General Discussion

Half-Century Man

(5,279 posts)

82. It isn't black or white, the relationship is a grey one.

Thu Jul 18, 2013, 03:20 PM

Jul 2013

And yes the Irony Fairy kicked me in the ass for using that phrase in this situation. The choice of separation or inclusion isn't an either-or situation. People share commonalities. A group of 10 friends might share 30 commonalities together, 4 of those 10 might share an additional 61 commonalities, other fractions might share X moments between them. And yet the group remains intact.
I am a veteran, a factory rat, I have a college degree, a first responder, a guy who once screamed "go ahead shoot me" at a policeman (my apologies to the Vallejo Police dept), a journeyman electrician (UAW), bilingual, the proud holder of a library card, an outaku, got punched once, so hard I could have looked straight down and seen the top of my own butt, co-authored a book, a father, a grandfather, have x-ray proof of broken bones I can't explain, a cancer survivor, have saved or helped save lives, and watched people die. The, fairly average, me belongs to a lot of subgroups of humanity. And yet all these fall under the general heading of "American".

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As a white guy, I'm perfectly fine with the fact I can't say N______. Even if black people can. [View all] Tommy_Carcetti Jul 2013 OP

This old white guy agrees. Great post Tommy, thanks. Scuba Jul 2013 #1

Beautiful Post Tommy! JustAnotherGen Jul 2013 #2

Hey, there's a large and vibrant White American culture in this country! rrneck Jul 2013 #3

Also, I am not offended by the words "cracker" and "cracka" (nt) Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #4

No black guy ever shouted "cracker" while whipping a white guy. Tommy_Carcetti Jul 2013 #6

I've had my ass kicked by black guys calling me a cracker cbdo2007 Jul 2013 #28

Cracker: (n) one who cracks a whip. ieoeja Jul 2013 #75

Actually the word is very old, derives from Craic (pronounced crack) which is a word Bluenorthwest Jul 2013 #91

Was that ass kicking ... 1StrongBlackMan Jul 2013 #102

Early 90's. I was one of about 10 white kids in an all black school.... cbdo2007 Jul 2013 #135

I grew up in Central Florida tavalon Jul 2013 #116

I'm glad your not, but it is a racial slur, actually tavalon Jul 2013 #115

The word "Nigga" is not the same AgingAmerican Jul 2013 #5

Even so, I still don't like using that term myself. Tommy_Carcetti Jul 2013 #7

I hope that you would also never use c--n, c--t, or f-g (nt) Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #11

No, I don't use those words either. Tommy_Carcetti Jul 2013 #18

Interesting side story tavalon Jul 2013 #118

clit? snooper2 Jul 2013 #81

No, the clit is a good thing tavalon Jul 2013 #120

Wow, that was almost like a game tavalon Jul 2013 #117

I don't use that N-thing in any fashion Plucketeer Jul 2013 #66

'I can use this word, but you cant' does not advance relations markiv Jul 2013 #8

That's pretty silly, imo. noamnety Jul 2013 #16

who's 'we'? markiv Jul 2013 #21

It's a fallacy to believe discrimination ended with slavery. noamnety Jul 2013 #50

talk about missing the point markiv Jul 2013 #53

Perhaps I'm being polite in assuming that's not your point. noamnety Jul 2013 #59

unreasonable interpretation/twisting markiv Jul 2013 #62

It's really not twisting anything. If you're an outsider to an oppressed group, you don't get a say. noamnety Jul 2013 #64

That's a good comparison tavalon Jul 2013 #123

So, did Nelson Mandela have a specific position on that word's usage? tavalon Jul 2013 #121

They jokingly referred to each other as 'jarheads.' LanternWaste Jul 2013 #38

but even in your example, it's a choice of separation vs inclusion markiv Jul 2013 #41

It isn't black or white, the relationship is a grey one. Half-Century Man Jul 2013 #82

Very interesting tavalon Jul 2013 #124

How many dumb sentences start with, "I took a class once"? Half-Century Man Jul 2013 #129

So what I intuitively thought has actually been looked at tavalon Jul 2013 #134

I think the blacks are reclaiming the n word in much deafskeptic Jul 2013 #100

Of course that is the converse of what the OP said. n/t whopis01 Jul 2013 #94

And of course it is the duty of all black people to advance relations with whites. Chemisse Jul 2013 #97

Other way around actually, tavalon Jul 2013 #125

Lots of things don't advance relations. Like acquitting Zimmerman. Or Squinch Jul 2013 #103

k&r! nt alsame Jul 2013 #9

I don't understand what you mean by white people not having a culture. Neoma Jul 2013 #10

I think I get it. There is an Irish culture, Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #12

You have to be white to be considered Irish or Polish as far as I can tell. Neoma Jul 2013 #58

There's no shared common experience for White Americans. Tommy_Carcetti Jul 2013 #15

That's like saying being heterosexual isn't a sexual origination. Neoma Jul 2013 #19

correct azureblue Jul 2013 #25

As a white pipi_k Jul 2013 #13

Yes! Ignorance and stupidity are the cause-- what we often call "racism"... TreasonousBastard Jul 2013 #51

I grew up in a very ethnic neighborhood. femmocrat Jul 2013 #14

+1, this white guy fully agrees with you. eom tarheelsunc Jul 2013 #17

Great post Tommy skeewee08 Jul 2013 #20

Well said (nt) matt819 Jul 2013 #22

This idea that some people "can't use" these words is also silly: anyone CAN use them alcibiades_mystery Jul 2013 #23

Excellent examples TNNurse Jul 2013 #30

It really is that simple, isn't it? eissa Jul 2013 #56

Here's another example: moose65 Jul 2013 #69

I'm glad you made the point Mariana Jul 2013 #78

In short, the linguistic term is "in-group solidarity." Behind the Aegis Jul 2013 #110

Excellent post. Enthusiast Jul 2013 #122

It speaks volumes when clowns like limpballs say... RedCappedBandit Jul 2013 #24

Limbaugh is a dumbass drug abusing pedophile tavalon Jul 2013 #126

On the one hand... RevStPatrick Jul 2013 #26

If black people want to take away the power of that word, they can. Tommy_Carcetti Jul 2013 #33

Who is the black comic who tried that on stage and admitted it didn't work... TreasonousBastard Jul 2013 #44

You haven't taken away the power if you still get mad depending on who uses it. dkf Jul 2013 #46

Don't all ethnic groups have terms caseymoz Jul 2013 #27

I don't think it's even just 'ethnic' groups anomiep Jul 2013 #37

'The other' team/group/person/nation/religion/creed/etc is always easy to 'classify' and AtheistCrusader Jul 2013 #39

Great post ismnotwasm Jul 2013 #29

What a wonderful post TNNurse Jul 2013 #31

I know, EC Jul 2013 #32

As am I. It's one of the few words that makes me cringe. nt AllINeedIsCoffee Jul 2013 #34

Check out these ass hats. trusty elf Jul 2013 #35

typical heaven05 Jul 2013 #55

I get 12 months a year of 'white history month'. AtheistCrusader Jul 2013 #36

I really hope that some day... davidthegnome Jul 2013 #40

Me too, but it may be another few thousand years of evolution before we get there... TreasonousBastard Jul 2013 #47

Wow, that's optimistic tavalon Jul 2013 #127

I officially give up my right to call anyone derogatory names based on their ethnicity coldmountain Jul 2013 #42

+1,000,000! backscatter712 Jul 2013 #43

Exactly what I believe, the cringe worthy, racist term has been 'reappropriated' nenagh Jul 2013 #61

I'm using this the next time one of my older +60 friends uses the "N" word.... Historic NY Jul 2013 #45

I'm heaven05 Jul 2013 #48

This middle-aged white RURAL SOUTHERN female tosh Jul 2013 #49

There actually is/was a National Association for the Advancement of White People KamaAina Jul 2013 #52

When my sister was about 8 yrs. old she called a friend of my dad's a "bastard" loyalsister Jul 2013 #54

Where I grew up, "bastard" essentially means jerk or asshole. Myrina Jul 2013 #60

For some bizarre reason it is almost an affectionate term loyalsister Jul 2013 #84

Fine until your last sentence... TreasonousBastard Jul 2013 #57

Read through this thread and recognize how divisive the word is... dkf Jul 2013 #63

All of the derogatory terms to describe any group of people should be unacceptable AndyA Jul 2013 #65

Rush Limbaugh Seizes a Chance to Violate the N-Word Taboo AsahinaKimi Jul 2013 #67

Fools Rush In Blue Owl Jul 2013 #74

Rush has been practically begging to use the N WORD on his radio show.. AsahinaKimi Jul 2013 #76

In another few years, Whites will be a minority anyway.. HipChick Jul 2013 #68

And when whites' status changes from majority to plurality white privilege will totodeinhere Jul 2013 #73

They will die out soon enough.. HipChick Jul 2013 #83

Bookmarked to bring out the next time somebody whines Warpy Jul 2013 #70

K&R. I feel exactly the same way about it. forestpath Jul 2013 #71

Meh you can say whatever you want LittleBlue Jul 2013 #72

Do you have a point? nt Tommy_Carcetti Jul 2013 #77

Even within the family, this is true-- my black relatives may use it but I never would carolinayellowdog Jul 2013 #79

For a hundred years after the Civil War blacks in the South were denied jobs off the plantations... Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2013 #80

White people still use it the same way they have for centuries. nomorenomore08 Jul 2013 #85

If someone wakes up in the morning JoeyT Jul 2013 #86

As an older blackman i was encourage not to BrainMann1 Jul 2013 #87

Not me Kelselsius Jul 2013 #88

I'm not fine with it. Hip hoppers tried to take the power from that word. valerief Jul 2013 #89

I'm white. And that word never enters my mind... ReRe Jul 2013 #90

I remember hearing it once. Tommy_Carcetti Jul 2013 #132

Dayam... Oh well, you can get her twice the next time. Otherwise, be nice. ;-) ReRe Jul 2013 #133

Another old white dude here. Great post. Thanks. cliffordu Jul 2013 #92

I'm Not White. White is a Color, not a Person Wolf Frankula Jul 2013 #93

Bravo ! treestar Jul 2013 #95

Well said, Tommy. 99Forever Jul 2013 #96

Great thread, Tommy. Major Hogwash Jul 2013 #98

What you say is true. BlueJazz Jul 2013 #99

K&R and THANK YOU. MotherPetrie Jul 2013 #101

Brilliant Old and In the Way Jul 2013 #104

Tommy: publish this. Bertha Venation Jul 2013 #105

Low class word Redford Jul 2013 #106

i'll end the discussion. no one should use it ever, ever, ever. period, end of report! Nanjing to Seoul Jul 2013 #107

I take a bit of issue with "you look like fools." BobTheSubgenius Jul 2013 #108

Well, naturally. Tommy_Carcetti Jul 2013 #131

I forgot to mention.... BobTheSubgenius Jul 2013 #109

EXACTLY! blackspade Jul 2013 #111

Fuckin' A. Zoeisright Jul 2013 #112

Whitey here agrees. Except roody Jul 2013 #113

Well spoken tavalon Jul 2013 #114

K&R. Excellent post. Enthusiast Jul 2013 #119

Actually there certainly IS a "white American culture" Scootaloo Jul 2013 #128

As a white mom, I'm NOT fine with that word - lynne Jul 2013 #130