What are your thoughts on the following saying...

[ZombieHorde]

WARNING: LINK CONTAINS 'N' WORD AS USED IN THAT ONE LENNON SONG
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=88190

I responded and alerted, but someone beat me to the alert, and the jury thought it was good enough for our community.

I Know I can be clueless on race issues, so maybe the jury is right and I am wrong. What do you think?

[monmouth]

1. It's a settled issue bit I'm with you...n/t

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Well, it IS the title of a John Lennon song

It's actually the first true women's rights song. Dick Gregory and Rep. Ron Dellums weren't offended by it, and Dellums had this to say about it:

If you define 'n****r' as someone whose lifestyle is defined by others, whose opportunities are defined by others, whose role in society is defined by others, the good news is that you don't have to be black to be a n****r in this society. Most of the people in America are n****rs.

I believe your heart is in the right place, but it's not used as a racial slur in this context.

[nofurylike]

6. it is, and it will always be, "a racial slur," when out of a white mouth, or pen, or keyboard ...

denying that just reveals a lot about the denier.

[Number23]

10. Perfect. As usual.

[nofurylike]

13. kind one

gratitude!

[SemperEadem]

12. Dick Gregory and Ron Dellums speak only for

Dick Gregory and Ron Dellums: NO ONE ELSE.

It IS a racial slur and just because Saint John of Lennon wrote it doesn't make a jot of difference.

[fishwax]

3. Might be good idea to warn readers the link contains the "n" word

The word and its presence on DU has been discussed before in this group (well, the AAIG on the old DU), and many posters said they never liked seeing it on DU, even though it was allowed in some contexts. With that in mind, I think it would be appropriate to include a warning to let those who wish (and whom you want) to follow your link know what they'll be seeing.

(Link to an example of the discussion I mentioned: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=258&topic_id=4168#4171)

[ZombieHorde]

5. Warning added. nt

[Happyhippychick]

4. I find it totally and utterly offensive

[nofurylike]

14. Happyhippychick, i quoted you in this reply to a post about this question::

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=89331

uncredited quote, i hope that is okay with you!
it says it all, and so succinctly!
thank you!!

(edit to correct)

[Happyhippychick]

16. Yes, more than okay! I'm honored! :)

[nofurylike]

17. thank you so very much!!

[nofurylike]

7. you are right, the jury is wrong. thank you for posting this, ZombieHorde nt

[NOLALady]

8. I don't like it.

Totally insensitive and clueless. IMHO

[Number23]

9. What NOLALady said

And Nofurylike was an angel to request an edit. Which didn't happen.

[nofurylike]

15. you saw. "Absolutely not." wow, ah?

then, "angel"'s Guide, You!

[SemperEadem]

11. I guess Lennon was trying to make a point

and he decided not to sing "Woman is the Northern Irish to the English"... it's not nearly as catchy.

Now, if he had written "Woman is the "c" word of the world", then the mods would have tombstoned him.

Typical, but it's yet another example of having to "shut up and take it" because of free speech and whose interpretation is most valuable.

[Number23]

18. Nailed it

Typical, but it's yet another example of having to "shut up and take it" because of free speech and whose interpretation is most valuable.

This week on DU has reminded me (but can you really be "reminded" of something that you never, ever forgot? Couldn't possibly forget even if you wanted to?) that the opinions of white people matter above all others, even when the subject at hand is "COMMENTS THAT BLACK PEOPLE FIND OFFENSIVE."

Black people can say we find something offensive and have a Powerpoint presentation full of facts and figures to support it. But it's not until a white person (and preferably a man) comes along and says that same thing, damn near verbatim in many cases, that suddenly the old light bulb goes off and the same folks who were swearing to their dying breath that something wasn't racist/bigoted/racially insensitive suddenly turn into "oh, I never thought about it that way."

I mean you just have to laugh otherwise you'd be cussing people out every second of every minute of every single day.

[dipsydoodle]

19. Should've been "deleted"

for being inflamatory, tactless and insensitive.