The N Word is not Kryptonite

I read an article today about a older guy talking to a teen about “the N word”. The teen’s view was “I like the way we have ‘flipped it’ so that it didn’t mean anything.” The older guy says he was “horrified and dismayed nearly to the point of depression to hear him say what (he) know(s) way too many people actually believe.” He continues to say that the teen (and others that share that view) must not venture to the south or “travels in safe circles.” Then he says “what do you think the cops in New Orleans were shouting at the guy while they were beating him?” That’s when I went into something I’ll call my “semantic mode” evaluating the issue itself, the disposition of those involved to predicate their opinions (and/or their biases) and any underlying issues.
Based on that article (and several other articles and discussions I’ve seen, read and participated in) I have realized 4 things about racism and culture:

1) People are only oppressed when they choose to be – fighting to the death – although very extreme and unpretty - is an option
2) The “millennials”, kids born in the 80’s and later, live in a whole different world than we did and our parents did – i.e. they have no concept of what a “colored” water fountain was or being chased and sprayed with water hoses while trying to vote except through the same medium as music videos and cartoons (television), the internet and books so they are very desensitized and/or detached.
3) If someone is doing bad things to me (hitting, beating, berating), it doesn’t matter what they call me (nigger, darkie, homey, brother man, lover) that doesn’t make any less comforting.
4) After this changing of the guard (leadership roles transitioning from one generation to the next) a lot of our new leaders will probably not have first hand knowledge of the racial disparity of the 60’s, and although I wouldn’t go as far as to say they won’t care, I will say that the greater concern will be a global society. There are more multiracial children than ever before and the world is getting smaller, not larger.

True the N word does have racist origins, but then again if you dig deep enough or follow enough lore a whole bunch of stuff does. Now I will admit I’m only 34 so I never experienced any of the stuff that happened in the 60’s, but I do realize that it paved the way of equality for people of color in the US, notice I said in the US because the N word is only used here (aside from being repeated by rap music fans wordwide who “learned” it’s a “cool” word from rap culture.) However, I think that we as a people should not allow ourselves to be oppressed, or rather give so much power to a word. Racial bias exists everywhere, not just here. It would be interesting to know if there is a slur that Japanese call Chinese or vice versa and so on and if there is so much angst against it. My points are that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Long gone are the days when there was one guy that could represent “all the black folks.” Even if Martin Luther King was alive today he would not, neither would Malcolm X…not Farrakhan, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby or Oprah. So with all these varied upbringings, life experiences and points of view I think it is clearly time to move on. I liken it to…say a close relative that died, and every time somebody mentions their name, you burst out crying “Aw lawwwd, she’s gone! Why she have to leave me. WHYYYYYYYYYY?!?!!” 40 years later, you still have the same reaction, grandkids asking “Whats wrong with him. Who is he talking about?” At some point, its time to realize the change and move on.

Now I will say I don’t think this gives “non—blacks” an opportunity to go a verbal spree, but then again they do that anyway with sex and violence now.

I guess social awareness is the term I’m looking for. I've never been real big on racial epithets anyway. It’s not a nice word so don’t use it, but its not kryptonite people, come on. But like I said, if that’s coming at the raising of a stick, drawing of a gun or raising of a fist, that’s something different.