Quote:
|
nigga can only be used by black people to black people, apperently, except a few golden moments for a fly white dude like myself.
|
I would only amend your comment by adding "only be used safely..." to agree with it. Members of distinct groups get a pass to use terms they find offensive when used by someone outside the circle. Gays have this same issue with the word "queer", used in its contemporary context, not in its original meaning of odd or peculiar. I notice when I hear kids say something's "so gay", though after figuring out what they meant by it I am not offended or defensive. But if a straight person were to call me a queer, I wouldn't presume they were just being chummy.
I don't think we need to ban or outlaw words, even hateful ones. We do need to learn when and where we can use them if at all. I have never felt the need to say negro, nigger or nigga when I have a more descriptive and accurate term, blacks, to use. Nor do I use other epithets if I'm unsure how they'll be received, unless I'm trying to elicit a reaction. I do use queer once in a while in that fashion; to startle, to get a reader's attention.