When did things change?

[Locutus]

I heard 'nigger' as a kid used primarily to describe brazil nuts or whatever they were referred to by my old man. We lived on military bases and as such generally a gated closed wasp community. But when my dad brought over a half dozen of his avioncs students (they were from Tanzania), they were obviously not referred to as niggers that I heard. I mean, why would they be anyway.

I also never met a colored student of any kind until highschool in Ottawa mid-seventies and there were a couple Indian girls and one or two black kids too. Nobody called those people niggers to my recollection.

You wanted to insult or put down a peer you'd call him a homo, a spaz, a retard or something anyway.

It's a historic word that is 'banned' by almost anyone these days that isn't an approved black person even though half the hip hop blaring from idiots with crappy car speakers is loaded with the epithet.

It's all about context and the ulterior motive for using it or finding a 'clever' way to work it into a conversation.

Most races have a pet word or two connected to them. Big deal to some, not so much to most.

Doesn't mean I need to use them in normal conversation.

Now jiggaboo, now there's a funny word.

Anyway, bruce jenner is gettin' a tv show I hear. More important stuff for us to concern ourselves about.

 

[CDNBear]

I had the job title of "Yard Nigg3r" when I first started in mining.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I used the n-word as a child and teen and it was not thought of as taboo. When did the word become verboten for white people to use? Was it in the '80s?

I remember the old einee-meenie-minee-moe rhyme didn't always have 'tiger by the toe'. I think tiger is better but certainly nobody gave it a second though then. This was well before the 80s though.

Personally, I am happy people have stopped using the word. It does perturb me that you can still hear it in some c-rap music.

 

[Ludlow]

usually when I would encounter a couple of insensitive self centered plebes like blackloaf and walter I would simply just shake the head , turn and walk in another direction leaving in my wake a wonderful fragrance that they may bask in the ambience of the memory of my presence.lol

 

[grainfedpraiboy]

Civilized, educated, compassionate and reasonable people began to stop using the word at various stages over more than a century when they realised how insensitive and asinine it was to do so. It should be the obligation and even duty of any majority in a democratic society to do its utmost to protect any minority within that society regardless of race, creed or religion.

Blacks are more of an American issue though. In Canada we have a similar parallel in that we failed the native people miserably and are largely responsible for the situation First Nations find themselves in today. Our societal actions are embodied in our language and everyday conversations. When you use pejoratives against others you condition yourself and others to accept as legitimate the targets ostracization and even discrimination.

 

[CDNBear]

Cracker please!

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Cracker please!

*hands CDNBear a cracker*

Here y'go.

 

[Ludlow]

Cracker please!

shut it white paddy

 

[CDNBear]

shut it white paddy

Nigga please!

 

[SLM]

Cracker please!

That's saltine Canadian if you don't mind.