The N-Word Has Left the Building

The News

The N-Word Has Left the Building

On the last day of Black History Month, the New York City Council passed symbolic legislation to ban the use of the N-word in NYC, joining several other municipalities in a campaign against the word. amNY.com reported:

Chief sponsor Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-Queens) said that, particularly during Black History Month, it was important to discuss “the real history, the problems, and the embarrassment or hurt and pain that people feel when they hear this word misused and abused.”

Political gestures are nice. But until politicians put real energy toward turning the tide of poverty and Blacks’ lack of access to quality education, health care, and business opportunities, then I’m hard-pressed to say that they should spend their time policing people whose ignorant use of the word is likely to be bolstered by making the N-word taboo.

So what do you think? Is a ban a step in the right direction?

Posted at 8:52 AM, Mar 01, 2007 in News | Permalink | View Comments

Comments

It sounds like political smoke blowing to me -- the pretense of action without having to do any heavy lifting. And now we're legislating language? I personally hate the word "cauliflower". It offends me. I want it banned yesterday.

I'd hardly trivialize the n-word by comparing it to your hatred of the word cauliflower. But I do agree that the NYC Council is blowing smoke. What's worse is that the news will never reach the majority of n-word users who I'd argue are Black and Latino children and young adults who I hear nearly everyday slinging the words back and forth, playfully, as if they invented the term altogether.