I hear the word "nigger" being used in my environment nearly daily. In addition I hear other sounds that are intended to mean the same thing.
In my mind there are two uses of this word. One is purely negative, but should not be regulated. In this use it is meant to tell another person that they are not equal to the the person using it. It is meant to make you feel uncomfortable about some aspect of yourself that is percieved as inate. It is a judgement people make about you based on knowing very little about you.
One example from recent life is that I was in Steak and Shake on College Ave and I heard someone refer to me and say that I was "planning to move in with the niggers" refering to the black people living at Colonial Crest Apartments. In this case the word was used in a public place in the open in front of someone who was visible and with the very reasonable expectation that she would be offended by it. The staff heard this converstation as well and no admonition about the use of the word occured. I got my lunch and left, they stayed seated and leasurely continued their meal without interruption.
The other use of the word is when it used by the people that the others apply it to. It is used to describe their social status and a collection of activities that they must endure daily. This is the only form that I use except in one case. I have used the word "nigger" to refer to racist. The reason I do this is to practice their speech formula, in order to turn around the things I heard said about me daily and to take some empowerment from it. I have never, however, gone up to someone and said to them that they are a nigger. I say it privately in my home or in my writing which people have the opportunity to refuse to read. However if people read one thing they should read enough to understand it.
Taking the word nigger out of the vocabulary of a nation that pride's itself on freedom is an evil that can never be repaired. The frequent use of the word in the past was the catalyst for dialogue on social change and a daily reminder in plain terms why it was neccessary to keep struggling for a truely free america. When the attempt to remove the word from our vocabulary was made, it only increased the jeapordy of people who were truely seeking to resolve the racism of our nation.
If I cant tell you people treat me like a nigger it is easier for them to do it. If I try to use other words to explain what they are doing, you will not understand it.
My landlord's acountant knew that because she was white, she could refuse to make my accounts correct and that if I complained she had a ready litany in the conciousness of the people who would talk to her about it basically telling them that "niggers always claim to pay their rent and never actually do" but because she was obligated to not use the word nigger her racist act was not immediately recognized for what it was and the problem was allowed to proceed to court.
