Palin defends Dr. Laura over N-word rant: ‘Be thankful for her voice, America’

Originally posted by tyranny22

Originally posted by Griffo
It's kind of hypocritical, when black people complain about us using the "n" word, but then use it themselves freely.

Most black people complaining about the n-word being used are not the one's using it as slang to refer to a friend.

Most people using it as slang wouldn't complain about it's usage, even if one of their white friends used it. Some might ... but that's just hypocritical.

I think it is used by black people,
in sort of a backwards slap.........
as if to say

They called us this for years, to make us feel as if we were property
and not human.
We now say it to each other ,to make us know that we are
part of the human family and individual beauty,
and they can never take that away from us.

Thus even a respectful term.......



[edit on 8/19/2010 by Ex]

reply to post by SaosinEngaged

As a white person working in an urban, minority based environment, I can 100% testity that I have received racist remarks almost on a daily basis, but never given one out.

Racism does not equal Discrimination.

Big difference.

And if you are working in an urban, "minority based" (Whatever that means) environment...you have not been DISCRIMINATED against.

You display true ignorance by not recognizing that racism does and can work both ways. In fact, I dare say most politicians are blissfuly unaware that racism is not relegated to being perpetrated by a white individual towards a minority.

Go ahead and find where I said RACISM can't work both ways. Anyone can be racist...you can even be racist to your own group.

But that's totally fine, it's only bad if the one being racist is white. That's the real eye-roll.

Again...I said discrimination...learn the difference between the two.

Then come back and call me ignorant.

I never called YOU ignorant...but you really aren't helping yourself any with your rant.

reply to post by Styki

Has anyone here ever head overweight comedians joking about themselves, or overweight people joking about being overweight amongst each other? If you throw a skinny athlete into the mix, one that is making fun of overweight people then the humor gets uncomfortable. Most of us have a good situational awareness and know when a comment is in bad taste. The comments Dr. Laura made were obviously in bad taste.

Stop it...you are making sense and stuff.

You think logic will work on people who think that since blacks use the N-word that they should be able to use it also???

The reality of the situation is that the N-word has been deeply ingrained into the modern day African American population, just like racism has been deeply ingrained in our society (I mean everyone). I don't expect either one to go away overnight. In most cases, these things start at a young age. It would be lovely for these problems to simply disappear, but it's not likely to happen anytime soon. In my opinion, it would be best for us to recognize these problems and deal with them in a reasonable and realistic manner. We can point fingers all day long, but that's not going to solve anything. Each individual is going to need to attempt to understand both sides of the situation for us to get anywhere.

For example, Shirley Sherrod told her story about how she realized the agriculture problems are not a black problem, they are a poor problem. We need individuals to understand the problem and share what they learned with others. When this is accomplished, then the black community will understand that "black only" scholarships among other things are not the answer.

On the other hand, many in the black community find themselves in similar situations. It's almost natural for the black community to feel the need to pull together and help their own. In most cases, when people are in similar situations it is expected that they help each out. However, in situations where race is involved, pulling together can lead to division. That's why stories like Shirley Sherrod's are important.

As I have pointed out, this is a delicate issue. What doesn't help the issue, are the attacks which are coming from both sides. When one side attacks, the other becomes defensive which only helps create more division. I am not saying that the issue should not be discussed (that's far from my point). As we have seen, the manner in which we discuss these issues is highly important. These issues need to be discussed in a mature and careful tone. That's what the whole issue over Dr. Laura's statements is about.

We will never get anywhere by attacking each other.

[edit on 19-8-2010 by Styki]

Originally posted by OutKast Searcher
Stop it...you are making sense and stuff.

You think logic will work on people who think that since blacks use the N-word that they should be able to use it also???

Ask older Black people what they think of the youth using that term. You'll get a scolding from your parents and grandparents. You know, the ones that actually fought of equality so that the younger generation can piss away what they achieved.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Your prime argument against me is...semantics (with a good bit of straw man)?

Come on.

If you can logically detail for me how my "rant" is incorrect or invalid, I'll be glad to listen.

My point is simple: I've come across more black racists than white racists. Does that make me racist for stating that? Am I suddenly ignorant because I've encountered more black people that were intolerant of white people than vice versa?

In the end, racism itself is just foolish. Judge on character, nothing else. I just don't like the attitude that racism can only be from a white to minority, which is definitely a more "common" belief.

Unless we work to end all forms of it, it's never going away.

I have many black friends that would confirm this. We actually talk pretty openly about it. Perhaps it's because of where I live, and where I work, obviously my life experiences play a huge role in my opinion of all this. I'm from New Jersey and have never been down south.


[edit on 19-8-2010 by SaosinEngaged]

Right ... everyone off to youtube to watch an hour of Chappelle Show!
"Black White Supremacist" and "The N Family" asap.

Cause we're really making waaaaay too much of what an idiot said on the radio and what the head of the Alaska MENSA chapter thinks of it.

Sheesh, Mexicans, Mosques, and now this?
With this much bread and circuses you'd think we're on an election year.


Btw Intrepid, why can't you say "Conspiracy" at your house?

Originally posted by schrodingers dog
Btw Intrepid, why can't you say "Conspiracy" at your house?

Well seeing as I'm an NFL fan, let's just say that that word rhymes with "punt".

reply to post by intrepid

Ask older Black people what they think of the youth using that term. You'll get a scolding from your parents and grandparents. You know, the ones that actually fought of equality so that the younger generation can piss away what they achieved.

Oh I agree...I don't think it should be used by anyone for the simple fact that since blacks are using it, it creates this stupid situation where some people think "well they say it...we should be able to". The fact is that even when blacks use it, it is offense to some people...so it shouldn't be used.

I have no idea how it came to be used in young black culture. If I had to venture a guess it would be that it probably started as an offhanded semi-serious insult to each other and just kind of developed into something that can be said between FRIENDS. I don't know if you have ever seen it used as an actual insult between to black people...but the sting is no less to the recipient and you can see the situation escalate quickly.

Originally posted by intrepid
Personally I don't care if Blacks use "'n-word'". That is one of the 2 forbidden words in my house. Let them debase themselves. I won't have any of my kids use that term. In case you want to know the other, it's the C-word.

Precisely, It's fine if cantaloupes call each other cantaloupes; that's their problem.

I have bigger fish to fry!

oops, I'm late to my own party.

[edit on 19-8-2010 by whaaa]

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


This I can absolutely agree with you on.

But I can tell you, in my opinion, a large portion of its usage, white or black, comes from hip-hop (of which I listen to myself).

If it was phased out of modern rap, I feel as if its usage in social settings would also decrease.

The use of the N-bomb was probably the least offensive part of her rant.

"SCHLESSINGER: Well, can you give me an example of a racist comment? 'Cause sometimes people are hypersensitive. So tell me what's -- give me two good examples of racist comments."

Firstly, she won't even let the woman begin the conversation without her expressing doubt anyone had been the slightest bit racist to her. It's like "Oh here I am, smart white lady, I will tell you what you should feel."

SCHLESSINGER: No, no, no. I think that's -- [be]well, listen, without giving much thought, a lot of blacks voted for Obama simply 'cause he was half-black. Didn't matter what he was gonna do in office, it was a black thing. You gotta know that. That's not a surprise. Not everything that somebody says -- we had friends over the other day; we got about 35 people here -- the guys who were gonna start playing basketball. I was going to go out and play basketball. My bodyguard and my dear friend is a black man. And I said, "White men can't jump; I want you on my team." That was racist? That was funny.

Look at the bold words there. She believes that every black person voted for Obama because he was half black. She can't give once ounce of credit to black people for being able to make up their minds on who to vote for. She just sums it all up to "oh it's cause he's got some black in him". How condescending is that? Then she goes on to say "it's a black thing" as if she's some freaking authority on black people and what they do. Later on she says only 12% of the country is black so white people had to vote for him. She doesn't accuse them of voting for Obama because he's half-black. She seems to give more deference to the idea these white voters can make a political choice not based on race.

SCHLESSINGER: Yeah. We've got a black man as president, and we have more complaining about racism than ever. I mean, I think that's hilarious.

Yea, because there is a half-black person in office racism just disappeared. Tired of hearing people.

Need a sense of humor, sense of humor -- and answer the question. When somebody says, "What do blacks think?" say, "This is what I think. This is what I read that if you take a poll the majority of blacks think this." Answer the question and discuss the issue. It's like we can't discuss anything without saying there's -isms?

I don't walk in a room and ask white people "What do white people think". I ask them-"What do you think"? This woman has literally boiled black people down into some collective hive mind. When you ask people crap like that is pisses them off. Minorities are freaking tired of people treating them like representatives of their race. Perhaps people should stop being pricks and treat them like individuals.



[edit on 19-8-2010 by antonia]

reply to post by SaosinEngaged

Your prime argument against me is...semantics (with a good bit of straw man)?

It's not semantics when you are completly misusing the definition of two words. Racism is not discrimination and discrimination is not racism...they are two very distinct concepts.

And please show me the straw man...don't just call it out like everyone else does without providing the example. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't even know the correct definition of strawman either.

My point is simple: I've come across more black racists than white racists. Does that make me racist for stating that?

Well sense you have experienced it...it MUST be true

Did I ever call you racist...please go find that quote???

Am I suddenly ignorant because I've encountered more black people that were intolerant of white people than vice versa?

No...you are ignorant for entirely different reasons.

I just don't like the attitude that racism can only be from a white to minority, which is definitely a more "common" belief.

Please show me where I said racism can only be from a white??? Again...provide the quote...or quit making up stuff...or try to re-read my posts and comprehend them better.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


I don't quite understand your use of sarcasm when you said "since you have experienced it, it must be true."

Are you trying to say I'm extrapolating my personal experiences to the entire population? Or are you saying that, even though I experienced these things, it does not matter or is somehow irrelevant.

I'm not trying to be contentious, I'm just asking for clarification.

Also, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply you were accusing me of those things. Again, I was just ranting because every time I do my job, I get accused of those things. It's almost like I'm conditioned to defend my opinion with disclaimers of "I'm Not Racist."

Please understand, if I so much as discuss an issue with certain minority employees at my place of work, I have received comments from every angle of the intolerance spectrum. It gets old fast.




[edit on 19-8-2010 by SaosinEngaged]

Wow, lots of posts, A sensitive issue.

I'm going to side with black people here.

Black people can say the N word.

White people cannot.


Think of it as reparations.

The only time white people can use the N-word is when they are greeting
white friends and NO black people are around. Then it is permissible
to say in greeting...

YO!...What UP *N* !

To you black people...We white folk actually do that all the time
Think of it as a compliment...

reply to post by rival


It's still stupid to say, I feel.

White people say it as black people do primarily because of hip hop culture. My white friends that grew up listening to hip hop emulated that in their personal interactions.

I think, primarily because of all the controversy and negative connotations with the word, it should just be eradicated from our modern vocabulary. It just does more harm than good/causes more arguments than not.

Originally posted by poedxsoldiervet
reply to post by whaaa

 

It is her First Admendment right to drop the N Bomb. Americans have become to big babies, all he called me a name, I think Ill run to Jesse Jackson and try to get a paycheck. Stop Crying whatever happen to Sticks and Stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me?

If someone wants to be an Idiot and Use Racial Slurs, gay slurs, or any other Slur they can think of... Its there RIGHT to use said words. Cry all you want it was Dr Lauras Right to use it. It is after all just a word...

Now if she said to go kill All Blacks or N-word then that where it gets to be a problem.

This above post shows that people can talk a good game but when it comes to real life, we are all hypocrites.

If I saw you on the street and verbally insulted your mother, father, wife, and/or children it would be within my rights to do so. But you would be hurt and offended to the point where you would possibly become enraged at me. At this point you wouldn't want someone to tell you that you are being too sensitive.

This whole situation is not about race at all. Its about humans and how they treat each other like crap. What that woman went through is no different than a child who gets bullied at school every. Its no different than people who get ridiculed and bulled in the work place. Its no different than when homeless people are attacked on the street just for being homeless.

reply to post by kj6754


Well yeah, human beings have a terrible history of treating each other like dirt. Within race, to other races, religions, cultures, etc; it's universal.

Just flip on common cable television and watch shows like Jersey Shore that marginalizes entire subcultures for "comedic value." Although you could say it's just humor, a lot of people miss that point and go on to discriminate against Italian American stereotypes.

It happens with everything. It is, also, kind of sad. If we could all take things lightheartedly, shows like Jersey Shore wouldn't be more of a problem than just being a terrible television show, but you have people that actually become prejudiced because of it.

In response to Jade's statement that it is racist to ask what blacks think about a subject, Dr. Laura should have just asked Jade, "what do black people think about white people saying the N-word?"

She would have answered without a second's pause and it would have derailed her entire argument, haha

Not that I agree with everything that either of them are saying, (I think that Dr. Laura was being ignorant of the detrimental effects that actual racism still has in society, but I also believe many people are hyper sensitive to race related comments where no harm is intended)



[edit on 19-8-2010 by beansanmash]

I think people shouldn't fret over what another person says. I mean, do you really care that much? Have you ever listened to Dr. Laura's show? I know I haven't, and it doesn't bother me that she said the N-Word, she was making a valid point. We should have freedom of speech, but also not get upset when people don't like you for speaking your mind. This is the world we live in, people have to deal with, and get over other's emotions.

(I'm 'black' btw)