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RMRK General => General Chat => Topic started by: Roph on March 09, 2007, 03:44:43 AM
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New York City symbolically banned use of the word nigger on Wednesday, the latest step in a campaign that hopes to expunge the most vile of racial slurs from hip hop music and television.
The City Council unanimously declared a moratorium that carries no penalty but aims to stop youth from casually using the word, considered by most Americans to be the most offensive in the English language.
The New York City measure follows similar resolutions this month by the New York state assembly and state senate, and supporters of the ban are taking their campaign to The Recording Academy, asking it not to nominate musicians for Grammy awards if they use the word in their lyrics.
Many rap artists and young New Yorkers toss the word around as a term of endearment or as a substitute for black, angering some black leaders who consider those who use it as ignorant of the word's hate-filled history in slavery and segregation.
"This could be the beginning of a movement," councilman Albert Vann said.
Councilman Leroy Comrie, a sponsor of the moratorium, said the campaign against the word has gained strength since comedian Michael Richards spewed it in a racially charged tirade in Los Angeles.
The Laugh Factory club where Richards performed has since banned comedians from using the word there and the former "Seinfeld" television star has apologized.
"The Michael Richards incident really brought it to another level. It has forced people to express their outrage. Many people had been seething quietly," Comrie said.
Comrie also asked TV network Black Entertainment Television to stop using the word in its shows. Representatives of BET did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Grammy spokesman said he doubted the academy's 11,000 voting members would support any measure that might censor artists.
"They are not going to be supportive of something that excludes someone simply because they are using a word that is offensive," said Ron Roecker, vice president of communication for the Recording Academy.
The city resolution calling for the moratorium traces the etymology of the word from the Latin "niger," meaning black, to its first documented written use in 1786 as a term slave masters used to label their African slaves.
Use of the word by blacks exploded with the rise of rap music in recent years, and some black comedians like Chris Rock continue to use it in their routines.
"What, is there a fine? Am I going to get a ticket?" Rock mocked in a Reuters interview when asked about the City Council move. "Do judges say, '10 years, nigger!"'
Rock said politicians were trying to divert attention from real problems: "Enough real bad things happen in this city to worry about how I am going to use the word."
My stance - absolutely retarded (http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/7035/racecardwsdpgow8.jpg).
It's actually kind of offensive, though I'm not sure if I'd be able to explain why.
I don't think any word should be banned, even if it's being said to someone who views it as the worse possible thing to say in the world. I don't care what the word meant, or what it means today, or what it can mean if said differently or in this manner - it's a word. To penalize the use of a word is... is... I can't even think of a word for the stupidity of this.
All I can think of is asinine and that's not even close enough for the impudent thinking that this will somehow save or help some one some where.
Does this mean I can't read Huckleberry Finn aloud? Or do a lil sing along with half - at least - of the hip hop songs on the radio today? Or that I can't watch a pop-urban comedic routine in a movie or on the stage anymore?]
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It is retarded. It's a restriction on the freedom of speech. First that take away trans fat and iPod on the street, now they take away nigger?
Words are only offensive if they're made to be so- nigger is one of them. It's not fair, and it's not right to restrict the words people are able to say. If it is a word, no matter what kind, it should be able to be said. It's especially big bullshit that they're trying to take it from songs and from the television. There are parental warning stickers and ratings for exactly that reason. People should be able to go about this sort of thing under their own discretion.
Anyway, tons of niggers live in NY. MAY THEY CONTINUE TO BE NIGGERS, AND TO SAY IT LOUDLY, TOO.
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Stupid, just Stupid..
So how will they act when a person's music says Nigger, or a rapper in a concert says Nigger...dumb rule.
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Well, it's not exactly offending it, and no one is going to follow, they're gonna say nigger, but no one is gonna know what they say, so it's kinda stupid :\
exept those singer and all..
it more stupid for them :\
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Actually, I would support this. Not because of the word itself, but what it represents.
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Today it barely represents anything, not when black people use it so often. Banning it only gives the word more power.
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Actually, I would support this. Not because of the word itself, but what it represents.
WEll you are right but ppl dont use it like
Sup Nigger
only racists do, and there arent SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many
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I just lol when blacks who use the word often, get offended by it.
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Banning words? Orwell is spinning in his grave.
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Well yeah, everyone has freedom of speech, thats a government thing, now they shouldve thought before that words like nigger could come up, but thats their problem.
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I think it's quite idealistic for Americans to think of them selves as living in the land of the free , this is just one more suppression proving this to be not true. Well done, your making the enemies arguments for them.
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I think it's silly that the world judges the people of an entire country based on their government's actions.
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This is a non-issue, just a few politicians saying that they've "done away" with racism. It will make some people feel good, because for them "nigger" is the last remnant of racism in an otherwise egalitarian society. They're comforted by empty gestures like these.
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Exactly what I was going to say, Djang.
What about freedom of speech? What the hell has this country become?
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My friend admits she hates the word "Nigger" (She's a so called, "nigger") but she doesn't mind it as long as it isn't an offensive comment or conversation.
~Winged
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Nigger is only offensive to narrow minded people, period.
Seriously, me and my friends laugh and joke about them words but we never take them as offensive.I have been called it a couple of times and I don't care.
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I was on the radio which plays English songs, and i like heard a song with every second word nigger...
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I lol'd pretty damn hard. I say 'friendly black fellow' (yes I like that spelling) more than I probably should, I am working on it - but banning a word? Lol.
Fuck is basically banned isn't it?
But banning this word is oh god... stupid.
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You can't ban a word. Its simply too hard to enforce. People are going to say what they want to say, and that's the end of it. I'm sure this was a symbolic thing, so the argument really holds no merit anyway.
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Just like Holkeye said, I would just keep saying it, a ban is just something politicians say, it doesn't have any real significance if no one cares about it.
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Banning words? Orwell is spinning in his grave.
So's Rand :o
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Lol, not to get off topic, but my initial post to this thread was going to be, "Which one?"
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It is retarded. It's a restriction on the freedom of speech. First that take away trans fat and iPod on the street, now they take away nigger?
Words are only offensive if they're made to be so- nigger is one of them. It's not fair, and it's not right to restrict the words people are able to say. If it is a word, no matter what kind, it should be able to be said. It's especially big bullshit that they're trying to take it from songs and from the television. There are parental warning stickers and ratings for exactly that reason. People should be able to go about this sort of thing under their own discretion.
Anyway, tons of niggers live in NY. MAY THEY CONTINUE TO BE NIGGERS, AND TO SAY IT LOUDLY, TOO.
Quoted for abso-fucking-lutely agree.
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It is retarded. It's a restriction on the freedom of speech.
America has been in a state of emergency since sometime like 1960, giving the president the ability to ban free speech, censor the media and relocate citizens and property.
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omg! black comedians and rappers are screwed!
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It is retarded. It's a restriction on the freedom of speech.
America has been in a state of emergency since sometime like 1960, giving the president the ability to ban free speech, censor the media and relocate citizens and property.
Wow, so much for the so called "land of the free" huh?
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Ooooh, so that's what that South Park episode was about!
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Yeah, I read that a while back. It has been used, too. Numerous times it has censored political leaders when on the topic of UFOs. (for reasons of national security).