Why do you care what African-Americans call each other?

Question

I've seen this same question repeated over and over and over again on Y!A about why black people call each other the "N" word, but it's not okay for white people to do it.

Here's my question: why do white people care what black people call each other? By asking this question, there's an element of "I can't do it, so you shouldn't be able to do it!" followed by a pouty face and a stamp of the foot like a child.

I grew up in a small country farming community, and my friends and I refer to each other as corn-fed country folk from the sticks. This is perfectly acceptable to us, but an outsider to say this would be chopped up and turned into fertilizer. In essence, this is the same thing: a group identifying itself with joking references to what are otherwise derogatory terms.

Why do white people care so darned much what black people call each other? Black people surely don't care what white people say to each other.

I don't understand why white people are so concerned.

Answer 1

This is a great question and can't wit to see the answers and you hit great points.

Answer 2

they are probably concerned because they think the "N" word perpetuates racism; as long as it is around they think that the memory of slavery and bigotry will live with it because of how it was originally used.

Answer 3

they feel left out.

Answer 4

Your comment is worthy of thought. I guess we should not care what people say about themselves. The hard part is when other cultures make negative references, then it is a problem.  It seems this is an issue that will probably never have 'one' politically correct answer. Rather than help cultivate it - I try to encourage my students and those I hear use negative words to refer to each other, 'not' to use thosed references around me.

Answer 5

I don't care what they call each other.

Answer 6

As a white person, I will tell you why I personally find it so utterly offensive...I have been taught since I could speak that that is the most hideous and hateful thing one person can call another. It is unacceptable. The fact that both speaker and recipient are of the same race is irrelevant. If it's wrong, it's wrong. If there's nothing wrong with it, let's add it into our general vocabulary--FOR EVERYONE TO USE.

No, I don't stamp my foot, but I do believe if something is wrong, then it's wrong. I cringe when I hear people say that, just as I do hearing people using other words/phrases like mother f'er, cvnt, etc...they have no positive use in general. If you find it acceptable to refer to your friends in derogatory terms, that's their problem. I don't find that sort of languaage acceptable.  It also doesn't really matter to me what you think of my opinion--you asked, I answered.

Answer 7

Reluctantly, I have to admit, this is the first argument I have come across that has some logic to it! I am still chewing it over. May be some how I want to believe it just to avoid racial tension!

What is really amazing to me is I hear Cambodians, Vietnamese and Mexicans youths calling each other (not blacks) the N word in full hearing of blacks and they do not even raise an eye brow!

Answer 8

I don't care

Answer 9

You make a good point. It should not matter what words other people choose to use. We can only control what words we use ourselves.

As for me, I don't like to hear other people use disrespectful terms to describe themselves or anyone else. I find that I limit my exposure to people who use insulting labels as I don't want that negative behavior to ever seem normal or become acceptable to me.