02-21-2004, 11:51 AM
I'll again make the distinction between joking and being a racist/xenophobe. A person who is truly racist rarely will make some kind of joke. They will say "get on a boat and go back where you came from" rather than "so a black guy walks into a bar...."
You're being a tad bit pessimistic anon... yes, there is a "double standard" I suppose, although I don't really think that's true because if you refer to yourself as an insult as opposed to another, it's a totally different thing. But anyway, it's not that black people go around using a bad word and are keeping its existence, it's that they are changing a negative word into a positive one. What's wrong with that? When a black guy calls another black guy that, he means friend... it's pretty much like saying "dude." Hell, I say it to some of my friends (not in public of course, I'm too white for that). But if I had a close black friend, we'd probably say it. I think it's a bit more prevalent around here than it is in Canada, so perhaps you don't quite see it the same way.
Also, I'm pretty tired of the whole notion of what "we" did to "them." I refuse to take responsibility for what white people did in the past, enslaving Africans. Did I take part? Hell no. Did my ancestors take part? I honestly don't know, but if they did, it doesn't make it my fault. I know you weren't exactly saying that, but I just think that people should stop saying "we" and "them."
Now, I am hungry and have a train to catch. I'll be back Sunday night, see you all later.
You're being a tad bit pessimistic anon... yes, there is a "double standard" I suppose, although I don't really think that's true because if you refer to yourself as an insult as opposed to another, it's a totally different thing. But anyway, it's not that black people go around using a bad word and are keeping its existence, it's that they are changing a negative word into a positive one. What's wrong with that? When a black guy calls another black guy that, he means friend... it's pretty much like saying "dude." Hell, I say it to some of my friends (not in public of course, I'm too white for that). But if I had a close black friend, we'd probably say it. I think it's a bit more prevalent around here than it is in Canada, so perhaps you don't quite see it the same way.
Also, I'm pretty tired of the whole notion of what "we" did to "them." I refuse to take responsibility for what white people did in the past, enslaving Africans. Did I take part? Hell no. Did my ancestors take part? I honestly don't know, but if they did, it doesn't make it my fault. I know you weren't exactly saying that, but I just think that people should stop saying "we" and "them."
Now, I am hungry and have a train to catch. I'll be back Sunday night, see you all later.