N-Word Bolg #2

Words have power hence the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Words can either build someone up or tear them down. However, the intent of a word such as the n-word cannot be changed.

That is what the website, abolishthenword.com, is trying to say. many blacks were hunged for no reason other than they were black. They are the strange fruit the song is referring to. Also, the main point is that the many that were lynched were called the n-word before death, this cannot be erased.

I agree with Kennedy. With the n-word it does depend on who says it and who they are saying it to that determines the actions/feelings after. If two black people say it, it's meant to mean brother. They are trying to lighten the meaning. However, in the "60 Minutes" interview it was said that they are TRYING to lighten it, but they cannot. This is why when a white person says it to a black person it brings back the original intent/meaning, Hatred.

It is beneficial to examine all angles of the word, this way people are informed about the harm one word can cause. Also, they will be informed about whether it is actually wise to say the word or not. This words origingal intent can never be erased, the best that we can do is to enlighten people about the hatred it spreads and hope that they will chose not to use it. We cannot abolish a word because it breaks the first amendment, freedom of speech, also what other words will America chose to ban. Hopefully, with the intent behind the meaning revealed enough people will ban it from their own vocabulary and then nobody will feel comfortable using it in public at least.

Nigger Blog

This book discusses the controversies of this word. I found two disturbing quotes that to me prove how disturbing and offensive this word really is.

The first is on page 18. "Recalling the difficulties she faced in raising her black son in a household with her white female lover, the poet Audre Lorde noted that 'for years in the name-calling at school, boys shouted at [her son] not--'your mother's a lesbian'--but rather--'your mother's a nigger.' The students thought that it was worse the color of her skin rather than what they say to most lesbian white mothers.

The second is on page 27. The residents of a suburb in the late 1900's thought it was worse to have a "nigger" in their neighborhood than a child molester. They raised no issues when a child molester entered, but once a few "niggers" came around they went straight to the judge to have them evicted. How sad is that. These parents would rather have the risk of their children being molested rather than be around an innocent black veteran who fought for our freedom.

Bowling For Columbine

Moore uses the Socratic method well; he questions everything. He questions why there are more gun rates in the U.S. then Canada. He questions every ones' reasons behind it. For example, some of the American citizens said it was because Americans watch more violent movies and play more violent video games. However, Moore proves this wrong.

Then the Americans said that it was their history was less violent. Once again Moore proves this theory wrong with questioning. He questioned the NRA leader himself. He was asked, "Why are the gun deaths so much higher than every other country in the world?" Answer: "Their histories are less violent then ours." Question: "Germany has a less violent history, what was the Holocaust then?" He questions the answers given.