Today's Random Fluctuations

[hkellick]

I'm feeling better than I was yesterday. I really was beginning to feel crappy. The throat just kept hurting and hurting to the point I thought I'd choke on simple cold water. :P (Thank god I was smart and bought some Jolly Ranchers before going down to Letchworth. It didn't help MUCH, but it did help :P )
I'm feeling better, as I said, but my voice sounds all...odd. I dunno, methinkx maybe my vocal chords are gooed up with mucous or something. *shrug*
TMI? OK

So, yesterday... yesterday was LOVELY!
Between not sleeping well due to hurty-throat, the work computer memory chip dying.. and then letchworth.
Let me TELL you about the trip to Letchworth :P
It started at 12:00.. it was rainy and yucky.
Heather and I loaded the stuff into Heather's car and waited for Chris.
About 10 minute late, Chris shows up. No problem, really.
So we get on the road. No probably getting there.
So 1:45 we pull in, get Dave Herring (head Park Engineer) and go to the first collector. Pop the Diver into the computer to find out that NO DATA WAS RECORDED! NONE! ZIP! ZERO! ZILCH!
Neeeeeeuuurgh!
Not only that, but the tests we did (Temperature, Conductivity and pH) seemed to take forever.. at least temperature and conductivity.
Neeeeugh!
So, 7 1/2 hours after we left, we returned to Buffalo with very little data and lots of frustrations. (Though Dave Herring probably is more frustrated)
Blah,


So, I realize that very few of you watch Boston Public. Much the pity.
Monday's episode, in the theme of Black History Month, was about a prevalent problem in today's society.
The continuation of the N-word.
The problem is this...
White people can't use the N-word. Period.
Black people can. and do.
I don't know about y'all, but even at UB, I still hear "What's up, my Nigga"
and there's Chris Rock's famous act (Black Men vs. the N-word)
So why is it OK for black people to use it and not white people?
So the episode explored that... along with the power of the N-word.
Their reasons, by the way, why black people can use it and not white people is this.
White people gave it it's terrible conotation. And it's assumed that any time a white person uses it (context or no), that they're trying to use it in that connotation.
On the other hand, black people are using it in a context that allows them to take that word away from the white people and give it a new meeting.
Bullshit, I say.
I'm sorry, I'm all for empowering yourself (to some extent. Until empowering yourself becomes belittling others), but not with that word. This is the 100% total wrong approach.
The fact is simple, while you use the word, you keep it in our vocabulary. And while it stays in our vocabulary INCLUDING the negative context.
The answer is simple... stop using the word. Drop it from your vocabulary altogether. Drop it from the english language altogether. Allow the word to die.
Otherwise, YOU are as responsible as anyone else for that negative connotation staying in today's vocabulary.

And on a lighter vein, a poll...


What Beatles' song are you?

Comments

[kolys.livejournal.com]

I hope you meant 'Allow the WORD to die' there.....

[lite.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah. I'll fix it.

[dawnstar.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I know a fair number of white people (invariably males) who refer to their friends as their "niggas", too. I can't, however, claim that it makes any sense to me.

I think you're right. The word carries with it that negative connotation. The only way to eradicate the negative aspect is to erase the entire word. (not world, hee hee).

[lite.livejournal.com]

Really?
I dun know any white male who says to some other white male "What up, my nigga"
Hmmm...

[dawnstar.livejournal.com]

It's not anyone I know anymore, but my ex-boyfriend's friends all used to refer to each other that way. Dunno if it was the area where they live (part of NJ), or just the drugs. :P

[dustkitten.livejournal.com]

I think it's the same thing with the word slut, only on a grander level. You take a word, you control. Yes, I DO believe it lessens the usage of the word. Any Tim Dick or Southern Harry would say "nigger" and now even they twinge before they say it, wondering what's going to happen. It became un-PC. And come on, that's not because of politcal correctness itself. It's because people stopped being afraid of the word, they took it and shoved it in people's faces. "WE own this now, not you."

And I believe it worked, to as much a degree as it could.

-A-

[lite.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but do you go up to other women and say "Yo, wazzup, slut"?
I'm not sure that's really enough to lessen the usage of the word.
And I disagree with you. I think the best thing to do is NOT to 'take it back' and make your own meaning for it, but to let the word drop from english vocabulary altogether.

[dustkitten.livejournal.com]

Actually, Kelly and Ann call each other "hooker" and whatnot...well, they did till Ann started acting the way she has been recently. Now Kelly still says it but with less affection...

Was the word "nigger" dropped from the white folks' vocab on its own? No, it's shame. Why not add shame to the use of a word so it DOES go away.

I'd say the point's been made, EVERYONE can stop using it now tho.

Hmm...

[angiepenguin.livejournal.com]

Actually, I do watch Boston Public. I love it. I've watched it from the first episode, and haven't missed a single one.

As for the topic... I'm not entirely sure what my opinion is on it. I can understand the 'making it their own word' thing... I've certainly done that as a defense mechanism thing before. "Your clothes clash, you look like a freak!" "Thank you!" Or like being called a nerd/geek. Or on occasion, more personal matters that I've faced hatred/discrimination over... it works when it's based on mostly superficial stuff, like clothes and likes/dislikes... but on stuff you can't change, you can only pretend to not care. And you can only pretend for so long, before it gets to you...
I haven't really faced that much discrimination. Really only from one person I used to know, who it later turned out was discriminating me because she was in denial about the part of herself that was the same. Still, it's enough that discrimination should *not* be tolerated...

The word needs to go.

[vissith.livejournal.com]

I watch boston public occasionally, for the same reason I would watch a train wreck. The drama is so disgustingly thick, the show is hilarious. I laugh my ass off the whole time.

They do make valid points occasionally, and I appreciate that. But the show is like a sick, high-school soap shown at 8pm. It's comedic relief for me, mainly :)

About "Nigger." Bah. It's just another double standard. Men are chauvinists, women are feminists .. white men oppress, black men rise up .. whatever. I'm at the point where I'm going to just kill everyone because they're all obviously too fucking stupid to see any sort of sensible reality where opinions like these are useless.

Of course, being white and male doesn't help my bitterness quotient any.