N word should be banned by everyone.

Ever listen to rap?

Thank you for sharing this perspective, and I’m sorry that your wife has had to deal with her “friends” calling her this word when they don’t agree with her. I agree with you that the word should not be used by anyone, and I did not mean to offend people by posting about African-Americans trying to reclaim the word. I am not black and cannot experience the effects of this hurtful word personally, and I was just sharing some rationale that others have used for why the word is used in rap and amongst African-Americans. Mainly, I was trying to respond to how ridiculous it was to suggest that whites can use the word because some blacks say it.

I’ll never know what it’s like to be black. So I’m not going to pretend to understand why it’s OK to drop n-bombs in some segments of black culture and not others, or why it’s OK to use that word in some situations and not in others.

But I do know this: In the workplace, racial slurs are never OK. Doesn’t matter if those slurs are against blacks, whites, latinos, Asians, or whoever. Doesn’t matter if those slurs are said by blacks, whites, latinos, Asians, or whoever. Doesn’t matter if those slurs are said about one’s own race.

The unwritten – and sometimes seemingly unfair – rules of racism, ageism, sexism, orientationism, or religionism in culture are somewhat of a mystery to probably all of us. But the the rules at work are very, very clear.

Protestors and rioters call the cops that word. Think about that for a second. It has no place in a society. 

There seems to be an interesting dichotomy between the word used with the suffix -er and the suffix -a. The former seems to be an unremitigated racial slur, and the latter almost a term of endearment. The word is just a word, and it pains me that language is used as a hammer like it is. I agree with you, that if the word is so toxic, it should just be extirpated from the language in either form. 

No word should be banned. Someone CHOOSES to be offended by a word. It’s just a noise made by the lips, teeth, and tongue. Also, how on earth are you going to possibly enforce that? Fine people for saying something someone else might find offensive Mr. Thought Police? If it’s not ever okay to say that word, how about words that other people find offensive? I’m offended by the word Democrat. And the words social justice. And many other words. Should those be banned too Mr. Virtue Signaling? There is this thing called freedom of speech that is protected by the 1st amendment. How exactly are you going to get around that one?