Niggaz in the midst

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Had a conversation recently with a friend in which I used the term “nigger.” I did not refer to a person of a specific gender, ethnicity, country of recent origin, or any other factor which is determined through an accident of geography or genetics.

A quite good movie

The person I was talking to understood that immediately.

My use of the word “nigger” referred to a person who has made a certain set of choices. All voluntary. Nothing accidental. Nothing forced. All within the “nigger’s” control. These choices I find reprehensible, derogatory and in general make the person occupy the lowest rung on this ladder we call humanity.

I found, as I do in writing this, the word itself is offensive. For me to find a word offensive is saying a lot, likely more than you can imagine. yet I do find the word distasteful. I do not like writing it, saying it or thinking it.

Yet, I can find no other term in the English language which fits the kind of person I attach that perforative to.

Arg.

To elaborate a bit more, the way I look at the word, a nigger can be of any hue.

We all "people of color" Nobody is transparent

Still confusing. So I must resort to additional language I do not like. A nigger by my definition can be a “white,” “brown, “red,” “black” or “yellow” person.

A “nigger” by my definition is as worthless a person as you can possibly get.

I still don’t like the word. I still can’t find a better term to describe the people I briefly detail above.

No doubt my retooling of this word is going to annoy many. Some believe the word applies exclusively to one set of people with a high melanin content in their skin.

Oddly enough, depending on who says the word in conjunction with a person of a darker skin hue, it can be positive or negative.

In other words, it can be an insult, a denigration, a separation and a repulsion. It can be a word of affection, praise, commonality and greeting.

Even as I admit to not liking the word, I find myself staunchly defending the word as it appears in Mark Twain’s work. A recent republication of Huckleberry Finn has the word nigger replaced with slave. The word exchange now changes the meaning of what Twain was putting across in words, not to mention it tampers with an American Classic.

In Twain’s work, it was not a rude statement, an insult and so forth. It was a simple appellation appended to Huck’s friend Jim.

So, here I am abhorring the word on one hand and yet demanding it’s continued use on another hand. Even as I personally decry the word, I cannot find an adequate substitute.

Arg and double-arg.

There is a simple solution to my dilemma regarding this word. 1) Leave classic literature alone (you idiots). 2) People should quit being niggers (you idiots) and be responsible. 3) Everyone agree on what the word means and leave it at that.

Ain’t gonna happen. Would be nice if it did.  My 4 points are equality. A nice concept, but when you get right down to it, most people are not in favor of it.

Language is a great example of this. If we are to be truly equal then everyone can use a word and it be accepted or rejected universally.

If one person uses the word and it is considered all right and another uses the word and it is not all right, then we have an situation of inequality. And we have a situation whereby I find a word offensive.

Tell me who are you?