A discussion on the "n" word

[The Germanator]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

my footnote: You cannot throw the N-word into a category of bad words (fuck, piss, cunt, shit, crap, damn). Based on the origins of N-word and its definition, it carries contextual racial weight. Regardless if your meaning was racist or not, the word has a racial undertone that precedes your own use of it.

Yeah, I think this is the part that gets me. Racial slurs like the n-word (and any others referring to specific cultures, races, sexual preference, etc) are used to specifically insult that group of people.

The beauty of bad words like "mother-fucker" or "asshole" or "dick" is that these can describe anyone. That white guy over there is a mother-fucker, that black guy is a total asshole, that latino guy is a dick, and that asian guy is a fuckface. If you believe the person to be one of these things, sure it's insulting and "bad" but it doesn't directly single out something stereo-typical and offense about the group of people.

It's what bugs me about people who think it's "okay" to use a racial slur if they think that person of an other race deserved it for doing something stupid or for some kind of action. If a white guy robs you or cuts you off at an intersection or steals your girlfriend, he should just be a "fucking prick." Same goes if it's a black or asian or whatever. We already have enough words to insult people without having them to be specifically racist in tone.