Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - If I say, "Nigger", And mean no offense, do I still offend

Slavakion · 04-16-2005, 08:43 AM

I think the main problem with acceptance of this word is that it's probably the most offensive word in the English language right now. I am not a person who is offended by language, you can hurl swears around me all day and I won't bat an eye. But if you said "nigger", I'd pay attention right away. There's no real precedent for it being anything other than a racial slur (except among black youth), so that's how it's interpreted.

In contrast, "faggot" is widely used as a catch-all insult by kids today, even before they know that it refers to sexuality and what being gay means. If you consider its origin, "faggot" is a terrible thing to call a gay person, but it's not really as offensive as I assume it used to be.

EDIT: "Every word is a prejudice." -- Friedrich Nietzsche.

04-16-2005, 08:43 AM	#20 (permalink)
Slavakion Mjollnir Incarnate Location: Lost in thought	I think the main problem with acceptance of this word is that it's probably the most offensive word in the English language right now. I am not a person who is offended by language, you can hurl swears around me all day and I won't bat an eye. But if you said "nigger", I'd pay attention right away. There's no real precedent for it being anything other than a racial slur (except among black youth), so that's how it's interpreted. In contrast, "faggot" is widely used as a catch-all insult by kids today, even before they know that it refers to sexuality and what being gay means. If you consider its origin, "faggot" is a terrible thing to call a gay person, but it's not really as offensive as I assume it used to be. EDIT: "Every word is a prejudice." -- Friedrich Nietzsche. Last edited by Slavakion; 04-16-2005 at 08:46 AM..