So I listened to Dr. Laura Schlessinger's "N" word clip in it's entirety. Google it. Be sure to search for a clip that will allow you to listen to the segment not read it. Something gets lost when you read it. ( http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008120045 )
Anyway, here is a brief synopsis. A black woman married to a white man calls in and tells dr laura that her husbands family and friends as well as their neighbors make racists comments that make her feel uncomfortable. Her chief complaint was that her husband ignores the comments despite how they make her feel. She wants to feel protected by her husband. Dr. Laura immediately asked for an example because she thought the caller may have been hypersensitive. I guess Dr Laura knows this random caller so well, she can decided in 2 minutes that the caller is hypersensitive and lacks a sense of humor because she is offended by "black think" questions.
If I am offended when a white person asks me a "black think" question am I being hypersensitive? I can tell you right now that the answer is NO. You can't tell me when it's ok to feel offended. You can't tell me I don't have a sense of humor because I don't laugh at your "black think" questions. Guess what?! I am an individual. I can answer only for myself.
Dr. Laura goes on to say that she is bothered that black people can use the "N" word but it's offensive when white people say it. (Please listen to this segment.) As she is making her point she uses the "N" word several times. This put her in hot water. People started pressuring her sponsors to drop her. Eventually she announce that she will be leaving radio when her contract is up later this year.
Here is my take on the matter. I am not offended at her use of the word. In context she used it to make a point, and I get that. I am offended at her point. It's offensive because she generalizes. She needs to have a conversation with a group of black people. Apparently she'd be surprised that many of us do not like nor use the word. She clumped an entire ethnic group together based on scripted HBO jokes.
I understand what you might hear in a rap song. I don't like it either. So don't clump me with them. My father is a black man and I have never heard him use the word. I don't care if you're black, white, yellow or blue. Don't ever call me or refer to me as a "N".
One the flip side just because one talks about his/her family doesn't mean he/she won't defend them when you do.
One more point. Dr. laura, stated that she thought that by voting Obama into office "the attempt to demonize whites hating blacks would stop?" Um dr. laura anyone hating anyone is not godly. It is demonic. I prayed for Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin throughout the campaign. I voted for Obama because I felt he was the best candidate. Do I like the fact that he is black? Shoot I celebrate it. I'm glad my niece and nephews are coming up in this error and can witness it. However even Obama and his strong following are not enough to erase centuries of history. And before someone tells me that slavery and jim crow are in the past let me tell you this. The Constitution was written in the late 1700's. In 2010 we are still ruled by this piece of history. I am first generation outside of jim crow. My parents grew up in the midst. So don't tell me residual effects aren't out there. When I hear stories for what my parents went through, when I recall things I've gone through, when I witness my three year old niece being ostracized because of her skin color I get offended. Call me sensitive if you want to. Ha!
