Must You Say Nigger?
essay43 total reviews
Comment from giraffmang
Hi Mikey,
This is a tremendously insightful piece of writing that I am sure will affect others greatly. If we are all honest with ourselves, we all carry prejudice and intolerance in one form or another. This is true of all in society no matter what the group.
I cam to the realisation on a person level a long time ago that I carried some level of prejudice in regard to my upbringing in Northern Ireland with the troubles there. Even stepping away from it does not eradicate it.
I agree that the hope should be for something better, something more. Is tolerance enough? Is being tolerant of another group just another form of the same prejudice, and, indeed, great arrogance, as you state?
A brave piece of work, and hopefully will produce some soul searching, and open minded responses.
- "Does it matter I would never say it or allow myself to act towards them improperly." - should this have a question mark at the end?
G
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Hi Mikey,
This is a tremendously insightful piece of writing that I am sure will affect others greatly. If we are all honest with ourselves, we all carry prejudice and intolerance in one form or another. This is true of all in society no matter what the group.
I cam to the realisation on a person level a long time ago that I carried some level of prejudice in regard to my upbringing in Northern Ireland with the troubles there. Even stepping away from it does not eradicate it.
I agree that the hope should be for something better, something more. Is tolerance enough? Is being tolerant of another group just another form of the same prejudice, and, indeed, great arrogance, as you state?
A brave piece of work, and hopefully will produce some soul searching, and open minded responses.
- "Does it matter I would never say it or allow myself to act towards them improperly." - should this have a question mark at the end?
G
Comment Written 28-Apr-2015
Comment from Eric1
Hi Mikey, I read your essay with great interest, you make a valid arguement in your words, we are all racist in one way or another even though we tell friends 'well I'm not prejudiced but--'
This my friend is a well thought out and damned good write about what is wrong not only in your country but my country too.
Here in the UK racism has gone overboard, we are racist if we tell Welsh jokes, we are Racist if weberate the Scottish for wanting their freedom and we are racist if we are at loggerheads with the Irish.
As you say, the terrible word 'Nigger' has been adopted by the young black population, I personally hate the word 'Wog'.
But my arguement is that racism is no longer about colour, it exists in all of us because we invented it!
Have a good day dear friend, I hope my response makes sense.
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 |
Hi Mikey, I read your essay with great interest, you make a valid arguement in your words, we are all racist in one way or another even though we tell friends 'well I'm not prejudiced but--'
This my friend is a well thought out and damned good write about what is wrong not only in your country but my country too.
Here in the UK racism has gone overboard, we are racist if we tell Welsh jokes, we are Racist if weberate the Scottish for wanting their freedom and we are racist if we are at loggerheads with the Irish.
As you say, the terrible word 'Nigger' has been adopted by the young black population, I personally hate the word 'Wog'.
But my arguement is that racism is no longer about colour, it exists in all of us because we invented it!
Have a good day dear friend, I hope my response makes sense.
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The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 28-Apr-2015
Comment from Gloria ....
Well Mikey, I never use the word, but I certainly use some colourful language to which a few take umbrage, and none of them have to do with race. LOL. But, there is no point in writing if you aren't going to be honest now is there?
I've known about my racism for many years now because I'm with Dr. Phil on that one, you can't fix what you don't acknowledge, or something like that.
There were no black people in our little mining town but the pejorative ethnic slurs were plenty for the Asians and North American Indians. Mind you no one pretended they weren't racist and not a long time had passed since the Internment Camps of Japanese Canadians following Pearl Harbour. Racism involves a LOT of guilt and projection for treating people poorly.
No, was I never that naïve - think that needs a rearrangement.
because their (there were) where 'only whites'
Good on you for your honesty, Mikey. That's the sign of terrific writing because through writing we learn what we really are if we're doing any introspection at all.
Gloria
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Well Mikey, I never use the word, but I certainly use some colourful language to which a few take umbrage, and none of them have to do with race. LOL. But, there is no point in writing if you aren't going to be honest now is there?
I've known about my racism for many years now because I'm with Dr. Phil on that one, you can't fix what you don't acknowledge, or something like that.
There were no black people in our little mining town but the pejorative ethnic slurs were plenty for the Asians and North American Indians. Mind you no one pretended they weren't racist and not a long time had passed since the Internment Camps of Japanese Canadians following Pearl Harbour. Racism involves a LOT of guilt and projection for treating people poorly.
No, was I never that naïve - think that needs a rearrangement.
because their (there were) where 'only whites'
Good on you for your honesty, Mikey. That's the sign of terrific writing because through writing we learn what we really are if we're doing any introspection at all.
Gloria
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The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 28-Apr-2015
