One Mans Opinion
8/26/10
By Dewaine Shoulders

It’s taken me a few days to digest this, but I think I finally have enough guts to take on this subject: Dr. Laura and the infamous N-word.

Let me begin by saying that I hate the word. The dreaded N-word is a word that I used a long time ago (back in my liberal days, mind you), and out of total ignorance. Without going into too much detail, I think that I was angry when I said the word, and my best friend (a black kid named Mike) was in the car with me at the time that I uttered it. And he understood exactly what I meant by it. It wasn’t directed to him, but to a group of blacks that were acting like fools. And the word slipped off of my tongue easily… Too easily, in fact. I apologized to my friend, and he grinned and said to me, “You’re right though… They are!”

It’s an easy word to use out of anger, or even mistrust. But that doesn’t make it right for people to use the vile word. And in all of my years since that time in my nubile youth, I have not uttered that vile word again. It’s even hard for me to talk about this subject; mainly out of fear that I’ll be labeled a racist just because I typed the word. But for this article, I must, because this subject is too important not to talk about. We are in a nation that race is often used to separate us, define us, and otherwise keep us from getting along with one another. We have become a hyphenated nation (African-Americans, Latino-Americans, etc.), and the race card is played all too often, and (I believe) used to further a cause that will keep the races separate and unequal so long as there is money to be made by those that point the racism finger at someone else. Rev Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, and many others make a living off of the race card. They are as guilty of being racists as any white person in my opinion.

The other day, on a Discovery Channel blog thread, someone used the word ‘Hymie’ in reference to a Jewish man who posted something Pro-Palin. The anti-Palin responder called him Hymie (The guys name is Hyam). Hymie is a racial slur. It was pointed out to the (ahem) liberal gentleman that it was a slur, and there were those on the left that defended the guy, saying that it wasn't meant to be racist.

But if you defend someone that uses the N-word, then it automatically makes you a racist. Double standard?

But before I go on a tangent here, let’s look at where the word actually comes from. There may be an answer out there that I haven’t seen or heard of as to the origins of the word, but the two origins that I have heard of for the N-word are – A. a form of the word Niggard: (nigard) n. a stingy person (Webster’s Dictionary); or B. (and most likely true) - it could be derived from Nigeria, where many of the slaves came from back in the days of the slave trade.

The ignorant white plantation owners probably were too illiterate back in those days to even pronounce the word. I can imagine something like Niggeria or Niggerian coming from someone from the Deep South back then. Probably some fat white guy with a wad of tobacco in his mouth, trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about. And in the course of trying to explain to someone else where the slaves came from, the dreaded N-word came to be. “Them thar Niggerians are gonna pick that cotton and make me a bunch of money!” Not that I’m trying to make light of slavery, I’m trying to show how ignorant we were back in those days as humans. In the words of Steven King (from the book The Gunslinger) ‘The world had moved on.’

Now, to touch upon Dr. Laura Schlessinger and the supposed racial slur-filled rant she made on her radio show last week. The caller was in a mixed-race marriage and was asking Dr. Laura about some comments made by certain friends of theirs. In explaining some of the racial epithets she had heard, Dr. Laura said: (The following is an excerpt of the call)

SCHLESSINGER: No, no, no. I think that's -- well, listen, without giving much thought, a lot of blacks voted for Obama simply 'cause he was half-black. Didn't matter what he was gonna do in office, it was a black thing. You gotta know that. That's not a surprise. Not everything that somebody says -- we had friends over the other day; we got about 35 people here -- the guys who were gonna start playing basketball. I was going to go out and play basketball. My bodyguard and my dear friend is a black man. And I said, "White men can't jump; I want you on my team." That was racist? That was funny.

CALLER: How about the N-word? So, the N-word's been thrown around -

SCHLESSINGER: Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is nigger, nigger, nigger.

Is she right? Yes she is! Comedians, most notably black comedians like Richard Pryor, use (or used) the word early and often. If you have ever watch an episode of The Boondocks, you’d hear that word quite often, and from the mouth of a child no less (a cartoon child, but you get my point). Blacks can use the word as a term of endearment, but if someone like Michael Richards or Dr. Laura uses it, it’s called hate speech.

Clearly the word is hate speech, but Dr. Laura was trying to make a point to the caller. And the point is that there is a double standard at work here. And if the word offends me, then it should offend everyone! If someone says the N-word then they are racists, unless if they are black, then it’s okay. Hypocrisy at its finest!

I know there are white kids (out of ignorance) that use the word, or the variation ‘Nigga’ all of the time, and to other white kids. They used it as a term of endearment, too. That doesn’t make it right! But if blacks can use the word, then everybody else should be able to use it too, and without being labeled racists. The word is in the dictionary, and words are just words. Only the meaning behind the word is harmful. So, if blacks don’t want anyone else using the N-word, then they should step-up to the plate and stop using it themselves. As Mr. Spock (Star Trek) would say, “It’s logical!”

Now, there are people that have labeled Dr. Laura a racist because of her using the word (albeit a total of 11 times during the conversation). Dr. Schlessinger has since decided to stop doing her radio show because of her rant, and apologized profusely for it. And then there are those that have labeled Sarah Palin a racist for defending Dr. Laura.

On Twitter, Sarah Palin urged Dr. Laura ‘not to retreat, but to reload!’ I think Sarah Palin saw what the good doctor was trying to say as educational. If there is a double standard, then it must be pointed out and stopped! And speaking of the double standard, it also means that it’s okay to use the word ‘Faggot’ - but only if you’re gay; ‘Retarded’ - but only if you’re mentally challenged, or ‘Honky’ - but only if you are a horn!

Please! The double standards that we are all expected to live with and abide by are totally ridiculous. If a certain group of people have privileged use of a certain word, or certain rights that no one else has, then you are taking away the rights of everyone else in order to make sure that these other groups have those special rights! There is nothing in the constitution that gives anyone special rights. There should be only ONE STANDARD for all to live by.

So, I am calling for the removal of the N-word from the lexicon of society! That way, nobody uses that hateful word ever again.

A person that uses the words (and I hate to even type them) Nigger, or Nigga in their daily speech is a racist. Those who point it out and call for its removal from the vocabulary are not. Thus, Dr. Laura Schlessinger is not a racist. Nor is Sarah Palin for defending her. They are simply pointing out the hypocrisy of those that do use the hateful words.

But that’s just my opinion, I could be right!