THE "N" WORD
We are living in strange times, indeed. While sexually and racially foul language is piped out 24-7 to our youngsters via the media, the "N" word is on the verge of being banned altogether. One person's racial slur is another's term of endearment. It all depends on who says what to whom. It's hard to figure out where one should stand on this.
The First Amendment allows for almost total freedom of expression, except for one exceptional exception. Yelling "fire" in a crowded movie theatre is prohibited. Yet, while directing a firing squad, it's perfectly legal. In the latter case, death will surely follow, while the former may lead only to serious injury.
Moreover, yelling "fire" in a crowded office building can make you a hero. There are times when it's even okay to yell "fire" in a movie theatre. For example, if it is on fire. And I believe yelling "fire" if you're an arsonist about to set one, gets you a year off your life sentence.
Finally, while enduring a Merchant/Ivory film with your wife, yelling "fire" should be reduced to a misdemeanor. Unless you're home.
It really depends on who's getting injured. I've always had trouble with breast words. As a child, I couldn't say "Bra" without breaking out in hives. Later, hearing "Titty" made me nervous, and to this day, I can't say "Nipple" without locking myself in the bathroom. The "N" word has always been tough for me.
Much has been made of Joe Biden's use of the word "articulate," in describing our next president, Barak Obama. Thanks to PNN and other widely circulated periodicals, Joe Biden is now washing dishes at the Red Colony Diner on Federal Road in Danbury. It's illegal for a white man to call a black man articulate: the negative implication being that it is noteworthy for a black man to be articulate.
Almost any word can be a code word in a given context. In general, if it isn't something you would say about a white person (or any other race) with a similar educational background, it is improper to say.
Biden's "A" word would probably not have drawn so much attention, had he not followed it up with the "C" word. "Clean" -- as in the "F" word, "fresh" -- as in, fresh to the political scene, and therefore uncorrupted, came across as a hygienic term. Biden may suffer from having lived through the times, as Ronald Reagan blithely put it, when there was no racism.
But no one seriously thinks the senator from Delaware is a racist. Nonetheless, the word police have knocked him out of the race. The real "N" word, of course, does describe Barack Obama, and does beg the question of whether the American electorate can elect an "N" president. "N" in this case stands for "Normal." Anyone who watched the 60 Minutes interview of him last Sunday, had to have been impressed by his lack of egotism, his lack of dishonestly, his lack of anger, and in general, his lack of personality disorders. Is this country ready for a normal president?
Of course, with our Neanderthal in Chief, George Bush, new focus has been placed on the word "articulate." Curiously, George gave new meaning to the Geico commercial slogan, "So easy, even a cave man could do it." Our monkey in a China closet has caused enough damage now that perhaps from here on out, we will need to describe presidential candidates as either articulate or inarticulate. Be forewarned however-- even our most articulate president pondered what the meaning of "is" is.
We are living in strange times, indeed. While sexually and racially foul language is piped out 24-7 to our youngsters via the media, the "N" word is on the verge of being banned altogether. One person's racial slur is another's term of endearment. It all depends on who says what to whom. It's hard to figure out where one should stand on this.
The First Amendment allows for almost total freedom of expression, except for one exceptional exception. Yelling "fire" in a crowded movie theatre is prohibited. Yet, while directing a firing squad, it's perfectly legal. In the latter case, death will surely follow, while the former may lead only to serious injury.
Moreover, yelling "fire" in a crowded office building can make you a hero. There are times when it's even okay to yell "fire" in a movie theatre. For example, if it is on fire. And I believe yelling "fire" if you're an arsonist about to set one, gets you a year off your life sentence.
Finally, while enduring a Merchant/Ivory film with your wife, yelling "fire" should be reduced to a misdemeanor. Unless you're home.
It really depends on who's getting injured. I've always had trouble with breast words. As a child, I couldn't say "Bra" without breaking out in hives. Later, hearing "Titty" made me nervous, and to this day, I can't say "Nipple" without locking myself in the bathroom. The "N" word has always been tough for me.
Much has been made of Joe Biden's use of the word "articulate," in describing our next president, Barak Obama. Thanks to PNN and other widely circulated periodicals, Joe Biden is now washing dishes at the Red Colony Diner on Federal Road in Danbury. It's illegal for a white man to call a black man articulate: the negative implication being that it is noteworthy for a black man to be articulate.
Almost any word can be a code word in a given context. In general, if it isn't something you would say about a white person (or any other race) with a similar educational background, it is improper to say.
Biden's "A" word would probably not have drawn so much attention, had he not followed it up with the "C" word. "Clean" -- as in the "F" word, "fresh" -- as in, fresh to the political scene, and therefore uncorrupted, came across as a hygienic term. Biden may suffer from having lived through the times, as Ronald Reagan blithely put it, when there was no racism.
But no one seriously thinks the senator from Delaware is a racist. Nonetheless, the word police have knocked him out of the race. The real "N" word, of course, does describe Barack Obama, and does beg the question of whether the American electorate can elect an "N" president. "N" in this case stands for "Normal." Anyone who watched the 60 Minutes interview of him last Sunday, had to have been impressed by his lack of egotism, his lack of dishonestly, his lack of anger, and in general, his lack of personality disorders. Is this country ready for a normal president?
Of course, with our Neanderthal in Chief, George Bush, new focus has been placed on the word "articulate." Curiously, George gave new meaning to the Geico commercial slogan, "So easy, even a cave man could do it." Our monkey in a China closet has caused enough damage now that perhaps from here on out, we will need to describe presidential candidates as either articulate or inarticulate. Be forewarned however-- even our most articulate president pondered what the meaning of "is" is.
posted by R. Reynolds at 9:15 AM
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