Richards apologizes for racial slurs

[mawilson 2,133]

Using racist words doesn't make one a racist.

People often say things they don't really mean.

[Jenn! 918]

I want equality for all, not some. Sounds like you don't.

How can you have equality for some, but not all? Who are those "some" equal to then?

He means equality is everyone being seen a equal. So if one thing is regarded as being offensive for one person the same should apply to everyone else. For example, if a green kid gets a lollipop from the government so should the blue kid, irrespective of what the green kid's great great great ancestors where treated like in the past. Hence equal.

I am Australian, therefore technically am a minority. Can I get special affirmative action treatment when trying to apply for college or a job??

I know what he meant. I was just being nitpicky. When you think about it, equality for some isn't equality at all, it's favoritism. The only true equality is when there is no favoritism.

I can understand the argument for reverse discrimination logically. But emotionally, I have a hard time drumming up sympathy for the white man who just got called "cracker". It's been pointed out that that can be considered a racist view. Oh well, you say I'm a racist, I say you're a racist. (not *you* specifically, *you* generally)

Damn. I thought I had you.

You've got to get up pretty early in the morning to put one over on me...

[mawilson 2,133]

I am Australian, therefore technically am a minority. Can I get special affirmative action treatment when trying to apply for college or a job??

Definitely. Aussies are an endangered species.

[Ban Hammer 13,634]

Pet peeve: middle class white guys b*tching they're oppressed because they can't use n------ ironically. Wah, wah.

where is the middle class white guys "b*tching they're oppressed because they can't use n------ ironically." show me where in this thread that occured.

[Heracles 417]

I know what he meant. I was just being nitpicky. When you think about it, equality for some isn't equality at all, it's favoritism. The only true equality is when there is no favoritism.

I can understand the argument for reverse discrimination logically. But emotionally, I have a hard time drumming up sympathy for the white man who just got called "cracker". It's been pointed out that that can be considered a racist view. Oh well, you say I'm a racist, I say you're a racist. (not *you* specifically, *you* generally)

I understand what you are saying but the fact is that the average white person does not want to punch on or run off crying to the media when they are called names.

Anyway this is why stuff like racism and religious vilification should be illegal, as is in many other developed countries. Would you say that is fair game?

Edited November 21, 2006 by Infidel

[Ban Hammer 13,634]

Now take the same situation between to friends who are black and in my opinion the one that uses that word is a bit of a racisist but on a different level.

Is it a double standard, yep probably but guess what they exist. There are a lot of things in this world that are unfair and until everyone takes personal responsability to start the change with themselves things like this are gonig to continue. We only have control over ourselves, change starts with each of us.

so because it's a double standard we're supposed to turn a blind eye to it because we're not a "minority" ad nauseum?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Pet peeve: middle class white guys b*tching they're oppressed because they can't use n------ ironically. Wah, wah.

I hate it when people call me responsible, a tax payer and a devoted husband. God that gets to me.

[Jenn! 918]

I know what he meant. I was just being nitpicky. When you think about it, equality for some isn't equality at all, it's favoritism. The only true equality is when there is no favoritism.

I can understand the argument for reverse discrimination logically. But emotionally, I have a hard time drumming up sympathy for the white man who just got called "cracker". It's been pointed out that that can be considered a racist view. Oh well, you say I'm a racist, I say you're a racist. (not *you* specifically, *you* generally)

I understand what you are saying but the fact is that the average white person does not want to punch on or run off crying to the media when they are called names.

Anyway this is why stuff like racism and religious vilification should be illegal, as is in many other developed countries. Would you say that is fair game?

Well, I'm probably not the one to ask. There are very few things that I think should be illegal.

[chuckandkim 0]

FACT: Richards lost it on stage and called some black folks "#######'

FACT: Richards went on b*tching about #######

FACT: There will always be people who are offended by whatever you say or do

Say what You mean and MEAN WHAT YOU SAY!!!! I have more respect for Richards if he didn't buy into the whole PC #######. Why is it every time something bad happens to the black community, it's RACIST. But if it happend to other minority group, it's alright, misunderstanding... Vietnamese/Koreans/Chineses/Cambodians/Laos, if you're asian looking, you all chineses to most people, "you all look alike". Big deal I say. Call me whatever you want, just remember our true value of who we are is NOT determined by someone's ignorance attitude. Richards'd better off just shut up and did what others have done: check himself into rehab for alcoholism hahahahaha "UH...ERR... I was drunk!" Double standard is widely accepted! When black people call whites crackers... it's OK! Well, after all they think and believe years and years in slavery give them the entitlement to call the "BOSS" that now. No white person would dare to raise their voice and be offended if some black call them crackers. I've seen it happened. So what, big deal!

Equality! Sound nice and even look nice on campaign ads and in school. Good luck to make that happens! One of the root cause of inequality is our nature: GREED!!!! Tell me when people will get rid of GREED in their heart, that's when they will have equality! I believe everyone has an EQUAL right to WORK their arsses off 12hrs day to feed their family. I know I did. Came here with 2 duffel bags and made it here in America. Why can't you! Don't sit and whining about inequality, get to work punk!

About the dress.... "Honey, it's the fat that makes you look fat, not the dress" (I accordingly replace dress with jeans/shirt/bikinis/shorts when asked HAHAHAHA )

[eclowjpd 0]

The problem is (as OP suggested) is interpretation and context. Words only have power if people give them power, I believe this to be true for the most part. The exception is when a word has a long history in a certain context and the "N" word fits that bill.

IF I get in an arguement with a friend of mine who happens to be black and I call him a$$hole, idiot, d1ck, mothertrucker and many other explitives in that vein then we are just two guys arguing up a storm, albiet childshly but still just two guys. Now if I whip out the "N" word fully knowing the history of that word I am sorry but I knew what I was doing and it just took the heat of the arguement for me to display that piece of who I am. Does that make me a racisit, probably on some level.

Now take the same situation between to friends who are black and in my opinion the one that uses that word is a bit of a racisist but on a different level.

Is it a double standard, yep probably but guess what they exist. There are a lot of things in this world that are unfair and until everyone takes personal responsability to start the change with themselves things like this are gonig to continue. We only have control over ourselves, change starts with each of us.

The next time one of your friends tells a joke about a certain race or sexual orientation or little understood religion make a choice to laugh or not but remember it is always the little things that support the bigger things. The foundation of a building is built with individual stones.

I am sure someone will say this is political correctness ####### but I dont believe this is.

It's not really a double standard, but of recognizing how words can be powerful under different circumstances. Joke around with your friend and call him a retard and he'll laugh it off, but do that in front of parent who's child is mentally retarded and it's like driving a stake into their heart.

Could not disagree with you more. If you call me a cracker, I would certainly take offense and feel that it is racist based. You would feel the same if I call you ***, right?

Go up to a police officer and call him a pig vs. you telling your friend he's a pig.

Huh??

[Fandango 1,440]

Watch Russel Simmons Def Comedy Jam then talk to me about racism....

[DeadPoolX 9]

Watch Russel Simmons Def Comedy Jam then talk to me about racism....

That's so true...

[Ladylethal 12]

Something on the subject. In Brazil, the N-word is "negro" and black is "preto". For us it's an insult to call someone a "preto", when in fact, "negro" is the right name for the race. At the same time, depending on the context it's perfectly acceptable to use the word "preto" when talking about someone who's african-american.

So, 10 years ago I was an exchange student in US, and back then my english was poor and I didn't know much about US at all. I had a teacher pulling me to the corner of the classroom and saying between gritted teeth that I should NOT use the N word and I had no idea what she was talking about "what n word?" and she had a hard time actually saying it to me and explaining what I did wrong. I watched myself from that point on but I also remember that my african american classmates didn't seem offended by me, 'cus obviously, they knew I was foreign, and that I wasn't trying to be racist on anything.

Now I understand this a lot better, but back then I thought that maybe the whole N word issue was viewed worse by whites than by black people. And really, even more in Brazil, we're so mixed that now we have TONS of colors in between to invent names for, we go from chocolate, to coffee and milk, to brownie, or whatever we can use to call someone's color. I call myself a yellowish, since I'm a mix between spanish, black, native brazilian indian, and portuguese.

Uh....maybe I'm being stupid here but is 'negro' just as bad as the other N word?

I mean, in biology class I was taught that 'negroid' is the correct scientific name of the race.

Is it considered just as bad?

In Brazil the race is called negra, a person of black race is negro, negroid would be offensive in Brasil. That's exactly what I was saying, it's opposite in Brasil. Calling them by their race is not offensive, but calling them black is.

[isleta521 5]

Something on the subject. In Brazil, the N-word is "negro" and black is "preto". For us it's an insult to call someone a "preto", when in fact, "negro" is the right name for the race. At the same time, depending on the context it's perfectly acceptable to use the word "preto" when talking about someone who's african-american.

So, 10 years ago I was an exchange student in US, and back then my english was poor and I didn't know much about US at all. I had a teacher pulling me to the corner of the classroom and saying between gritted teeth that I should NOT use the N word and I had no idea what she was talking about "what n word?" and she had a hard time actually saying it to me and explaining what I did wrong. I watched myself from that point on but I also remember that my african american classmates didn't seem offended by me, 'cus obviously, they knew I was foreign, and that I wasn't trying to be racist on anything.

Now I understand this a lot better, but back then I thought that maybe the whole N word issue was viewed worse by whites than by black people. And really, even more in Brazil, we're so mixed that now we have TONS of colors in between to invent names for, we go from chocolate, to coffee and milk, to brownie, or whatever we can use to call someone's color. I call myself a yellowish, since I'm a mix between spanish, black, native brazilian indian, and portuguese.

Uh....maybe I'm being stupid here but is 'negro' just as bad as the other N word?

I mean, in biology class I was taught that 'negroid' is the correct scientific name of the race.

Is it considered just as bad?

In Brazil the race is called negra, a person of black race is negro, negroid would be offensive in Brasil. That's exactly what I was saying, it's opposite in Brasil. Calling them by their race is not offensive, but calling them black is.

Val, who is Morena (AfroBrasiliana) as she calls herself, often times calls others that are as dark or darker than her nega or nego. But it is never out of meanness. In fact, it is more of a friendly way of saying "You". Yet, in the Mexican culture, we can refer to people as preta or preto. My daughter is dark and I call her Preta out of carino so when Val heard me call my daughter "Preta" for the first time, she gave me a strange look at first.

Edited November 21, 2006 by isleta521

[rebeccajo 14]

Something on the subject. In Brazil, the N-word is "negro" and black is "preto". For us it's an insult to call someone a "preto", when in fact, "negro" is the right name for the race. At the same time, depending on the context it's perfectly acceptable to use the word "preto" when talking about someone who's african-american.

So, 10 years ago I was an exchange student in US, and back then my english was poor and I didn't know much about US at all. I had a teacher pulling me to the corner of the classroom and saying between gritted teeth that I should NOT use the N word and I had no idea what she was talking about "what n word?" and she had a hard time actually saying it to me and explaining what I did wrong. I watched myself from that point on but I also remember that my african american classmates didn't seem offended by me, 'cus obviously, they knew I was foreign, and that I wasn't trying to be racist on anything.

Now I understand this a lot better, but back then I thought that maybe the whole N word issue was viewed worse by whites than by black people. And really, even more in Brazil, we're so mixed that now we have TONS of colors in between to invent names for, we go from chocolate, to coffee and milk, to brownie, or whatever we can use to call someone's color. I call myself a yellowish, since I'm a mix between spanish, black, native brazilian indian, and portuguese.

Uh....maybe I'm being stupid here but is 'negro' just as bad as the other N word?

I mean, in biology class I was taught that 'negroid' is the correct scientific name of the race.

Is it considered just as bad?

In Brazil the race is called negra, a person of black race is negro, negroid would be offensive in Brasil. That's exactly what I was saying, it's opposite in Brasil. Calling them by their race is not offensive, but calling them black is.

Val, who is Morena (AfroBrasiliana) as she calls herself, often times calls others that are as dark or darker than her nega or nego. But it is never out of meanness. In fact, it is more of a friendly way of saying "You". Yet, in the Mexican culture, we can refer to people as preta or preto. My daughter is dark and I call her Preta out of carino so when Val heard me call my daughter "Preta" for the first time, she gave me a strange look at first.

What I meant was - in America is it now considered offensive to use the term 'negro'? If I read Laura's account of what happened correctly, she was admonished in America.

Growing up in the 50's and 60's that was the polite word. What I'm wondering is - has that changed?