The Unforgivable Word

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/al_qaida_obama

I woke up to this headline. Al-Qaeda attacks Obama. Terrorist group uses racial slur to attack president elect.

I am going what? So I delve further into the article, because I am pretty sure, terrorist in the desert or not, whatever you want to think of them. I am hoping they know better than to use the other N word.

[quote]Ayman al-Zawahri's message appeared mainly aimed at persuading Muslims and Arabs that Obama does not represent a change in U.S. policies.

He said in the message that Obama is "the direct opposite of honourable black Americans" like Malcolm X, the 1960s African-American rights leader.

In al-Qaida's first response to Obama's victory, al-Zawahri also called him - along with former and current secretaries of state Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice - "house Negroes." [/quote]

So he didn't use the unforgivable word. Also this argument is one that I have heard from several other people, black or white. Some people do think that there is no change. Democrat or Republican, black or white it's the same agenda.

I also remember recently that Jesse Jackson had to apologize for his remark where he said he felt that Obama was talking down to black people.

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jul/10/nation/na-jackson10

[quote]“Barack, he’s talking down to black people,” Jackson said in a short clip the network aired this afternoon on “Special Report with Brit Hume.”
[/quote]

Now it's not as flattering as being called the Magic Negro, which I still don't see how that was meant to be flattering, but apparently it was, when used by the L.A. Times.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story?coll=la-opinion-center

[quote]
But it's clear that Obama also is running for an equally important unelected office, in the province of the popular imagination — the "Magic Negro."

The Magic Negro is a figure of postmodern folk culture, coined by snarky 20th century sociologists, to explain a cultural figure who emerged in the wake of Brown vs. Board of Education. "He has no past, he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist," reads the description on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro .
[/quote]

This follows on the heals of Lindsey Lohan, getting some heat for using the term Colored. I didn't watch the video, but even if she used the term colored, it's antiquated, but not generally in many circles considered racist.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/11/lindsay-lohan-calls-obama_n_143087.html

[quote]Lindsay Lohan is happy Barack Obama got elected after campaigning for him this year. But, she referred to the President-Elect with a mumbled adjective at the beginning of an interview with Access Hollywood's Maria Menounos that some say is offensive. Does she say "good" or "colored?"

"It's an amazing feeling. It's our first [mumble] president."
[/quote]

So let's recap here people, so I don't keep seeing those crazy headlines.
Colored is an antiquated word, but at the time of it's popularity was I don't think primarily a negative word. (Though it was used as a divisive word)

Black the preferred term outside of America, and the Afro American term. In Canada, the UK, and many other parts of the world Black is the preferred term.

Negro, Not a popular term in this time period, but still not considered a racist word. In fact the term is still used by the United Negro College Fund. Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
The last and final word which I will not debate here, but I still think falls into the unforgivable word category. The N_gger word. Used by some urban kids and some adults, the word has throughout history had a negative connotation. It still does in many circles. Urban culture has tried to reclaim and recapture the term and often use it amongst themselves, much to the shagrin of people like Oprah and many others in the black community and outside, who find the term highly offensive.

The term is a dubious one, because depending on who uses it, it's often over looked in some cases, Eg. If used by a black person, vs if used by another race. Some people think that the term should be not used by anyone. (I am in agreement with this.)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6406625.stm

[quote]The city council of New York has voted to ban the use of the word "nigger".
The resolution to ban the so-called "N-word" is largely symbolic as it carries no weight in law and those who use the word would face no punishment.

But it reflects a growing unease that the racial slur is now part of everyday conversation and that the taboo against its usage has been swept away.

The word is in common usage among sections of the younger generation in the United States.
'Throwback to slavery'

For many years the "N-word" has been used by young African Americans who have appropriated it as a, perhaps ironic, term of endearment.

Now, other ethnic groups have started to use it in a similar context, and those who insist it should be banned are growing increasingly outraged.

Many African American community leaders, with the backing of fellow lawmakers, say it is offensive in every context and that is a word which should never be said. [/quote]

So that's a little bit of a history lesson on words that are popping up left right and center and dubious headlines that I keep coming across. Let's not go crazy people. Obama hopefully will not be the last black (bi-racial) president ever. I think it's great the media is taking care to make sure that he feels welcome and people are being sensitive on his behalf, wither it's making sure that the colored term is not used again, or other precautions, but let's keep things in context here.

Here are some pics of Obama with his grand parents.
http://www.moonbattery.com/ObamaGrandparents.jpg

With his dad's family
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/images/2008/03/31/obama_family.jpg

with his mom
http://maremare1225.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/sweet.jpg

His mom's family
http://theladnerreportblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/hard-working-white-people-should_13.html

With is family
http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2008/03/15/mn_obama_family.jpg

With his grand daddy
http://a.abcnews.com/images/Nightline/ht_beach_080131_ssv.jpg

So unless someone uses the unforgivable word, can we stop with the crazy headlines, please.