If you set the rules, don't complain when I play by them

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The band Nazareth had a 1975 hit which is still played on classic rock stations today. Unlike in 1975, you can actually hear the whole song on terrestrial radio stations today. I refer to, of course, the seminal and repeated lyrics "Now you're messing with a son of a bitch." (I don't think Dan McCafferty was referring to me.)

Blase' by today's standards. Today various people with no talent and even less ability to be coherent are exploiting the ability to record using nothing more than a smartphone to bring us a cacophony of discord that ranges from the truly terrible to sounds that make me want to climb the clock tower with a deer rifle.

This morning while waiting for the cheerleaders to get dressed for pictures, I was ... subjected? tortured? irritated? annoyed? Bah. I can't find the right word. Anyway, I listened to a verbal assault coming from the field house as the boys got ready for morning football practice.

Among the words I did understand were various iterations of MF and the word nigger about every 5 seconds or so. Understand I have zero objections to these kids listening to this stuff. Their practice, their team, their warmup, their sonic assault from the stereo.

But.

I leaned on Purple Haze waiting for the cheerleaders and wondered what would those same boys (and coaches) would do if I suddenly walked in to the field house and my every 5th word was nigger. I didn't really wonder long. I pretty much know what the reaction would be. Hostility.

I also know that if I were famous, had several recordings of the type I mention above and more attitude than I could possibly back up even with the whole football team behind me, I could have walked into the field house and my every 5th word be nigger and they would cheer for me. My skin color, background, personal history and so forth would be irrelevant. Marshall Mathers gets away with it.

I have said, say and will continue to state words do not require special privilege or rights to use. Words should be used by everyone or no one. If you can use it, I can use it. If you truly believe in parity, then you cannot justify allowing some people to use a word and deny that use to others.

If you don't believe in parity, I can deal with that too. But when you complain that I take special privileges for myself and others and deny them to you, expect me to remind you that you set the rules.

In other words: If you set the rules, don't complain when I play by them.