that this central word is off-bounds? The
world view of people who use this word as an insult, and those at
whom it is directed, seem so far apart that I feel it is imperative
for us to find ways to discuss these issues without constant fear of
offense. That's what I love about this site.
POSTED APRIL 18, 1998
Joseph, 35, white
<shaules@rikkyo.ac.jp>
Tokyo, Japan
FURTHER NOTICE 9:
I've read a lot of comments by people saying we should use
the word "nigger" freely. Should we start using the words f---, c--t
and sh-t freely as well, so that they get to be common, eveyrday
language? "Nigger" has always meant something negative. It would
great, but think about society: It's never going to change.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
W., white female, MI
FURTHER NOTICE 10:
To say that "nigger" could never be used in terms of
education (or even in the context of this posting) smacks of social
imperialism. What's next - saying we can't teach that certain African
tribes contributed as much to the slave trade as white Europeans?
POSTED JUNE 22, 1998
Rob, 34, white
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