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GratefulReflex In reply to tttroy [2015-04-20 06:58:35 +0000 UTC]

I know it's two years late....but your terminology is flatly offensive. Perhaps you could find a more acceptable ethnicity-based terminology for someone of African decent other than one that indicates your own incredible ignorance and sheer stupidity?

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wingsofwrath In reply to GratefulReflex [2015-05-17 15:30:57 +0000 UTC]

Calm down please, I can vouch that no offence was meant in this case, because the commenter is from the Czech Republic, where  this particular word doesn't carry the same negative connotation it would in the US.
Because people of African descent are almost non existent in the Czech Republic, there is also no history of slavery or discrimination towards them and the word got into Czech colloquial speech from rap music, where it appears extensively, and it's used not as a derogative term, but as described by Tupac Shakur:
NIGGER- a black man with a slavery chain around his neck.
NIGGA- a black man with a gold chain on his neck.

I apologise on the person's behalf if you were offended, but I must chastise you for your ad-hominem attack, which was uncalled for and I won't tolerate in my comments. If you wished to correct the other person, you could simply have explained why you don't like their use of the word, rather than going straight to insulting their intelligence.

Also, please read this guide about cultural differences between the US and the Czech Republic: www.expats.cz/prague/article/c…

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GratefulReflex In reply to wingsofwrath [2015-05-18 07:17:47 +0000 UTC]

Except for one little problem. Ignorance is never an excuse for the use of a racial epithet at any time or place. The normal N-word, and the one with a 'a' on the end is not acceptable under any situation. I read his words and they were in functioning appropriate English which means the probability indicated that he knew what he was saying and did not care. That is gravely offensive; what makes it worse is that the commenter should be defending himself not you. I do not like that you are wrapped up in this, if the commenter is your friend then I understand, and you are doing as any good friend should do. Should this be a learning moment then we can bury the hatchet if he understands why the word 'nigga' is equally offensive.

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wingsofwrath In reply to GratefulReflex [2015-05-18 18:41:46 +0000 UTC]

I wholeheartedly agree that the use of the word was unwarranted, and I apologise.
They are indeed a friend of mine, which is why I came to their aid in this.

However, I must stress again that they didn't understand the weight the word carries in the US, because they heard it in a different context and there are major cultural differences between where they live and where you live.
Please note that a good command of a language does not necesarily mean a good command of the cultures that use it, especially since, in Europe, the culture that is more likely to be studied in English classes is the British rather than American one, the latter of which would have only been accessible through the distorting lens of Hollywood and, in this case, rap music.

I also understand you being offended and wanting to combat racism, because it is still a major issue, especially in the US,  but let me tell you that your belligerent approach to it - name calling and assuming the other person must either be a raging racist or a complete idiot is simply more likely to inflame them and cause them to get into an argument with you than teach them anything of value about racism.
If they were even the tiniest bit prejudiced against you, they certainly are a lot more now after you called them all kinds of things, and, if they weren't, then you've just planted that seed by antagonising them rather than trying to talk to them calmly.

That being said, I will talk to them, and I do hope this incident is at a close.

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GratefulReflex In reply to wingsofwrath [2015-05-19 03:19:43 +0000 UTC]

First off your right, my initial comment was over the line, but on one aspect I am dead on target, your friend committed a clear act of ignorance, and or negligence. The three of us quite clearly have access to the internet and all of it's advantages in the aspects of researching information.  It's not hard to find a respectable definition for the word he used, yet he used it without thinking about what it might mean. this isn't a racist moment, for your friend has no institutional or social power whatsoever, it is not bigotry because as you stated, he did not know what the word meant nor was ill intent on his mind.  If your freind is logical, he should realize that perhaps being so careless with a word has consequences. In the same way I'll be considering how I respond to this sort of incident the next time if there is one through a differing lens. Hopefully everyone walks away with something to consider and the proverbial hatchet gets buried right here.

I'm willing to call this settled if you are.

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