SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Recently I responded to comments that Russ Nelson makes about the n-word on his blog, which I must add he is highly in favor of using; and since I'm an African American and he is Caucasian I found it interesting that thru out his blog the n-word is spelled with "er" and not an "a", which further illustrates my point that no matter how that word is spelled, the meaning of it remains the same. The following was posted on his blog in response to my comments. I have in turn responded to the below comments of Russ Nelson, which comes immediately after.

UPDATE 11/9: I received email from H. Lewis Smith, the author of Bury that Sucka!. He objects to the black community's internal use of nigger as a friendly self reference, but when used by people outside of the community, it is an insult. I agree with him. If the power of the word is to be destroyed it can only be done through consistency. I think it can be best destroyed with a "Yes, I'm a nigger" attitude. It seems to me like he thinks that if black people stop using it, so will everyone else. I disagree with him there. As long as there are racists, and as long as racists can offend by using it, the word will be used.

UPDATE 11/12: Russ, I revisited your web site and I just wanted to clarify something about the need for African Americans to refrain from referring to one another with the n-word. The idea is not to try and stop others from using that word. It is not to try and make that word disappear. The reality is that word is as much a part of American history as the Boston Tea Party, the Civil War, slavery, etc. and in of itself will never disappear.

The reality also is that the history behind this word isn't a myth, this word is a testimony to some of the most ugliest and darkest moments in American history, therefore there is nothing respectable about this word and for African Americans to show disrespect to themselves borders on the line of being mindless. White American for almost four centuries have always encouraged Blacks to identify themselves with this word and will never discourage them not to. It is the African American who is going to have to learn to re-define who they are...and what they are not is the n-word. In other words, there is more to this word than just being a racial slur, there is an image associated with this word that psychologically is mentally debilitating.

So just to clarify, the issue is not to try and control what others say or do, but to control ourselves.