| Very little of how we communicate is actually verbal.
Imagine for a moment these two scenarios:
1) I walk up to you, fists clenched, teeth bared, brow furrowed, face red, and (standing inside your comfort zone) I say through my clenched jaw "Morning! Nice day!"
2) I stroll up to you, relaxed, smiling and in a chearful voice say "Morning! Nice Day!"
Same phrase, but I'm betting the first one will get me arrested.
Other words carry connotations with them that are hard to shake. Tell a Jew who was alive in Europe during the 1940's that they're "being a nazi" about something and they'll likely not react well.
No, you've never owned slaves or oppressed any black people. There's a very good chance none of your ancestors did, either. However, the word nig*** carries a bad connotation when spoken by whites.
Now, how it became acceptable for blacks to call one another "niggah" is beyond me. I don't know that bit of history or how it gained acceptability between blacks, but remains tabboo for anyone EXCEPT blacks.
Those are simply the rules. It's a strange custom in our society that I've learned to live with. Having a sister who's adopted and happens to be genetically black has offered an interesting perspective. |