AMERICAblog: GOP officials divided over whether "negro" is a slur
Bostonian_Queer_in_Dallas
· 1 year ago
Ya think??? To me the GOP is only open to rich, white, straight, Protestant, greedy assholes. The rest was spin, rinse,, repeat.
scytherius
· 1 year ago
lol To me too.
vkobaya
· 1 year ago
Pretty pathetic considering this is 2008, almost 2009, 40 years after man walked on the moon, 60 years after the atom bomb, 150 years after the Civil War and perhaps 200,000 years after man stopped using his knuckles to help him walk upright. Then again, those knuckle draggers frequently revert to walking on all four as well as demonstrating only the beginnings of sentience.
EmGD
· 1 year ago
C'mon, Ken Blackwell said it's all about context and that this was only a problem because people were taking it out of context. As in the fact that it's in a derogatory song somehow makes it better than if Huckabee's boy Chip was off yelling "Negro!" on a street corner. What's great is that this'll probably make Saltsman the frontrunner and give him a good shot at becoming RNC head. That won't be good for the RNC, but this is what you get when you base your party around the principle of "pissing liberals off".
This fake Rethug and media bafflement isn't new...Like everything else associated with the doomed Rethugs and their dwindling fan base, the Rush alleged parody is extremely crude and witless aside from the obvious to a toddler racism. Here's a link to the lyrics: http://www.monacome.com/2008/12/barack-magic-ne...
PS-We've seen Barack's abs but isn't it time to see Saltsman and Rushie's 6-pack?
Greensburg
· 1 year ago
Why debate? Everyone knows that negro is entirelly appropriate to use when referring to African-Americans as long as your mind is frozen in the 50's and 60's. Oh, we are talking about the GOP, I guess they are frozen in the 50's and 60's so for them it is OK. They even got themselves a few of them African Americans telling everyone that it is OK. Thank GOD for Kenny Blackwell (see, even his name is appropriate).
Steve Pipenger, esq
· 1 year ago
Hell...they might as well just use the old stand-by..."niggra." **SARCASM**
Older_Wiser
· 1 year ago
Looks like the Rethug "do-over" isn't going too well, that is unless you have a 1950's mindset and are still whistling "Dixie" into the wind...
ralph dunn
· 1 year ago
More importantly, why isn't this blog discussing one of the most critical events of our time: the savage assault by Israel against the people of Gaza. How can this blog call itself liberal or progressive and not discuss this horrendous action?
Rob Mule
· 1 year ago
Aren't both sides just brutally calculating for the new President's attention and cash while bitch-slapping the Condi/Decider legacy?
Merlin
· 1 year ago
Your on the wrong thread! Been very good comments in the right threads.
Gridlock
· 1 year ago
Maybe because it's old, and they do this every 6 months, and nobody gives a crap anymore because they're too intractable and too invested in their bloody little war of attrition.
Frankly, it would be nice to evacuate anybody not interested in being an idiot, and then glass the entire area with a few Neutron bombs to get rid of the rest.
Then we could build a nice park over what's left. A Peace park.
woodnthrifty
· 1 year ago
We could give Alaska to the people of Israel in turn for them giving their land back to the Palistinians. Alaska has is the largest state with almost the fewest people. And they want to secede anyway.
Also we could make Mexico the 51st State. World peace :).
scytherius
· 1 year ago
Have they decided yet that being GOP is a mental illness?
Rob Mule
· 1 year ago
Ken Blackwell sure is good at steppin and fetchin... I'm working on a parody...Working title: Rush, The Lard-Packed Shitbag
Gridlock
· 1 year ago
I'd buy that for a dollar.
osage
· 1 year ago
What would Republicans say if the Democrats came out with a song called "McConnell Is A Old Fay Honkey"?
Constant Comment
· 1 year ago
I hope they keep this up--then, let's see where their old, white guy, Christianist, homophobic, misogynistic party is in four years.
brainypirate
· 1 year ago
And now Politico has an article claiming that many Repubs are rallying around Saltsman and criticizing Duncan and Anuzis for criticizing him.
"'Magic Negro' flap might help Saltsman"
Bush_Bites
· 1 year ago
It probably will.
It's the Rush Limbaugh/Fox News party now.
The Second Witness
· 1 year ago
If "Negro" is a slur, then it must follow, so is "negroid" as a descriptive adjective.
Not every black person in the world is an "African" or has ancestors who come from Africa, or are even of the negroid race. Australian Aborigines are black negroid people, as are those from Papua New Guinea, and a number of Pacific Islands in Melanesia.
Just as every "Black in America" is therefore not necessarily the descendant of black negroid peoples ultimately from "Africa" within recorded history, not every indigenous African who moves to America (and is therefore clearly an "African-American") is a black negroid person; white caucasoid South Africans are not "black negroids", nor are caucasoid Berbers and other caucasoid North Africans (including Jews from North Africa). You're Greek, so you should know that Alexandria was a Greek Colony, and Cleopatra was a Greek princess, supposedly with strawberry-blond hair (under her wig).
Therefore, should a Tunisian Jew, whose family has been in North Africa for thousands of years (since the Diaspora), be called an "African-American" upon immigration to the USA?
Also, Sri Lankans are much, much darker in skin color than many negroid peoples (particularly in the USA), and so are definitely "black" as far as skin color - but they are caucasoid people, and not negroid peoples.
So, is an Australian Indigenous person who immigrates to the USA to be called an "African-American" even thought neither they nor their ancestors have any connection to Africa within recorded history?
Is a Tunisian Jew whose family has been in Carthage since the Diaspora not to be called an "African-American" upon immigration to the USA, because they are not "negroid"?
Is a Sri Lankan whose skin is many shades darker than Vanessa Williams', Will Smith's or Barack Obama's, and who is likely to suffer just as much prejudice as any other black American because of his skin color, supposed to identify himself as "white" just because he is caucasoid?
If the word "negro" is a slur, then I don't see how "negroid" could be used as a descriptive adjective, without also being considered a slur.
Steve Pipenger, esq
· 1 year ago
You really think that the context in which they used it was not meant to be a slur?
The Second Witness
· 1 year ago
I think "Negro" is a noun like "Jew" or "Greek" or "Arab" or "Muslim" or "Eskimo."
And I think that it is ridiculous that one cannot call a Jew a Jew, but in the "P.C." community, one has to call a Jew a "Jewish Person" - As if a racist person will hiss "Jewish Person" with any less venom and hatred, then he would say "Jew."
Same goes for "Negro" or even "African-American."
What's going to happen, when people whose hearts are filled with hatred start enunciating "African-American" with as much loathing and contempt in their voices as they can muster up? Is "African-American" then going to become a "taboo slur" too?
How about if everyone starts to say "Arab" as contemptuously as they can. Will "Arab" then be a "slur", and will we all have to say "Arabic Person"?
Of course the people who used "Magic Negro" in that song meant it as a slur, because of all the reasons already mentioned in this comments section. But that doesn't mean that the word "Negro/ negroid race itself is a slur any more than Caucasian/ caucasoid race is, or Mongolian/ mongoloid race is.
If words are banned wholesale, because some people use them as expressions of contempt, then any word can be transformed into a slur, including "Democrat" considering the contemptuous way it's used by many Republican politicians.
FunMe
· 1 year ago
I'm afraid to ask what wordS they use for gays.
GOP are such freaks!
Steve Pipenger, esq
· 1 year ago
I'm sure Rick Warren could answer that question.
Tony D
· 1 year ago
Really, the free market should decide whether the term is a slur. Anything else is communism. (sarcasm)
Man these people make me sick.
grandma
· 1 year ago
from Yglesias:
One of the distinguishing characteristics of modern American conservatism is that it believes in a curious concept of “color blindness.” ...........
Rather than saying that the prudent and decent white person will steer a mile clear of racist activity — sending out “Barack the Magic Negro” CDs, for example — the best course of action is to deliberately drive straight at the line and then get really upset at anyone who says you’ve crossed it.
I think everyone's missing the point here... While partly it's the use of the word "negro", it's not so much that as it is that they chose Obama's race as the topic of their satire. This CD would have also been offensive if it was "Barack the magic African-American" of "Barack the magic Black Man." It's the fact that they're mocking or trivializing his race.
That being said, there is a parallel to be drawn here... Referring to someone's race using the almost-clinical term "Negro" is akin to referring to a gay person as a "homosexual". It sets them aside as something "other", a laboratory specimen of some sort instead of a person with a valid claim to his or her place in society.
TA
· 1 year ago
Of course they don't think it's intolerant. 3/5's of their voters come from the ranks of the same people who gave us the Confederacy and KKK.
Paula
· 1 year ago
Dear John - Since you posted that clip from "A Christmas Story", you have sort of lost the moral high ground with me on racial and ethnic slurs. I know that a lot of people think it's funny to make fun of Asian people by mocking the way they speak (or more accurately, the way Westerners think they speak), but it's just as offensive as calling the President-elect a "Negro".
When you apologize for posting that clip, maybe my respect for you will return.
devlzadvocate
· 1 year ago
Oh puhleeze! I suppose we should stop I Love Lucy reruns because women are treated in a demeaning manner. Simply looking back at history's mistakes doesn't make one immoral. Sometimes we laugh at those prejudices because we were so ignorant in them. They can be used to remind us of how things have changed or how we can still make things change.
However, with all that said and those lessons learned, when we communicate, it is NOT the sender of the message that gets to decide if the message is offensive, it is the receiver of the message.
Rob Mule
· 1 year ago
Have you ever watched the sanitized version of the Bugs Bunny Warner Bros classic "Rabbit Fire" where Fudd's rifle fire is edited out? Unedited: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTKeIjt4S_Y
Paula
· 1 year ago
You know, most people who watch Lucy re-runs are not laughing *because* women are demeaned. They laugh in spite of it. In this case, people are laughing *because* it makes fun of Asians. I am not suggesting a ban on this movie, but John had a choice about which clip to show (there are lots of funny clips from that movie, and many other holiday movies). I still watch "Breakfast at Tiffany's" despite Mickey Rooney's patently offensive yellow-face portrayal of a Japanese person, but I would be appalled if someone specially selected a clip of him as illustrative of the movie as a whole.
I assume from your flag icon that you are a supporter of gay rights, devlzadvocate. Would you feel the same if some straight blog author had posted a clip of the most stereotypical, offensive portrayal of a gay person in film to be laughed at (rather than analyzed or learned from)?
devlzadvocate
· 1 year ago
It depends. People post videos of gay people doing all kinds of silly things all the time. Str8 people do, too. If a str8 person posted something and said "kill gay people like this", yeah, I'm pretty sure I'd get upset. If I posted a clip of a str8 person doing something to be laughed and said "stupid breeder" would I be targeted? I dunno.
I'm certain I would react to any violence directed at a group, person or minority based on something that they are born into or with.
What do you think of Margaret Cho? She makes fun of Asians all the time. Oh, and gays and African Americans, etc.
As Margaret would say, "Lighten up!"
Paula
· 1 year ago
Certainly one must consider context as well as intent.
As the daughter of a Korean mother, I can't help but laugh my a@@ off at Margaret Cho's depiction of her mother. But I know it's done with love and respect, as is her comedy regarding other groups. If I was convinced that the same was the case here, I wouldn't make a big deal out of it. But I have had too much experience with people thinking that movie clip in particular is license to make fun of Asians, which even absent violent intent is not acceptable to me.
And if you told me that some depiction of gay people was offensive, I would trust you, not fight you about it.
Steve Pipenger, esq
· 1 year ago
Um...I have to confess, I kind of agree with you. I confessing to laughing at the clip, but your sentiment is right in one sense. But here is, I think, is the difference. The Christmas Story was not, I would surmise, meant to demean. The GOP thing was. As MichaelS below says, the words themselves aren't the issue as much when there is malicious intent. Negro, by itself, is not offensive. In fact, Thurgood Marshall would use no other word.
RobertSanDimas
· 1 year ago
I don't. Everyone who learns another language gets made fun of. I lived and taught in SE Asia. We all poked fun at each other's Thai or English. Nobody got pushed out of shape and that kind of thing is NOT racial. There's no comparison between the language jokes and the use of "Negro" which ranks right up there with "colored" - both pre mid 20th century.
Paula
· 1 year ago
There is a difference between making fun of someone you know who makes a mistake while learning a language and making fun of a whole race for a perceived deficiency. By the way, it IS racial. My mother, who speaks three languages fluently, has lost count of the number of times people have (without hearing her speak, or knowing her) started in with the "flied lice" and "ching-chong" jokes. Please note that my mother is Korean, NOT Chinese, and therefore has no problem with the "L" sound. Moreover, quite often, the same people who mock her for being Asian are the same ones who feel free to call her a "gook" and "chink". This is not unrelated in my opinion.
RobertSanDimas
· 1 year ago
I appreciate your response, Paula. Your mother's experiences are appalling. Perhaps in the new Obaman America, that kind of thing will begin to dwindle. We are no longer the WASP nation of a century ago. I live in the Los Angeles environs and know that well. I am a WASP minus the P since I gave that up long ago. Fortunately, young Americans are more tolerant than my generation (pushing 70).
Bordo
· 1 year ago
The inmates are truly running the asylum over at the GOP. This is a party that seems to measure success by how much they anger and alienate their opposition. So, Sarah Palin is embraced as the future of the party despite her inability to attract Democrats or independents because she really pisses off liberals. Chip Saltsman will probably get the RNC chair because he really pisses off liberals. Rush LImbaugh, Sean Hannity and the other bags of broadcast flatulence are worshipped because they really piss off liberals.
The Republican Party richly deserves the bitter harvest it will reap. It is the party of the old, the angry, the resentful, the poorly educated. Let it fester in the Old Confederacy, a regional party whose base continues to wither and die. At some point, the kind of Republican we remember from the days of Dwight D. Eisenhower may emerge to reclaim the party, but that prospect seems far in the future. The dead-enders are in charge now and their response to any challenge is to become more insular. This is a party that will get more hateful in the immediate future.
larry
· 1 year ago
In the Republican Regional Party of the South, it isn't a slur. And I think they should keep using the term and just not worry about it. As a matter of fact I think that brilliant Tennessee Republican, Mike Huckabees "boy", should be the new Republican chair. Just think what a great move that would be....evangelical Huckabee, vs our sweet charismatic Alaskan and of course business and the LDS candidate can take center stage. A cornucopia of racism and bigotry. So Lincoln are ya watching all this from heaven?
Roddy McCorley
· 1 year ago
Our Republican friends have a very basic problem: They are just plain rude. It’s as simple as that.
AdamBlast
· 1 year ago
When I was taking literature classes, the term "magic negro" was one of a handful of African-American racial stereotypes always discussed. Liberal white America still loves nothing more than the supernaturally wise advice of a secondary character that they can follow and feel less guilty. Wasn't this the target of the song, rather than Obama or the word negro?
I won't claim Saltzman's usage isn't racist, not having heard the song's entirety or read the full lyrics. But I wonder if some of the media coverage isn't being disingenuous.
woodnthrifty
· 1 year ago
If President Obama cleans up the mess made by Bush (who stated several times that he does not have a magic wand) then in effect President Obama will truly be a magic African American as his father was a Kenyan. Then, of course, the Repugnican'ts will say it always takes a black man to clean up white people's messes.
This Georgia girls loves President Obama but not because of his skin color but because of his superior intellect and ability to take the high road. He is a true example to me who wants him to get down in the mud sometimes instead of saying McCain is a hero. Just like some of you blogging here want him to exclude that dim whit Warren----President Obama is taking the high road. He includes everyone even homophobes who suck.
devlzadvocate
· 1 year ago
So, the best way to counter a slur is to react with a blog of slurs? Look at the comments left here. So many slurs. My, we set a great example for others. And, please, don't leave the "They started it" comments. Way to immature. Oh and yes, I've been known to use those same slurs for the GOP in the past. Wake up call!
ChrisM70
· 1 year ago
Another reason the Republicans are in trouble is they think the ONLY thing wrong with this "Magic Negro" song is using the word "negro".
The song is offensively racist because it's also suggesting that Barack isn't a "real" black man, and that he's using his "magic tricks" on white people.
The message is more offensive than just the one word.
Lolis
· 1 year ago
plus, that some white politico wrote the song from the persona of a black man "from the hood." It is full of ugly stereotypes about blacks being used to entertain a white audience.
questionauthority
· 1 year ago
I'm sure Obama & company are more amused than offended. This is part of the mentality that lost the last two elections for the Republicans and brought about an overwhelming nationwide vote for change. This is the kind of thing that exposes the underlying ignorance within the Republican Party and is probably just the beginning of four years of embarrassment and enlightenment for them!
How do you debate whether or not it's offensive? I mean c'mon, really. One only need ask in what context was it being used and the intent of that context. Let's say someone circulated a little ditty titled 'Bush the Magic Whitey' (or something similar.) I wonder how much debate would be needed to determine if that was intended to be offensive or not.
woodka
· 1 year ago
Oh please let them remain this stupid....
Observer
· 1 year ago
But Barack IS Magic!
Magic PrezO & his magician's assistant Eric Holder will make cannabis users disappear for 5 years!
Magic PrezO can also reach into Rick Warren's bigoted ass and pull out Unity Rabbits!
And for his finale?
Magic PrezO will make the Bush/Cheney war crimes disappear under a magic carpet!
Spooky, huh?
pdxprobert
· 1 year ago
Negro is a legitimate term.. just like the word Caucasian is... its not what you say, it's how you say it and use it that can be offensive... lets not wage wars on legitimate language thats been turned into a bullet for political satire purposes... I have a black friend in his 60s that still uses the term "colored people" when referring to what some call African Americans... I have a problem with hyphenated identities, such as the coined term African American... because it implies that anybody from Africa is a Negro... what about those non-Black people who live and/or were born in Africa and then migrate to America, what are they suppose to be called.... this is a totally bullshit issue in regards to the legitimacy and offensive nature of the word Negro... sometimes liberals are just as petty as conservatives when trying to feign outrage... grow up....
tlsintx
· 1 year ago
stupid cracker. cracker is a perfectly legitimate word you know. so is stupid.
pdxprobert
· 1 year ago
so is asshole...
Gridlock
· 1 year ago
.. but only if you make it into a SONG...
tlsintx
· 1 year ago
:D
Personal Failure
· 1 year ago
Let's be honest. Even if "negro" were a legitimate term anymore (and I dare you to use it in public, assuming you aren't black), that's not how the GOP means it. They may as well have come right out and said the "n" word. We're talking about the same party that thought Palin was the same as Clinton because they both have vaginas.
boloboffin
· 1 year ago
It's about time they had this argument.
timncguy
· 1 year ago
why would anyone be surprised that the GOP is divided on this issue?
Dems are divided on whether LGBT = full equal citizen. I find that a bit more surprising.
osage
· 1 year ago
Knowingly choosing to use a racially controversial term referring to Barack Obama WAS NOT AN INNOCENT ACCIDENT. It was a CALCULATED appeal to RACIST southerners. And please stop trying to defend the southern bigotry that is POLITICALLY controlling in states like Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, where there are PROUDLY OVERT RACISTS! The assholes behind this as well as the scumbags who defend them should never be allowed to hold political office of any kind in a country whose principles are based on freedome and equality. Racism is every bit as anti-American as fascism and sexism. It is abhorrent to intelligent rational human beings.
timncguy
· 1 year ago
how is it different than Obama knowingly choosing Rev Warren to honor at his inauguration? It was a CALCULATED appeal to ANTI-GAY BIGOTTED evengelicals.
And to be clear, i disapprove of both of these politcally calculated moves.
LeesiD
· 1 year ago
It's not the word "negro" per say that is the problem, it's the way it is being used.."magic negro" that is unacceptable.
wearing out my F key
· 1 year ago
"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,"
He's there to assuage white "guilt" (i.e., the minimal discomfort they feel) over the role of slavery and racial segregation in American history, while replacing stereotypes of a dangerous, highly sexualized black man with a benign figure for whom interracial sexual congress holds no interest."
racial slur written by david ehrenstein, and printed in the los angles times, march 19, 2007.
I love this idea of white guilt. if whites feel so guilty why isn't affirmative action embraced? why haven't we paid reparations to the descendants of slaves?
Most of us know this article was written, so what??? why don't you stop quoting people and express a point of view.
John
· 1 year ago
If you looked at the background of the parody song in relation to the editorial "Obama the Magic Negro" (see the link above), you would realize that the person being parodied is not even Obama, its Al Sharpton. A Sharptonesque voice sings the parody, complaining about Obama's popularity, since he isn't "authentic" and is not "from the hood", like Sharpton, Snoop Dogg, Jesse Jackson, et al. And if I am not mistaken, the editorial was written by a Democrat. And there was no outcry about Mr. Ehrenstein's racial viewpoints when the editorial was written. And if you listen to the song, it refers directly to the editorial, the phrase was borrowed, not coined, by Paul Shanklin, who does parody songs for a living. While the advisability of sending the CD out can be debated, the song itself is certainly not blatantly racist. But don't take my word for it, here is a link to the little ditty: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/575124/barack_the...
wearing out my F key
· 1 year ago
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American presidential candidate who is articulate and bright and clean-cut and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man,”
joe biden, of course.
blackwolf
· 1 year ago
Haha. Yeah, good ol' Joe made the statement.:)
woodnthrifty
· 1 year ago
Yes and Obama is a great storybook man. He was smart enough to pick my man Joe Biden as VP. So if Obama wasn't offended by Joe's remarks then the rest of you SHUT THE F UP!
red_dwarf
· 1 year ago
Obama is not my standard. By a long shot. This argument isn't about what Obama thinks. Don't tell me to shut the f*u*c*k up pissant.
TPierce
· 1 year ago
Has anyone suggested to these people that their party is dead, and that they need to form parties which more reliably reflect their true political opinions, as opposed to their intramural arguments, their bollixed choices and their apologies for/denials of their bollixed choices, and their swift rejections/furious defenses of some other party member's screw-up? Seriously, folks, if we look at the post-Election Republican Party, what do we see but at least three different herds of sheep, milling in separate corrals, trying to pretend they actually wield power and make sense? At this rate they are never going to patch together a single Republican Party that makes sense. They need to break up and try to find coherence and power some other way, before they do more damage to themselves.
wearing out my F key
· 1 year ago
"I have to tell you, you know, it's part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama's speech. My, I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don't have that too often." ~chris matthews
Lynn Dee
· 1 year ago
The GOP confusion is shocking. Even if they can't decide for themselves whether it's a slur, is there any question that Rush Limbaugh wouldn't use the term if it weren't a slur?
They've apparently lost all moorings.
Mike
· 1 year ago
So, if these ignorant fools are debating if "Negro" is a slur, can we debate if "Redneck Hick", "Hillbilly", and "Honkey" are slurs?
I am guessing not since these words appear in Country Music all the time...
TomJoad
· 1 year ago
Tell them, "you go into some bar filled with poor southern folk and say loudly "Hey, I'd like to buy on a you Redneck Hicks a drink...how about it`?" and let us know how that turns out, kay?
The level of thought here is just plain ignorant.(not YOUR post, I reread it and realize what you are saying, but certainly there are folks going into the whole "why then do blacks get to call each other the n word, but when WE do it" kinda thing) For one thing, one has to do with location and lifestyle, the other the color of a mans skin. For another, the very fact that "negro" is integral to the song, is because it is ONLY pointing at his race. WHY? What would be the point? We ALL know why. It was the point.
The whole US has had a jump up in economy from the use of kidnapped slaves, who then had it harder by far than even poor "white trash", were descriminated against, lynched, treated and thought of as less than human, treated badly...and in the 60's they asked and told us they didn't want to be called "negro".
The LEAST whites could do is respect that. Anyone with any grace at least. It's only a gesture, but it is a decent one...but I wouldn't expect the GOP to get that.
I once heard a rich, babied (had his whole business handed to him by his father), white guy, out of nowhere on christmas eve, in the kitchen, suddenly whine "I'm TIRED of black people always blaming ME for their problems"....oh, my, god.
Out of courtesy, we do not use the word anymore.
Lolis
· 1 year ago
hear, hear
IPO
· 1 year ago
Wow! I didn't think I could agree with repugnicans on anything. What makes "negro" a bad word? It means black, doesn't it? Is any word that identifies a group a bad word? Is "gay" a bad word?
Utter silliness.
The issue is a completely different one. Repugs cater to the people who think "negro" is a bad person.
CarolAll
· 1 year ago
It seems that for the past 40 years, Republican leaders have missed some important memos about social change in America. No one in any workplace would tolerate such words or actions; none would dare pose offer such lame excuses. They would be fired on the spot and escorted out. This is more than just another pathetic example of a clueless Republican politicians behaving badly. It is the behavior of an increasingly smaller, narrower, and more desperate group of people, trying to cling to the remnants of a bygone era.
For the GOP to follow the likes of social commentator Rush Limbaugh shows a frightening lack of moral leadership. Does Saltsman really believe that nothing says proud, patriotic American, peace on earth, good will toward men like the We Hate the USA Christmas CD for RNC members? According to RNC Chairman hopeful, Saltsman, the CD is a "humorous lampooning of the liberal agenda." Maybe only in conservative strongholds likeTennessee could Saltsman defend Barack the Magic Negro as a funny "parody" and deny that it contains a racially charged message. Perhaps Ken Blackwell, black Republican from Iowa, would like some milk with his chocolate and cream center cookies when he defends the song lyrics and accuses the media of extreme "hypersensitivity" about race. For Mike Huckabee to excuse Saltsman's appalling and outrageous gift as a silly mistake shows his own serious lack of cultural and ethnic understanding. (It makes me feel lucky that his bid for the Republican nomination was unsuccessful.) After repeatedly encouraging shouts of "Kill him!" "Terrorist!" "Traitor" "Muslim" and "Socialist!" at McCain-Palin rallies, neither Republican candidate chastised those responsible. No one can be surprised at the lack of social sensitivity in the party of old white men, the GOP. The shame of it is that the party of family and American values shows a complete lack of social conscience. Is it a coincidence that most Republicans remaining in power after the elections of 2006 and 2008 have southern accents? I think not. While the GOP scrambles to avoid change in order to protect their idea of the "real" America, society is passing them by. Like the dinosaurs, they are doomed to perish.
These guys just don't get it, nor do they really want to.
Ninong
· 1 year ago
Should we tell the United Negro College Fund that their very name is a racial slur? When I was in school in the 1940's, Negro was the accepted normal term both by White people and Colored people. Negro was considered more formal than Colored person but it was certainly not a slur of any kind. Just ask any African American who is at least 70 years old. In fact, it would have been considered an insult to refer to Colored people as Black back in the 1930's and -40's. The word Negro did not begin to acquire a negative tone until about 40 years ago. Prior to that it was perfectly acceptable to both Blacks (called Negroes or Colored people back then) and Whites. It's not cool today but it was obviously perfectly normal back when the United Negro College Fund was established in 1944.
Negro is a term referring to people of Black African ancestry. Prior to the shift in the lexicon of American and worldwide classification of race and ethnicity in the late 1960s, the appellation was accepted as a normal neutral formal term both by those of Black African descent as well as non-African blacks. Now it is often considered an ethnic slur although the term is considered archaic and is not common as a racist slur. The term is still used in some contexts for historical reasons such as in the name of the United Negro College Fund.
red_dwarf
· 1 year ago
A few years before your historic argument the going word was "blackie". I think one would agree that term is out dated. But you do bring up a good point that the United Negro College Fund is current. Maybe the UNCF is a bit behind times and they should change their name to United Black College Fund or United African-American College fund.
Arguing over syntax however isn't going to win the day. Negro is no longer an acceptable casual title. If it was then "nigra" would be as well, same for "nigra" etc.
Let's just say that when a rePIG uses the term "negro" we all know what the racist bigot means. (I call them rePIGs because they call the Demoratic party the Democrat Party - see, it works both ways).
Whatever Ninong, not quite sure what your point is. 1960 was a half-century ago. The bottom line, if we can get to that, is that calling the incoming President a "magic negro" is a racial slur, period. Only a right wing racist bigot would see otherwise.
Ninong
· 1 year ago
Nigra was NEVER a socially acceptable pronunciation of Negro. That was the favored pronunciation used by segregationist Southern Democratic politicians who all switched to the Republican party after Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. My only point is that I was surprised to realize that the word Negro has such a negative connation today. I had to think about that for a few minutes to realize how times have changed. It was perfectly acceptable when I was growing up and probably didn't even begin to change until I was in my late 30's. I guess the point wasn't worth posting about. Sorry.
tlsintx
· 1 year ago
it's not the 1940's anymore. surprise.
red_dwarf
· 1 year ago
Ninong - no need to apologize. Look, sometimes we have good days and then sometimes we have not so good days. On not so good days we come across abit scruff - rough on the edges. I could have written my response with a little more respect. But never take anything on this board personally - unless of course it is personal (and I agree, my statement was a little rough but only trying to make a point).
I retract what I said about you making a point - look Ninong - you brought out a very good example of the word used in a current setting. I never thought of that. When I read that it made me think about it, size it up, analyze it, etc. So, even though I was bit crass and said "whats your point" - that doesn't retract from the value of your statement. Perhaps a litte more follow through might have made a difference.
I'll end this with saying that you brought out a good point - an excellent example - only that I criticized (albeit a bit harshly - sorry, bad day for me) where you were going with it. But I understand what you were trying to say. Next time I'll try and be a little more polite. But anyway Ninong - your example was very valuable as a talking point. That is why we are here. So never take anything personal and try to be courteous (something I must learn to do more often) - and in the end, we all win.
Chgotchr
· 1 year ago
"Negro" was used as a more acceptable word than the other word starting with N. We all know what the Republicans are singing in their heads
tlsintx
· 1 year ago
wow, the racist rush limbaugh republicans are really trying to cover their asses on this train wreck...just look at the number of trolls on this thread.
Greg Jones
· 1 year ago
For the GOP to be undecided as to whether or not the 'magic Negro' statement is acceptable or not just further exemplifies just how out of touch this group really is. They not only have no understanding of minority concerns, but they sadly have no desire to even learn, which is why the GOP will remain a group of losers....out of touch with the diversity of real America.
All Comments
http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/
Here's a link to the lyrics:
http://www.monacome.com/2008/12/barack-magic-ne...
PS-We've seen Barack's abs but isn't it time to see Saltsman and Rushie's 6-pack?
Frankly, it would be nice to evacuate anybody not interested in being an idiot, and then glass the entire area with a few Neutron bombs to get rid of the rest.
Then we could build a nice park over what's left. A Peace park.
Also we could make Mexico the 51st State. World peace :).
I'm working on a parody...Working title:
Rush, The Lard-Packed Shitbag
"'Magic Negro' flap might help Saltsman"
It's the Rush Limbaugh/Fox News party now.
Not every black person in the world is an "African" or has ancestors who come from Africa, or are even of the negroid race. Australian Aborigines are black negroid people, as are those from Papua New Guinea, and a number of Pacific Islands in Melanesia.
Just as every "Black in America" is therefore not necessarily the descendant of black negroid peoples ultimately from "Africa" within recorded history, not every indigenous African who moves to America (and is therefore clearly an "African-American") is a black negroid person; white caucasoid South Africans are not "black negroids", nor are caucasoid Berbers and other caucasoid North Africans (including Jews from North Africa). You're Greek, so you should know that Alexandria was a Greek Colony, and Cleopatra was a Greek princess, supposedly with strawberry-blond hair (under her wig).
Therefore, should a Tunisian Jew, whose family has been in North Africa for thousands of years (since the Diaspora), be called an "African-American" upon immigration to the USA?
Also, Sri Lankans are much, much darker in skin color than many negroid peoples (particularly in the USA), and so are definitely "black" as far as skin color - but they are caucasoid people, and not negroid peoples.
So, is an Australian Indigenous person who immigrates to the USA to be called an "African-American" even thought neither they nor their ancestors have any connection to Africa within recorded history?
Is a Tunisian Jew whose family has been in Carthage since the Diaspora not to be called an "African-American" upon immigration to the USA, because they are not "negroid"?
Is a Sri Lankan whose skin is many shades darker than Vanessa Williams', Will Smith's or Barack Obama's, and who is likely to suffer just as much prejudice as any other black American because of his skin color, supposed to identify himself as "white" just because he is caucasoid?
If the word "negro" is a slur, then I don't see how "negroid" could be used as a descriptive adjective, without also being considered a slur.
And I think that it is ridiculous that one cannot call a Jew a Jew, but in the "P.C." community, one has to call a Jew a "Jewish Person" - As if a racist person will hiss "Jewish Person" with any less venom and hatred, then he would say "Jew."
Same goes for "Negro" or even "African-American."
What's going to happen, when people whose hearts are filled with hatred start enunciating "African-American" with as much loathing and contempt in their voices as they can muster up? Is "African-American" then going to become a "taboo slur" too?
How about if everyone starts to say "Arab" as contemptuously as they can. Will "Arab" then be a "slur", and will we all have to say "Arabic Person"?
Of course the people who used "Magic Negro" in that song meant it as a slur, because of all the reasons already mentioned in this comments section. But that doesn't mean that the word "Negro/ negroid race itself is a slur any more than Caucasian/ caucasoid race is, or Mongolian/ mongoloid race is.
If words are banned wholesale, because some people use them as expressions of contempt, then any word can be transformed into a slur, including "Democrat" considering the contemptuous way it's used by many Republican politicians.
GOP are such freaks!
Man these people make me sick.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of modern American conservatism is that it believes in a curious concept of “color blindness.” ...........
Rather than saying that the prudent and decent white person will steer a mile clear of racist activity — sending out “Barack the Magic Negro” CDs, for example — the best course of action is to deliberately drive straight at the line and then get really upset at anyone who says you’ve crossed it.
http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2008...
That being said, there is a parallel to be drawn here... Referring to someone's race using the almost-clinical term "Negro" is akin to referring to a gay person as a "homosexual". It sets them aside as something "other", a laboratory specimen of some sort instead of a person with a valid claim to his or her place in society.
When you apologize for posting that clip, maybe my respect for you will return.
However, with all that said and those lessons learned, when we communicate, it is NOT the sender of the message that gets to decide if the message is offensive, it is the receiver of the message.
Unedited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTKeIjt4S_Y
I assume from your flag icon that you are a supporter of gay rights, devlzadvocate. Would you feel the same if some straight blog author had posted a clip of the most stereotypical, offensive portrayal of a gay person in film to be laughed at (rather than analyzed or learned from)?
I'm certain I would react to any violence directed at a group, person or minority based on something that they are born into or with.
What do you think of Margaret Cho? She makes fun of Asians all the time. Oh, and gays and African Americans, etc.
As Margaret would say, "Lighten up!"
As the daughter of a Korean mother, I can't help but laugh my a@@ off at Margaret Cho's depiction of her mother. But I know it's done with love and respect, as is her comedy regarding other groups. If I was convinced that the same was the case here, I wouldn't make a big deal out of it. But I have had too much experience with people thinking that movie clip in particular is license to make fun of Asians, which even absent violent intent is not acceptable to me.
And if you told me that some depiction of gay people was offensive, I would trust you, not fight you about it.
The Republican Party richly deserves the bitter harvest it will reap. It is the party of the old, the angry, the resentful, the poorly educated. Let it fester in the Old Confederacy, a regional party whose base continues to wither and die. At some point, the kind of Republican we remember from the days of Dwight D. Eisenhower may emerge to reclaim the party, but that prospect seems far in the future. The dead-enders are in charge now and their response to any challenge is to become more insular. This is a party that will get more hateful in the immediate future.
I won't claim Saltzman's usage isn't racist, not having heard the song's entirety or read the full lyrics. But I wonder if some of the media coverage isn't being disingenuous.
This Georgia girls loves President Obama but not because of his skin color but because of his superior intellect and ability to take the high road. He is a true example to me who wants him to get down in the mud sometimes instead of saying McCain is a hero. Just like some of you blogging here want him to exclude that dim whit Warren----President Obama is taking the high road. He includes everyone even homophobes who suck.
The song is offensively racist because it's also suggesting that Barack isn't a "real" black man, and that he's using his "magic tricks" on white people.
The message is more offensive than just the one word.
How do you debate whether or not it's offensive? I mean c'mon, really. One only need ask in what context was it being used and the intent of that context. Let's say someone circulated a little ditty titled 'Bush the Magic Whitey' (or something similar.) I wonder how much debate would be needed to determine if that was intended to be offensive or not.
Magic PrezO & his magician's assistant Eric Holder will make cannabis users disappear for 5 years!
Magic PrezO can also reach into Rick Warren's bigoted ass and pull out Unity Rabbits!
And for his finale?
Magic PrezO will make the Bush/Cheney war crimes disappear under a magic carpet!
Spooky, huh?
cracker is a perfectly legitimate word you know. so is stupid.
Dems are divided on whether LGBT = full equal citizen. I find that a bit more surprising.
And to be clear, i disapprove of both of these politcally calculated moves.
He's there to assuage white "guilt" (i.e., the minimal discomfort they feel) over the role of slavery and racial segregation in American history, while replacing stereotypes of a dangerous, highly sexualized black man with a benign figure for whom interracial sexual congress holds no interest."
racial slur written by david ehrenstein, and printed in the los angles times, march 19, 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehren...
Most of us know this article was written, so what??? why don't you stop quoting people and express a point of view.
And if I am not mistaken, the editorial was written by a Democrat. And there was no outcry about Mr. Ehrenstein's racial viewpoints when the editorial was written. And if you listen to the song, it refers directly to the editorial, the phrase was borrowed, not coined, by Paul Shanklin, who does parody songs for a living.
While the advisability of sending the CD out can be debated, the song itself is certainly not blatantly racist. But don't take my word for it, here is a link to the little ditty: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/575124/barack_the...
joe biden, of course.
~chris matthews
They've apparently lost all moorings.
I am guessing not since these words appear in Country Music all the time...
The level of thought here is just plain ignorant.(not YOUR post, I reread it and realize what you are saying, but certainly there are folks going into the whole "why then do blacks get to call each other the n word, but when WE do it" kinda thing)
For one thing, one has to do with location and lifestyle, the other the color of a mans skin. For another, the very fact that "negro" is integral to the song, is because it is ONLY pointing at his race. WHY? What would be the point? We ALL know why. It was the point.
The whole US has had a jump up in economy from the use of kidnapped slaves, who then had it harder by far than even poor "white trash", were descriminated against, lynched, treated and thought of as less than human, treated badly...and in the 60's they asked and told us they didn't want to be called "negro".
The LEAST whites could do is respect that. Anyone with any grace at least. It's only a gesture, but it is a decent one...but I wouldn't expect the GOP to get that.
I once heard a rich, babied (had his whole business handed to him by his father), white guy, out of nowhere on christmas eve, in the kitchen, suddenly whine "I'm TIRED of black people always blaming ME for their problems"....oh, my, god.
Out of courtesy, we do not use the word anymore.
What makes "negro" a bad word?
It means black, doesn't it?
Is any word that identifies a group a bad word?
Is "gay" a bad word?
Utter silliness.
The issue is a completely different one.
Repugs cater to the people who think "negro" is a bad person.
For the GOP to follow the likes of social commentator Rush Limbaugh shows a frightening lack of moral leadership. Does Saltsman really believe that nothing says proud, patriotic American, peace on earth, good will toward men like the We Hate the USA Christmas CD for RNC members? According to RNC Chairman hopeful, Saltsman, the CD is a "humorous lampooning of the liberal agenda." Maybe only in conservative strongholds likeTennessee could Saltsman defend Barack the Magic Negro as a funny "parody" and deny that it contains a racially charged message. Perhaps Ken Blackwell, black Republican from Iowa, would like some milk with his chocolate and cream center cookies when he defends the song lyrics and accuses the media of extreme "hypersensitivity" about race. For Mike Huckabee to excuse Saltsman's appalling and outrageous gift as a silly mistake shows his own serious lack of cultural and ethnic understanding. (It makes me feel lucky that his bid for the Republican nomination was unsuccessful.) After repeatedly encouraging shouts of "Kill him!" "Terrorist!" "Traitor" "Muslim" and "Socialist!" at McCain-Palin rallies, neither Republican candidate chastised those responsible. No one can be surprised at the lack of social sensitivity in the party of old white men, the GOP. The shame of it is that the party of family and American values shows a complete lack of social conscience. Is it a coincidence that most Republicans remaining in power after the elections of 2006 and 2008 have southern accents? I think not. While the GOP scrambles to avoid change in order to protect their idea of the "real" America, society is passing them by. Like the dinosaurs, they are doomed to perish.
These guys just don't get it, nor do they really want to.
Blacks (called Negroes or Colored people back then) and Whites. It's not cool today but it was obviously perfectly normal back when the United Negro College Fund was established in 1944.
Negro is a term referring to people of Black African ancestry. Prior to the shift in the lexicon of American and worldwide classification of race and ethnicity in the late 1960s, the appellation was accepted as a normal neutral formal term both by those of Black African descent as well as non-African blacks. Now it is often considered an ethnic slur although the term is considered archaic and is not common as a racist slur. The term is still used in some contexts for historical reasons such as in the name of the United Negro College Fund.
Arguing over syntax however isn't going to win the day. Negro is no longer an acceptable casual title. If it was then "nigra" would be as well, same for "nigra" etc.
Let's just say that when a rePIG uses the term "negro" we all know what the racist bigot means. (I call them rePIGs because they call the Demoratic party the Democrat Party - see, it works both ways).
Whatever Ninong, not quite sure what your point is. 1960 was a half-century ago. The bottom line, if we can get to that, is that calling the incoming President a "magic negro" is a racial slur, period. Only a right wing racist bigot would see otherwise.
I retract what I said about you making a point - look Ninong - you brought out a very good example of the word used in a current setting. I never thought of that. When I read that it made me think about it, size it up, analyze it, etc. So, even though I was bit crass and said "whats your point" - that doesn't retract from the value of your statement. Perhaps a litte more follow through might have made a difference.
I'll end this with saying that you brought out a good point - an excellent example - only that I criticized (albeit a bit harshly - sorry, bad day for me) where you were going with it. But I understand what you were trying to say. Next time I'll try and be a little more polite. But anyway Ninong - your example was very valuable as a talking point. That is why we are here. So never take anything personal and try to be courteous (something I must learn to do more often) - and in the end, we all win.
Greg Jones
National Director
www.Blacks4Barack.org