"Racism, we are not cured of it. And it's not just a matter of it not being polite to say nigger....

[Sunlei]

President Obama June, 21, 2015

"Racism, we are not cured of it. And it's not just a matter of it not being polite to say nigger in public," Obama said. "That's not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It's not just a matter of overt discrimination. Societies don't, overnight, completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior"


Love President Obama to not mince words.

article here

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/22/politics/barack-obama-n-word-race-relations-marc-maron-interview/

[Schema Thing]

1. Lovin' that guy so hard right now.

[uponit7771]

2. This is where all the dem candidates need to go IMHO

[eggplant]

4. I disagree.

The candidates need to speak what's in their hearts, not what we want to hear. It makes it easier to pick who we *want* as our leaders.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. It's about what you do when you're in a small social circle and someone

drops the "N" word, thinking that they are using it covertly.

Can't say that I moved quickly, because I couldn't extract myself easily from that circle, but in the end, I prevailed. Fewer friends and family members to deal with, but in better company.

[pasto76]

19. this happens at work all the time

i immediately and loudly say "you mean like SSG Frell, US Army, Operation Desert Storm, OIF and OEF who saved my life a few times on my deployment. You mean like SGT XXX and SGT XXX who also had my back when I didnt even know it and I would be dead in the ground if they werent there. You mean them?!"

Im not a good friend, and Im not repaying that debt if I dont speak up. One time it cost me my job. Most of the time it just alienates me even more than being a veteran of the iraq war does. I could give a fuck about them. Its clear to me where my loyalties are.

[Baitball Blogger]

23. You're a good person.

I recognize it, and admire you for it.

[annabanana]

5. re: the media "vapours" over his use of the word...

Fer cryin' out loud! He has probably been the target of this word more often than any other single American in History!

If he isn't "allowed", or is to be scolded for his use of the word in a completely accurate and historical context shame on the couch fainters

[jtuck004]

6. We will have racism as long as you give that word power. When it can be written or spoken

and people look down it and realize that, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tried to show, words are only as powerful as you make them, we will be stronger and safer.

But too many profit from the way it is now.

[Fred Sanders]

8. The word does not have much "power" any more, the racists have new symbols and dog-whistles and

of course they have Fox and it's wall to wall stable of real racists and actor racists.

[zeemike]

11. I dissagree...it has more power now

Since it became the "N" word.
Now racism can hide behind it and you cannot accuse them as long as they don't use it.

Censoring words has never worked any good.

[Fred Sanders]

17. Racists can be, have been, and are racists by using other words, deeds and symbols...see Trump and Fox.

[zeemike]

25. Well yes they do and that is part of my point.

Banning the word has done nothing but provide cover for it...it just drives it underground.

Every racist know a MLK quote...ususaly the one about content of caricter and will lay it on you to hide their true feelings...and as long as they don't use the forbidden words they are clear of any responsibility.

When the "N" word was not forbidden they identified themselves with it...now you don't know even if you do.

[kairos12]

15. Faux Spews replaced the dog whistle with a fog horn.

[1StrongBlackMan]

14. I disagree ...

we will have racism whether that word is given power or not.

[jtuck004]

20. Yeah, that's true. But we can stop giving the word power, just like we can quit giving

bankers our labor for nothing. And then we get stronger.

Letters to MLK Jr taught some of us that. The words don't have the power. We do.

[randys1]

26. and there is still no reason for any white person to say it or type it, ever

Yes, I know, I heard.

The BLACK president said the N word...

WOWEEEE

But it is still the N word to everybody other than Black people for reasons I should not have to explain...

Power or not power, if you are white, dont say it, dont type it, not ever.

[dreamnightwind]

35. I think I will take this rare opportunity

to agree with you.

Sadly, Obama has probably been called that word more than any man since MLK. The power is the flames of racial hatred rather than the word itself.

I suppose I somewhat get the point of the poster who said the word lets us see who the racists are, but I think any benefit from that is far outweighed by the racial toxicity spread by tolerating such speech.

[loyalsister]

38. He didn't USE the N-word

He said it to make a point. But he did not use it as a weapon, as so many white people seem to want to do.

[Fred Sanders]

7. Please, fellow Democrats, forgive Obama for TPP, the measure of this man is far greater?

[calimary]

9. My husband just said - taking that word away will NOT take the racism away.

He's awfully smart!

Just like our President!

[jwirr]

18. In the 50-60s that word was about the only way that whites reffered to black people. And it was not

always because of bigotry - it was the popular word and it was ignorance. That is not to say that everyone used the word but it was in very common usage everywhere. Once the protest started at least some of us encouraged others to stop - family, friends, our own community. We almost got it to disappear but what we ignored was that we did not get the hate to disappear.

The hate and the word went underground and stayed there for a long time. In 1980 raygun and the R party and their hate preachers gave them permission to bring it out of hiding again. What happened in Charleston this week is akin to the lynching that were happening in that earlier time.

President Obama is so right on this but how do we stop it this time and in a way that doesn't just allow the hatred to fester for a short period and then reappear again in a new form?

I would like to see the flags and statues removed but once again I do not think that their removal will end the hate - in fact may make it worse. Tom Paxton has a song about trying to stop an idea once it is out of the box - I do not remember the song but it is all too true. We can stop actions but it is much harder to change ideas. But this idea must be changed - it is destroying our nation. But how is the problem.

[RichVRichV]

10. There is no quick fix to racism or bigotry.

Racism is a generational fix. It's almost impossible to get long time racists to stop being racists (I've tried). What we have to do is convince their children and grandchildren that racism is not acceptable. Younger people are much easier to convince to change their views. Each generation the racists become a smaller and smaller part of the population.

That's why we can't let racist remarks by younger people go. We have to challenge their preconceived notions instilled by previous generations and force them to look at inconvenient truths. It's also why integration is so important. The more people are around others that are different to them the more tolerant they become of differences (Even that can take a generation or more to take hold).

[gvstn]

12. Thanks Obama!

No joke here.

I really thank the President for actually saying the word. Words have meaning and it is appropriate to actually use them. The "N" word crap has to stop. Is every word going to be referred to by its first letter? I'm going to the store, "Oh, wait I'm going to the "S"!

Thanks Mr. President for actually saying the word rather than using euphemisms for it.

[randys1]

28. No, not every word, just the word that illustrates violence and hate like no other word in history,

other than maybe what Hitler said or did.

No, not every word, but that one for GOD DAMN Sure.

[gvstn]

30. What is the F word?

Is it Fuck or is it Faggot?

It is the unspoken "f" word, which is it?

You can't just reference words by their first letters. That is stupid! Say the goddamn word!

[randys1]

32. Another word no non-Gay person should EVER say...are you having fun with these words?

[gvstn]

33. No I am not having fun with these words.

But they are Goddamn words which have meaning. They should be spoken when discussing them rather than refereeing to them using only the first letter. Are we 5 years old or are we adults? You can say the "word" whichever it is and discuss like grownups.

What is the "f" word? Is it Fuck like they use it on teevee to avoid saying it? Or is it faggot? They both start with "f" but one might be personally more offensive to you or me. Calling someone a faggot is not in vogue but has it surpassed fuck as the new "f" word? You tell me, because I want to know what the "f" word is today. What does anyone mean when they say the "f" word? Wouldn't it be simpler if they actually spoke the word they were saying was inappropriate?

There is a reason we actually say the whole word so there is no ambiguity. "News" has to stop saying the "n" word because it is crap to not say the actual word and figure out why it is wrong to hurl it at someone.

[dreamnightwind]

36. Saying the N word rather tha the whole word

serves the purpose of identifying the word (it is quite obvious despite what you say about the F word, which is of course Fuck) while also making clear, by not saying it, that the word is not tolerated.

[gvstn]

37. It is not quite obvious.

The "n" word could be nitrogen for all I know. Say the fucking word!

Why should I have to guess which word you are talking about?

There is no such word that is not tolerated. You can teach people that a word is not used in polite company but there is no word that is banned from ever being spoken.

[heaven05]

13. leadership is good

to you sir,

[whatchamacallit]

16. He's right

Sadly, it lives on covertly and overtly.

[d_legendary1]

21. Very true. Its still exists to this day (sadly)

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[Spitfire of ATJ]

22. General reaction....

[NightWatcher]

24. Just finished the interview and I'm impressed even more with Obama now than before

He was completely genuine and point blank when it came to politics and race, but I enjoyed hearing him speak of the wisdom of age and experience.

[leftofcool]

27. Good job Mr. President!

[Freelancer]

29. In a hundred years, people will look back at pictures of 2015 and wonder ...

How, when about 92% of the people in 2015 still picked mates of similar features and pigment, that we could have possibly believed we weren't still racists.

[Tarheel_Dem]

31. And "sensitive" folk, on both sides of the aisle, are reaching for their faux fainting couches.

That's my President. He & Michelle seem to have adopted a "Screw-it, what're you gonna do about it" attitude of late, and I'm loving it.

[Skittles]

34. giving Obama extreme kudos for that speech

seriously righteous