More often then not, I have seen a handful of players report other players for what they deem to be "Racist". This is usually people who report another player simply because they used the word "Nigga", and more often than not it isn't even in a demeaning way. The question I have to ask is "Are people throwing around the word "Racist" too much".
First, I'd like to ask this. Can a word be inherently racist?
Secondly, I'd like to ask if black privilege is starting to actually become a theme. To make this not seem so broad I am specifically referring to members of the black community threatening others simply because they used a word in a way that was in no way demeaning towards them or their culture.
I happened to stumble across this article: http://www.phillymag.com/news/2013/0...el-eric-dyson/
This article makes a great point by stating that racism is entirely subjective to the person. Simply put, you can only be offended if you choose to be offended. But this does not mean that things can not be offensive, but it's evident that some people are simply too sensitive towards the topic, or as I originally stated, are simply manipulating it.

I also found this absolutely fucking ridiculous article while I was looking around: http://whatculture.com/history/12-ev...y-racist.php/2
And what this article is basically saying is that a word that used to have racist connotations attached to it will still have those negative connotations attached to it decades later. They are essentially stating that the meanings of words can not change over time regardless whether or not the ethnicity that had decided to "take back" the word.
Discuss. Do not deliberately try to offend people. This is a discussion, not an argument.

if you are white and you throw around n-bombs, it is always demeaning

How is it simply always demeaning?
Simply because I am white I am inherently racist?
Simply because I am white means I am unable to use speech that the black community has made absolutely okay to say?
Isn't this racism in itself?

It really depends on the connotation and context of the way the term is used, either way, if you are dropping the bombs with your friends or acquaintances it might be habitual, it's fine. You don't need to do so with your online peers, (Ex. You don't type texts in a British accent)... Anyway, most if not all reports that are sent in are from a negative use of the word

You could classify it as a form of discrimination honestly.

It is like calling people gay. I am pretty sure you don't see people running around dropping that bomb, so you really shouldn't be dropping the n- bomb



And I can't imagine why anyone would want to say it any who. The past the word has is something that was a terrible time in history. So people most likely wouldn't want to bring it up, and possiblly offending someone.

lmfaoooo if you had a word that referred to your race being enslaved used by that same race would you not find that offensive? and before one of you discussioneers comes in with their almighty knowledge of society, I am aware that black people have use the word to be defined as endearing, and a sign of friendship when used between one another. and yes it's so hypocritical that as a group some black people would use this word amongst each other and then get agitated when another race (mainly white people) use it. everyone is a part of the problem, if the word was just somehow squashed from the modern vocabulary it would be fine but that wont happen any time soon.

do I personally think the root word or the modernized word are offensive? na, because I choose not to get offended and move on. is it a meme? yeah. is it funny sometimes? yeah (you should hear the #no mumble). but like all things some people take it too far and those that are offended by the use of the word have a right to be offended.

racism is also a meme but it's still a reality that people of all different races deal with. but this mentality of: "they say it why can't I" is so idiotic to a race the general thinks of themselves as superior (this is just from experience I don't hate white ppl lolz).

Just curious, what do you think of white people being offended by the word? Does that right extend to them? I think that's what a lot of this is about. I think a lot of people are getting fed up of the kind of 'gotcha' mentality and culture of outrage that we've seen in the last decade. Perhaps a lot of it has to do with the rise of the internet and people white knighting.

So if at any time in history a word is a pejorative then it is for all times poisoned?


Except people say gay all the time, but in any case that's some weird logic, why should the usage of the word 'gay' dictate the usage of the word 'nigger'? Why should not saying gay mean that I shouldn't say nigger? I don't really get it.

Hmm, that was a slip up on my part. I was comparing Nigger and gay in some sort of modified way.


The way I thought about it is that both word has a dark past, of course with nigger you have the years of discrimination and segregation, and with gay you have the years of the gays struggling to fit in to the "Perfect" society.

I just think that if nobody is around who is likely to get offended then it doesn't matter what you say. If you are obviously going to offend someone if you say something then don't say it unless you have to.

Maybe faggot would be a better equivalent? Gay just mean gay, faggot is a slur. Nevertheless, still pretty different issues, I would stick to looking at racism as it is, rather than in comparison to a different kind of discrimination.