EUREKA, I'VE GOT IT!!!!!!!!! :0)

All of this talk about language had me pondering the perfect topic for our final paper. Finally I"ve got it. My topic will be...ahem drum roll please ...........................THE 'N' WORD. My inspiration came partially form Lakoff's quote "A great many focus on the respective roles of women and men: who can do and say what and what it means. Others ask the same questions about white and black persons. " she also states that these issues are about language. "who has the ability and the right to make meaning for everyone.

There are many debates about this one word that must remain nameless; shit it's language, I'm talking about the word Nigger. Some feel as if it should be ommitted from everyone's language, the word should be buried, its tombstone reading "The unspeakable: never to be ressurected again" I am in somewhat agreement of this, however we cannot bury language. And truth be told this ugly word is not dead, it is alive and well.

There is a minority of people who use the word niggah as a form of love,they've said things like " I can use it , but any non-black doesn't have the right". I can see where these people come from too, however, language isn't segregated and if these people feel that they can say it, then they should be aware that they give permission (whether they want to or not) for others to say the word as well.

The problem here isn't the word, but what the word represents. It represents racism, hatred, discrimination. But to some it represents love, I've heard ""that's ma niggah so many times" The issue is when do you determine if this word is hatred or not. Some may even argue that the racism is so engrained in our society that when blacks say the word, it is out of self hatred. I say it is a language struggle, my conclusion is none right now...sorry. I do know however that the word was taken from the spanish word negro- which means black(the spanish being very active in the slave trade)....it then morphed to the word nigger, probably by some racist bastard in Mississippi who can't read (don't worry Prof. Mahoney, I will do my research) and here we are in the year 2007, and we are battling this ugly word, which was a big mispronunciation and you wouldn't believe the pain it causes. I was called nigger by a passing driver, my freshmen year and it hurted. I started to cry and then I stopped myself realizing this was probably the response he wanted. Then I said "FUCK YOU, YOU ARE THE NIGGER!!" It made me feel better and I'm sure the driver wasn't expecting that one at all!