September 24th, 2008 |  Print This Post |  Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email |  

Initially when I was working on the concept of this article I went over a number of titles, one of them being pretty plain and simple, “The N-Word”. But as I continued to give it some more thought, I decided to go with the current title, The N-Bomb Reloaded. It is apparent that N-Bomb carries a heavier connotation than the N-Word because a bomb, in this case, denotes an explosion, which always causes unrest, sparks varying degrees of emotions, and may mean everything to one group of people and nothing to another, at the same time. It is reloaded because, though its discussion, particularly by the media, has gradually ebbed away in recent weeks, the post brings it back to light. The question - Could the fact that I’m inclined to believe that this word will one day be relegated to the history books be a manic episode of clairvoyance on my part? In due time, the answer will be revealed.

Why is this word such an issue? How can it be a fad, and yet be a serious matter? How can it be ingrained in the fibers of societal controversy and not be a serious issue? Isn’t it interesting that everyone from all sides of the coin claim to be right and every other person is wrong, but then again each side is arguably right, and we still speak about the same word? I think all I’m seeing and hearing are excuses and propaganda riding in air waves. Why will it be that any reader’s first reaction would be to wonder if I have the ‘free pass’ to dare venture on such a controversial topic? Is the word really as alluring, yet harmful as people say it is? Or is it just a tool in the hands of its wielders (whoever they are) who only use it to promote prejudice, name call, live in the past, foster insecurities, attempt to authenticate their identities or establish new ones, or use it to “lord” endorsement privileges and right of use over others?

When should it become socially acceptable to attempt to dilute the potency of its meaning by flooding its use via mainstream conduits such as music and movies? When does it begin to make sense to create colorful inflections for speech purposes, or use it to display positive or favorable emotions towards another, or through its use on certain paraphernalia and product items?

Promoting Prejudice

The n-word arguably promotes narrow-mindedness and unfairness. It promotes a divisive attitude, not an inclusive one. For the sake of equality, it makes sense that anything known to encourage a narrow mind and is not considered fair and just across the board, should not be excused. People who are not African American are “not allowed” to use the word and its use by them fosters mixed emotions in African Americans. However, in the last 20 years, a majority of the promotion and encouragement of the word has come from people the African American community.

How does that make sense? Common sense tells me that if I encourage a certain thing (idea, behavior, or venture), I should be willing to accept the whole package – the benefits and drawbacks, that comes with my initial decision. Why? Because I understand I will not always be successful in my attempts to only pick and choose the benefits. For example, when writing an article on a particular topic, I have to learn to take both the compliments and the criticism in stride.

Misplaced Identity Correlation

A major problem caused by continuous proliferation of the term “nigga” is the effected miseducation of the general public – especially those who for one reason or another are susceptible to outside influence, and dance to the whims of current trends. When a word, idea, or thing gets perpetuated enough, people begin to think that it is the way things are supposed to be. This creates confusion because there now exists, a mesh between acceptable and unacceptable. Like, “It’s got to be okay because everyone that matters is doing it!”

Living in the Past

Let’s assume for the sake of argument that there really is a difference in meanings of the words “nigga”, “nigger”, or “niggah”. Let’s say as an example that the word, “nigga”, is so unique a creation that it could mean different things at the same time! That’s pretty cool right? Or could it be that it is just foolish? Imagine living in a world where every word could mean many different things. In your opinion, would that be pretty cool, or pretty annoying, confusing, stupid, and so uncool?

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Ultimately, people are always going to have their opinion on different issues, depending on which direction their point of view is swaying. To commandeer the rudder of an individual’s mindset, with the purpose of swaying it in another direction would be a hard feat; luckily, that is not my job. To prevent it from coming out of people lips by force is not going to do anything either. People just need to be socially conscious and let their reasoning guide them in the use of such colloquial terms that divide rather than unite.

A good friend of mine tells me I have the tendency to curse a great deal especially when agitated. I listen because I understand it is wrong, and as such, I try to be aware and control myself. My awareness becomes my first step towards active correction. So, if ever this question is posed to me, “The n-word, to use or not to use?” I vote in favor of reduced permeation and gradually leading to extinction. Obviously we can’t pretend the word doesn’t exist, or forget the history of its spawning, but we can at least curtail its ubiquitous use. Where will you stand?

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