Though it’s a conversation that will always be debated, I still find this racial slur offensive regardless of who uses the word or how it is used.
After having my commentary,
“Denouncing the N word,” published in a lifestyle magazine over twenty years
ago, I find the word more offensive, observing its insidious damage to those
who view it as innocuous, and witnessing the blatant damage to those who are
fully aware of its harm.
It’s not the etymology of the
word that mystifies, but it’s preservation and longevity that is deeply
ingrained in the human psyche that it has developed a life of its own, obliviously
passed down through generations that some for whom it was intended to offend are
immune to its intra-racial use.
More than an implosive word
that has turned on itself within some parts of the black community, it’s a commodified
utility that’s heard in songs and movies, as I have seen great dramas use the
word incessantly till it racially emasculates and eviscerates dignity –
the flaw that I feel if omitted would elevate these shows to their highest
merit.
WHY?
