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By the time this silly thread gets closed Chris Rock will have used the "N" word more than 600 times (in his act alone).
Thread summary: Whitey can never use the "N" word. Blacks can use the "N" word whenever they want. The double standard is all Whitey's fault because of what happened before a war that settled the matter more than 150 yrs. ago.
Can we all get over this racism hang up on CD and just get along as Americans without pre-judging the intent of what someone says based on the amount of melanin expressed in the epidermis?
You conveniently left out a few things about the 100 years after the Civil War so let me help you out. After that war that ended 150 years ago the United States entered a period that is known as the Reconstruction Era. During this period Black Americans attempted to establish themselves as free people. Most of these Black Americans lived in Southern states. Immediately after the war in Southern states several Black Americans were able to become elected officials. This infuriated many Southern Whites Americans who perceived that Black Americans should NOT have equal rights in America and definitely should not have economic and political power on par with White Americans. And yes, there are White Americans that still feel this way and they are infuriated that Barack Obama is President of the United States.
It also pissed off Southern White Americans that former Confederate leaders could not vote and could not run for office. At that time Federal troops where in the South to protect free Black Americans which also infuriated that South. So White Americans in the South started to use voter intimidation tactics to discourage Black Americans in the South from voting. These Southern White American were so adamant about restoring the social system they lived under prior to the Civil War that they formed an organization called the Klu Klux Klan that started a campaign of domestic terrorism against Black Americans. The Klu Klux Klan used Christian based rhetoric and socially conservative philosophies to attract their followers. A tactic that is still in place today amongst conservative groups. The Klu Klux Klan started a campaign of burning people out of their homes, killing, and lynching people. Often Southern White Americans elected as state and local officials condoned these violent acts or even actively participated in them.
During this time most Southern White Americans where Democrats. The Republicans who supported freedom and equal rights for Black Americans where in control of both the White House and Congress until a recession in 1873. Democrats became more powerful in Congress and Northern White Americans becomes increasingly frustrated and weary with problems in the South. In 1876 the Presidential election was one of the closet in American history, pitted a Republican Rutherford P. Hayes, against Democrat Samuel J. Tilden. The election saw Hayes lose the popular vote and the electoral vote in several states were in dispute. The Republicans struck a deal with the Democrats. In return for the Democrats not disputing the electoral votes required to put Hayes in the White House the Republicans agreed to several things. One, was the removal of some Federal troops in the South prior to the inauguration and the removal of all Federal troops in the South after the inauguration. Other things in this agreement were the appointment of at least one Southern Democrat to Hayes’ cabinet, Federal money to help industrialize the South and construction of another Transcontinental Railroad across the South (This never materialized).
Once Federal troops left the South, White Americans expanded their campaigns of domestic terrorism against Black American in the region and used voter intimidation and voter fraud to regain political control of the South. This ended the Reconstruction Era. They then moved forward with a set laws known as the Black Codes and later Jim Crows laws that segregated the South and politically and economically disenfranchised Southern Black Americans until the Civil Rights movement in 1950’s and 196t0’s.
So while you are right the Civil War was settled about 150 years ago. The entire issue of Black Americans having full and equal rights wasn't really settled until about 45 years ago, which means we still have some White Americans around that happen to believe that Black people should have never gotten full and equal rights.
So let's see, context matters when it's Rev. Wight or Shirley Sherrod, but Dr Laura is wrong?
Yes and here’s why. In the case of Shirley Sherrod and Reverend Wright portions of their speeches and statements were taken out of context to distort the overall message. If fact many Americans STILL haven’t heard either Shirley Sherrod’s or Reverend Wright’s speeches in their entirety. Dr. Laura’s phone call has been played in the media in its entirety
dr laura is known to rant. but race baiting is something a smart woman like her should have been aware of but she ignored it and lost her job.
i hate race baiting but it is a powerful tool and is used ruthlessly. let the player beware.
I didn't see that as race baiting. The woman simply called to talk about a personal family situation. Dr. Laura totally lost her composure from the beginning. I've always liked her values in general, but this is not the 1st time I've heard her being extremely rude and abusive to a caller. It was the most blatant I heard. The caller said nothing wrong and wasn't attacking the world or anything like that. She was the civilized one here and Dr. Laura was a loose cannon.
Yes, the 1st Amendment protects her freedom of speech. But she should not let her mouth overload her brain because of it. She did nothing to help conservatism and a lot to hurt it. I hope the caller understands this is not the attitude/mentality of all conservatives.
Yes and here’s why. In the case of Shirley Sherrod and Reverend Wright portions of their speeches and statements were taken out of context to distort the overall message. If fact many Americans STILL haven’t heard either Shirley Sherrod’s or Reverend Wright’s speeches in their entirety. Dr. Laura’s phone call has been played in the media in its entirety
Yes her rant was played in its entirety over and over and she sounded to be so proud to repeat her nastiness. She proved the caller correct in that some don't think before they speak therefore possibly causing pain on the listener. She disregarded the caller's need for advice. Some doctor.
I didn't see that as race baiting. The woman simply called to talk about a personal family situation. Dr. Laura totally lost her composure from the beginning. I've always liked her values in general, but this is not the 1st time I've heard her being extremely rude and abusive to a caller. It was the most blatant I heard. The caller said nothing wrong and wasn't attacking the world or anything like that. She was the civilized one here and Dr. Laura was a loose cannon.
Yes, the 1st Amendment protects her freedom of speech. But she should not let her mouth overload her brain because of it. She did nothing to help conservatism and a lot to hurt it. I hope the caller understands this is not the attitude/mentality of all conservatives.
Here are some common values among conservatives. They hate the NAACP and the ACLU both groups that protect people and not just blacks from abuse. Why? whats makes them hate these groups. When you talk to them they don't watch movies that star black actors. They want say this but when you ask about title after title they have never seen any of these movies. They see all blacks as the thuggish society they see on the news. They believe in not one but several people blacks consider to be racist,rush Limbaugh,glenn beck,michelle malkin and many others. They hate PC, again why? What is about PC that they hate? Fox news is their main news source and blacks just love fox news.
Before you say it I know every Conservative is not the same but I talk to them around me and this is pretty accurate to their mind set and views.
I don't use the N-word, no one calls me the n-word (to my face anyway).
One of things that I hate is when people say "well black comedians and rappers say the N word all the time." Can someone please explain to me how that has anything to do with everyday life? At all?
Or when they say "black guys say it to each other all the time." Well I'm not that black guy. Just because they use it and they embrace it does not mean that I have to tolerate it.
So many people seem to think "well if you're ok with other black people saying it to each other, I should be able to say it to you."
That's what I got our of Dr. Laura's rant. It's okay when black comedians on HBO say it while performing, or when black people say to each other, so you don't have the right to be uncomfortable when your husband's friends say it to or around you.
I don't use the N-word, no one calls me the n-word (to my face anyway).
One of things that I hate is when people say "well black comedians and rappers say the N word all the time." Can someone please explain to me how that has anything to do with everyday life? At all?
Or when they say "black guys say it to each other all the time." Well I'm not that black guy. Just because they use it and they embrace it does not mean that I have to tolerate it.
So many people seem to think "well if you're ok with other black people saying it to each other, I should be able to say it to you."
That's what I got our of Dr. Laura's rant. It's okay when black comedians on HBO say it while performing, or when black people say to each other, so you don't have the right to be uncomfortable when your husband's friends say it to or around you.
It's not okay. At all.
Yes, if we all took our cues from comedians, we'd all be nothing but filthy talking lowlife characters. We should seek to be at our best, not our worst.
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Here are some common values among conservatives. They hate the NAACP and the ACLU both groups that protect people and not just blacks from abuse. Why? whats makes them hate these groups. When you talk to them they don't watch movies that star black actors. They want say this but when you ask about title after title they have never seen any of these movies. They see all blacks as the thuggish society they see on the news. They believe in not one but several people blacks consider to be racist,rush Limbaugh,glenn beck,michelle malkin and many others. They hate PC, again why? What is about PC that they hate? Fox news is their main news source and blacks just love fox news.
Before you say it I know every Conservative is not the same but I talk to them around me and this is pretty accurate to their mind set and views.
Well, some conservatives may be as you describe. I have known some. I have also heard a few liberals say some less than egalitarian things behind closed doors. I don't see many movies these days, but I love any movies with Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington or Mr. T. One of my heroes is Nelson Mandela. I am an admirer of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Buffalo Soldiers. My circles of friends over the years include people of many nations all over the world. A good many are Black Africans from Kenya, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Ethiopia & Zaire (Congo Kinshasa). A good many are Black Americans. People of all nationalities are welcome in my home. My daughters have spent nights with Black friends & they come here as well. Do you think I am the only nonracist conservative?
Dr. Laura has sadly confused "Freeodom of Speech" with the fact there are consequences for saying whatever you want in a public forum.
Unfortunately, unpopular opinions or sentiments can get a person essentially blacklisted. Dr. Laura's rant was not an example of what I would describe as a "unpopular sentiment". It was a misguided rant and nothing more. But I think her Larry King Show opinion concerning such a thing is valid. Sixty years ago in Hollywood there were similiar "consequences" for having even a vague affiliation with Communism. No, being blacklisted doesn't actually violate the Bill of Rights, but in a sense it violates the American spirit of free speech, at least I think so.
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