There is a lot of buzz this morning about a discussion on the Dr. Laura radio program where Schlessinger got heated up about what constitutes racist language.
In her response to an African-American caller who was disturbed about comments that she regarded as racist, Schlessinger accused her of being hypersensitive. She went on to justify the use of the “N” word because black comics use it all the time on HBO:
“Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is ni**er, ni**er, ni**er.”
This has set off a flurry of outrage from offended African-American activists, journalists, and plain old ordinary citizens of every race. I won’t presume to lecture people on what they should or should not be offended by, but I’m not particularly disturbed by Schlessinger’s remarks in the context in which they were used. She is correct in saying that she didn’t call anyone a ni**er, she merely offered an example of how the word is used in a real-life scenario.
I don’t believe that any word should ever be permanently excised from our vocabulary. Words are just collections of letters and their meaning is assigned by the user and the context. I would not want Lenny Bruce or George Carlin to have been silenced for using words that people found offensive. Their application of language actually helped make our society better.
However, I am offended by remarks Schlessinger made on the same program that I find far more offensive than the “N” word. For instance:
“We’ve got a black man as president, and we have more complaining about racism than ever. I mean, I think that’s hilarious.
Hilarious? Schlessinger thinks it’s funny that the election of a black president results in an escalation of racist commentary and behavior. She doesn’t understand how that could happen. She seems to think that racism ended on November 4, 2008, because “Whites voted him in.” It’s all over, stop complaining.
Schlessinger needs to be reminded that some 48 million people voted against Obama. It’s safe to say that some percentage of them were racists. They didn’t go away after the inauguration either. It is the very fact that we have a black president that incites racists to be come more aggressive in their hate. It causes people who are inclined to draw these distinctions to press harder. Which brings us to the next notable remark from Dr. Laura:
“[W]hat I just heard from Jade is a lot of what I hear from black-think.”
Black-think? That is precisely the sort of distinction that is used to divide people. I would be interested to hear what her definition of black-think is – and what makes her an expert on it. It still amazes me how someone so incredibly dense has a platform on radio and TV to demonstrate their stupidity and utter lack of comprehension.
I find both of these comments far more offensive than a simple reiteration of the word “ni**er.” Just like my use of it there, it is intended only to let the reader know what word is being discussed. But the latter remarks are indicative of a more overt expression of racism on Schlessinger’s part. Or at the very least a striking inability to comprehend how race factors into society and relationships. She actually told the caller (whose husband is white) that if she didn’t have a sense of humor she shouldn’t “marry out of her race.” I suppose we should test all the interracial couples in America to make sure they are sufficiently funny.
I hope that Schlessinger’s appalling attitude about racism is brought more into the foreground and is not crowded out of the debate by a couple of incendiary words. Her problem is not a specific word, it is her whole mentality.
Update: In a hilarious bit of melodramatic tantrumizing, Dr. Laura has announced that she will be quitting her radio show at the end of this year. Her reason is that she wants to get her free speech rights back. By shutting down her nationally broadcast platform for speaking??? Um, OK.
I disagree with your whole premise. The N-word is a word that was invented and used by WHITE people as a derogatory term used against Black people for a lonnnnnng time. It is not just some random word that “some” people find offensive. THE VERY WORD IS OFFENSIVE.
I am surprise to that you have bought into so-called Dr. Laura’s pitiful excuse of the word: “Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is nigger, nigger, nigger.”
Not all Black comedians use the N-word. And just because they do does not give the right of anybody else(ie white people) to use it. Nobody has said ban the N-word. DON’T USE THE WORD PERIOD.
This is the first time I have ever commented on your site. I do read it about 2 times a week. Good luck to you.
I appreciate your position. And I agree that the word is offensive when directed at someone. I also agree that not all black comics use it, and that is a good point that I failed to note.
But I think discussions about the word are silly when they substitute the phrase “the N word.” I feel the same way about the phrase “the F word.” Let’s face, we all know they are talking about “fuck.” We are adults, not children.
Please note that I am not letting Schlessinger off the hook. I think she exhibited overt racism. I just think that her other comments were worse and I want people to recognize that this isn’t just about a word, it’s about her whole mentality.
Thanks for reading and commenting. I hope you continue to do so.
I agree with your response Mark, however part of the problem with the use of the word and what was not addressed here is oppression. The word is not only hateful, but it is oppressive. And oppression speaks to the impact that an action or behaviour has on the individual that is on the receiving end.
My 2cents.
Well, I for one hear nigger all the time. I hear honkey all the time as well as cracker all the time. None of these words offend me. I actually find it amusing that black “boys” running around calling other black “boys” nigger makes them millions of dollars. Black “men” who work and support their family get thrown into the “nigger” catagory because of these young “niggers”. Look it up Gina, nigger – ignorant like these young black “boys”. As a black “man”, being called a “boy” is far more offensive.
Just my .02
The author of the article obviously misunderstood what Dr. Laura meant when she said
We’ve got a black man as president, and we have more complaining about racism than ever. I mean, I think that’s hilarious.
She’s saying that if a black man can win a presidential election, we have taken great strides forward with our racism in the United States. It doesn’t disappear overnight and we’ve come a long way through the effort of people like MLK.
@GinaM You must realize that by allowing only black people to use the word “nigger,” you are acting racist yourself. It would be wrong to allow only certain races to use certain words.
I believe your points are valid AND it was offensive that she used the N-word!!
I’ll buy that.
I do think that there is a difference between “the N word” and “the F word,” which has to do with how black people react to whites using it. There’s just too much history involved here — and I found it out through personal experience (i.e., using it in a classroom when I thought I was being “cool”).
My reference to the “F” word was only to mock the practice of replacing a controversial word with an initial, not to draw any comparison to their relative meanings.
I wasn’t particularly offended by her use of the word “nigger,” either … but her overarching antagonism to the caller who was legitimately upset by her husband’s friends’ use of the word in inappropriate context, her apparent defense of said husband and friends, and overtly anti-black statements like those you pointed out, were absolutely unconscionable. The icing on the cake, though, is the comment she made after the caller hung up — “If you’re that hypersensitive about your color and you don’t have a sense of humor, don’t marry out of your race.” Holy hell, could she be more offensive?! She’s poisonous.
Yeah, that crack about not marrying out of your race was another groaner. And she kept talking about having a sense of humor when that had nothing to do with the discussion. They were talking about the caller’s reaction to racist comments – not jokes.
She is the expert on “black think” ????? She never bothered to explain Deryk think.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Current mood: rejuvenated
Category: Life
(be sure to check how Deryk titled his spew)
“Yes F0CKING Yes!!!!I LOVE MY JOB, it takes everything reckless and deviant and heathenistic and just overall bad about me and hyper focuses these traits into my job of running around this horrid place doing nasty things to people that deserve it…and some that don’t. No this blog isn’t about me, it’s to thank you, you America. Bc of your unwillingness to compromise and pull your head cut of your ass every unit deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan will serve a mandatory 15 months in country bc we have lost funding. Now men who have families are taken away from their wives and children bc you can’t get your shit together. These men who are willing to sacrifice and do are not left with Godless crazy people like Me and Santory and Jon and Josh for that matter, for longer. And another thing I want to thank people for their support, and those who actually do….It must make their mothers proud that others protect their sons. I cannot bear to watch my friends and truest brothers, who I would die for, kill for, be hurt. I will not allow it. It will not go unpunished.15 months.
And we will be home. And we will give GOD a reason to drown the earth once more With Love Deryk muah
8:37 AM”
Comic cartoon think by King of Hearts aka Dr. Laura’s son.
video
My feeling is the worst thing the good doctor had to say during the program was “”…a lot of blacks voted for Obama simply because he was half black.” Implying (to my mind) that blacks are not capable of having an informed opinion when deciding who to vote for.
I’ve heard Bill O’Reilly and John Gibson state the same thing…..blacks voted for Obama simply because he is black. It never seems to occur to them that perhaps blacks voted for him because they agreed with his Democratic stance on policies. I’ve yet to hear these race baiting yahoos ponder whether some whites voted for McCain simply because he is a white man.
I’m not sure too many people voted for McCain because he’s white, but I’ll bet that there are a bunch who voted for him because Obama is black.
Agreed. Perhaps a better way to word what I was trying to say is that they didn’t even ponder the idea that some whites voted for McCain because he wasn’t the black candidate.
Yeah, the thing is a while back I got into an argument with a friend of mine whos… I guess not what you would call a “Friend” really… She was going on about Obama being voted “Just cause he’s black” (it sort of morphed into that from a point I made that she tried to peg me as being racist somehow.) I told her the truth: I voted for Obama cause I liked what he was saying AND cause I was getting a little sick of Hillerys talk after she was 2 hours late to a rally for herself that I attended… AND STAYED FOR TILL SHE GOT THERE (And I was one of the few people who did) and she muttered something about how I was in the minority.
Good point. People who make that claim ignore the fact that blacks usually vote Democratic. So when someone charges that they are voting based on race they are being deliberately racist.
In the 2008 election, more than 95%!!!!! of all black votes went to OBama— (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2008). Race was clearly a major factor among black voters as shown by results that went well beyond the propensity of black voters to vote Democratic. These are not racist comments, merely facts. Conversely, 55% of white voters cast their vote for McCain and 65% of all other non black minorities voted for OBama. Now, you tell me which race voted based upon racial bias??
Amazing! Did you know that in the 2004 election, that a whopping 100% of white voters voted for a white candidate??? That just proves that whites only voted for Bush or Kerry because of his skin color. So shocking.
In less sarcastic news, I am going to go out on a limb and guess that in the 2000 and 2004 elections, at least 90% of black voters voted Democratic, if not more. But that doesn’t fit with people’s preconceived notions, so no one points that out.
Oh wow, I just noticed that the wikipedia page has no citation for it’s number of “more than 95%”. I’m still looking for a credible source on the race numbers, but in 2004, 88% of the black vote went to Kerry.
Thanks, Lola. That really puts the black vote for Obama into perspective.
I know a lot of Christians that voted for Bush primarily because they identified with his identity as as born-again Christian. I know a lot of people who voted for McCain solely because of his anti-abortion stance. I even know a few people who stated that they would vote for McCain no matter what his political stance, based on the sacrifices he made to this country as a POW and war veteran. My point is, there are many, many people who vote for candidates for non-rational reasons that have more to do with identity or personality than issues or ideology. For Dr. Laura to turn that into evidence of some convoluted kind of racism is, to my mind, ludicrous. She’s not alone, either.
“I would be interested to hear what her definition of black-think is”
Agree…..just as I would like to hear what Glenn Beck’s definition of “white culture” is.
Ever since Barack Obama came into the picture it’s as if someone turned on a racist switch. I have heard everything from, “I’m afraid he has a black agend,” to “Obama got to where he is because he is black,” to “blacks voted for Obama because of his color.” All arguments that were quickly ended with logic and facts. What bugs me the most is that it is so asinine [the quotes] to think this way, seeing as though no questions where ever asked of any other presidents color or agenda beacuse they have all been white! Why did they question this fact of all presidents being white? Or whites voting against Obama because of his skin color (even though he is half-white) I believe it is because of the underlying or covert racism of conservative whites and even some so-called liberal whites. Now I am certainly not insinuating that whites are the only racists, I’m simply making the argument in the context of this article and also from my own personal experience. I think the way they deal with it is by making subtle jokes and circumventing their true feelings by making exceptions when they talk to a “black person who dosent act black,” in this sense I honestly believe it makes them feel better about being prejudice. trust me, if you’ve heard the things that I’ve heard in the military, you would really take a second look or at least think about the true nature of race relations.
it is because whites are not a race but American. Everyone else is a hyphenated American. It’s wrong but this is why they are not seen as being represenatitive of any minority position.
i agree with your position totally. in fact, the only thing that was not offensive in what Schlessinger said in this audio clip was the example of the comics on HBO and the use of the word nigger. unfortunately, we African Americans keep this term alive more than any racist ever wish he or she could. i believe if an individual truly had an issue with a term or expression, then its use would not be acceptable, regardless of who was using the term. but the reality is that many blacks will continue to use it and many non-blacks will also. i have never listened to Schlessinger before this clip, and now, after hearing this clip, i can just lump her in with Fox news, Limbaugh, and others; a bunch of ignorant bigots(is that redundant?) that i refuse to listen to. Atty General Eric Holder said it shortly after being appointed, we are a nation of cowards when it comes to discussing race relations. it is so much easier to call one another names and point fingers, than it is to sit down and intelligently discuss the issues invloving race relations.
In response to kch…
I am a long time almost 20 year listener to Dr Laura and I did hear that particular incident that day live … The entire incident was bad and I was not sure she would recover from it right after I heard it.
Even with double standards in the world.. she should not have taunted the caller with the word and she was not a help to this woman who called in for advise. Dr Laura does have a habit of being caustic and super quick to pigeon hole someone.. which is why I never called in to her show.. Never sure of mood with her due to time constraints on the radio and the limiting time factor.. BUT this woman has for many years made it a point to put children first and ask and teach or nagg adults into making children’s lives more stable and positive. Please do not let an incident taint your entire view of a person. If you can listen to her until she is off the air later this year. A potent and positive voice advocating for ALL children has just been lost and for that I am sad.
The only people who complain about blacks using the N-word are racists who are upset because they can’t say the word in public to refer to black people the way some black people do. Sure, they use the N-word in private all the time, and in their conversations with other white folks, but it just galls them that blacks can use it in public with impunity and they can’t. There is no other reason for Dr. I’m-Not-Really-A-Therapist-Because-I-Only-Have-A-Degree-In-Physiology’s tirade. She isn’t arguing for using the word metaphorically to describe second-class citizens (like John Lennon or Patti Smith did), but for white people being allowed to use it openly as a racial slur. Her own racism is revealed by her other commments, as you point out.
But then what do you expect from a Jew kike bitch? (How do you like that, “Doctor”?)
Didn’t she give up being a Jew?
In the image of her they showed on ABC, she was wearing a Star of David pendant. Maybe secular Judaism?
Her father was Jewish and her mother was a Catholic Italian. She became Orthodox for a while.
She did give up Orthodoxy though a while ago and may not still practice Judaism . I do think she still identifies herself as a religious Jew though.
So if others now make Jewish slurrs are they racist too??
Godslayer, why would you cheapen your entire argument with that last line of prejudice? You make yourself no better than her.
What about white parents with black children?
As a white male with inter-racial (re black!) children, I for one despise the word and will not let my hildren use it….. EVER……
Does that make me a closet bigot? As my wife would say…you’re pathetic.
I dont think interracial couples should have kids after seeing what abuse these poor kids got from others. I also dont think gays should be allowed to adopt either.
It is selfish for people to have or want kids and dont think about the consequences and abuse that their kids will have to face. Why would you want to have a kid if you knew that they were going to be abused all of their life by the majority of society?
My neighbors were white and had two kids and wanted more so they adopted an interracial girl. The white kids used to call her a little nigger or half-bred when they got mad at her. If she was getting this from her siblings, then I’m sure it had to be a lot worse dealing with other people and kids in school.The little girl didnt desired to be called this because of her race. I;m sure the kids of gay parents get the same abuse too.
However, there have always been offense words. I used to get in trouble for saying Damn when I was in Catholic school. The 7 words that George Carlin had that cant be said on radio are now almost commonplace. What if Dr. Laura called a black person a spear chucking monkey? I think that would be more offensive. My insane ex-college roommate wanted to be a lawyer and run for governor when he grew up so that he could repel the Emancipation Proclamation so that all blacks could become slaves again, because us Damn Yankees took away all of his great grandparents property and he wanted reparations!
Makes as much sense as blacks wanting repartions for things that whites living today had no control over. People just need to get over the past and ignore the crazy extremists on both sides.
I don’t think you should have any kids either.
I dont want any. I dont like cleaning up my own vomit and wiping my own butt, so I sure dont want to clean up after a crying baby!
I disagree. I don’t use the word and it makes me very uncomfortable when people use it, whether white or black. Sometimes when I hear black people use it, it seems like it is being childishly shoved in peoples’ face like “Look what I can say, but you better not”. Call me racist or whatever, I don’t like to hear the word from anybody.
I’m sure she would laugh at your last sentence, and I think that goes to her “sensitivity” argument. She may sing a different tune if she were a black woman hearing racial slurs.
There was so much in her rant that was offensive OUTSIDE of her use the n-word.
“A lot of blacks voted for Obama simply ’cause he was 1/2 black. Didn’t matter what he was gonna do in office. It was a black thing.”
“We have a black man as president and we have more complaining about racism than ever. I mean, I think that’s hilarious.”
To the caller: you have “Chip on your shoulder.” “Too much sensitivity and not enough sense of humor.”
“Don’t NAACP me. Don’t take me out of context.” (I believe that would be don’t Breitbart me)
“It’s a lot of what I hear from black think.”
“Hypersensitivity which is being bred by black activists.”
“I thought once we had a black president the ‘attempt’ to demonize whites hating blacks would stop. But it seems to have grown, but I don’t get it.”
“Yes, I do. It’s all about power.”
Nigger was the least of it.
Excellent points. Forgive the overused metaphor, but if your citations are the cake, her skewed take on the use of “nigger” is the frosting. Also, I like Digby’s classification of her rant as passive-aggressive racism. Overt yet obscured by insinuation.
“Ever since Barack Obama came into the picture it’s as if someone turned on a racist switch”. Hahaha that’s absolutely true, but not the way you interpret it. Everyone from James Earl Carter down has pulled the racist card on Obama’s critics. They even pulled it on Hillary and Bill in the primary campaigh. If you disagree with anything that Obama says it must be because you are a racist. A white cop who arrests a black person is automatically a racist. Every tea party member is a racist, except for the minorities who are Uncle Toms. Trying to stop illegal immigration is racist. Shouting “you lie” at him is racist (even though he did). No Hispanic could be a Republican. And so on. Even Jon Stewart says the race card has been maxed out. And it wouldn’t be happening without approval from the top of the ticket. Obama could stop a lot of it with one forceful speech. But he won’t, because it distracts from the piss-poor job he is doing. (And that comment has nothing to do with his race).
looky here: Exhibit A of no-nuance conservatism. (And a lesson on concentric circles wouldn’t hurt either.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU
I thought this was a pretty strong speech.
Not every critic of Obama is a racist. Some are. And a few are very racist. Not all of Obama supports are ‘post-racial.’ And I’d say some of his supporters are racist and a few are very racist. Just like any large group of Americans.
As for a piss poor job – here’s a list of what the Obama Administration has accomplished in less than 2 years. http://owiki.shoq.us/the-achievements-list
But this story really isn’t about what Obama has done. It’s about Laura Schlessinger’s skewed view about race and race relations in America.
It’s about how we overcome these misconceptions and grow as people and as a nation.
All of those things you list Obama having done over the past two years…? I ran thru it quickly and found I supported about 8% of what was on that list.
But back to Dr. Laura, someone wrote earlier that we as a nation are cowards afraid to have a conversation about race… I don’t know if I’d go that far… but I will tell you one thing I’m getting from this board:
Until folks can tell the difference between comments that are “RACIAL” and “RACIST” it’s not going to happen.
I’m not a fan either way of DR Laura… I liked her a while back cause she was rocking the boat. But she got a bit full of herself and jump past whatever issue the caller called about and lazered onto some tangental issue… That’s what I hear going on here. She’s in no way calling this caller a Nihher, in fact she uses the word intially to demonstrate how non racist the callers complaints were in the first place. And I just listened to five of Chris Rock’s cds on road trips recently… and she’s right. No, not every black comedian works blue. Cosby doesn’t… and then… I don’t know for sure after that. She wasn’t justifying the word, she was offering an example of where it’s socailly acceptable to use a far more offensive racail term as comparison. As far as a black man for president and the most racial conflict? Well what about this whole damned discussion?
A black man is elected to the highest office in the nation, by a big margin. Sure there’s no segregation, no jim crow, dred scott… but we have to remain vigilant cause just when you least expect it Dr. Laura’s going to use the phrase ni**er ni**er ni**er to disparage the use of the phrase ni**er ni**er ni**er. She’s not burning a cross, she’s not putting on a sheet or waving swasticas…. she’s looking at the world where a comic’s saying blah blah blah over here, and that’s okay… but this woman’s got white people asking her things as far as I can tell with out malice… and tried using one example to put what’s got her riled up in perspective.
I ride my white friends about being white and hetero friends call them gay, my gay friends I rib on for gay stereotypes, my latino friends we joke about (although spanglish isn’t my first language) Latino stuff. And my black friends… okay just the other night. I’m out with a black friend of mine. I get out a piece of gum, notice it’s watermelon flavored, and instead of being uncomfortable, I offer him a piece, declaring as I do “It’s watermelon. You people like that, right?” If he wasn’t laid out on the bar in laughter for the next 5 minutes I’m lying.
Now I could have hidden it from him, or made him laugh.
@greg: there are Hispanic Republicans. They are called Cuban-Americans.
the point she was trying to make while understanding came off way wrong…as a black man of 37 i dont use the word and dont like others to use it but people do…do i laugh at black comedians that use the word…yes…hell i know alot of hispanics that use the n-word when talking to each other…go figure…this so-called doctor didnt even help this poor women out and might have even pissed her off to were her neighbors or in laws will get no mercy next time to come close to being racially offensive…so maybe the dr helped without knowing….
regarding the president…like someone said i know alot of folks white/black/asian/ etc who voted for Obama because they were tired of the republican agenda….i also have family members who voted for mccain because of his political views (palin didnt help though) and his ideals…it does seem like with obamas election that racism has been more prevalent IMO…
lastly, my late father grew up in the south in the 20’s-30’s and the fact that a black man was even in the running brought a smile to his face…fortunately, he was able to cast his vote for obama but died on the morning of the inauguration….so can i say for a fact that my dad voted for obama because he was black…hell yeah he did because for a 85 year old man to see something that he never could have dreamed of was a dream in it self…
Thank you for your very poignant comments. We need more of that. I cannot know what others think without hearing it from them.. I do not understand racism and never have. I have friends of all colors and cultures and they all bring something wonderful and different to the world; their differences and point of view. My parents were terrible bigots and I never understood that either. Don’t see the purpose or need, never did and never will.
I hope it comes to an end some day. I want my kids to grow up knowing all types of people and cultures.
precisely why 95% of the black vote went to OBama and totally rational imo—great comments
Having not heard the good “doctor” since about the time nude photos of her were released (was that like a decade ago?), I was troubled by how passive-aggressive she was. Somehow, everything was Jade’s fault. And, yes, any argument of the form “other people X, so why can’t I X” shows reasoning skills of a 12-year-old. Jade called in because the neighbor saw her race more than her as an individual. That’s offensive. If every time I saw Dr. L I asked her, “why to blonde people ____,” she’d get annoyed. Also, may I be the first to point out that she used the oldest racist defense in the book: I have a black friend.
You are right: the “Good Doctor” seemed to turn everything to indicate that Jade was at fault. It was her fault that her white husband and his family and friends were saying racist remarks, by somehow trying to pollute Jade’s mind by saying that she was “hypersensitive” because she questioned their actions. How insulting to that woman’s intelligence. You are right, also when you said that every white racist has a “black friend” who is their best friend…as indicated by Dr. Laura’s racist remark that “white men can’t jump.” How would she have liked it if her black “friend” had said that she couldn’t chose a good basketball teammate because she was “too blond!” I don’t think that would settle well with her, and then she’d probable label him an “insensitive” racist for giving her a dose of her own stupidity.
Here’s the real deal. I often remind my sons of where this word comes from. I don’t buy the fact the we (black people) have taken ownership of this word. I’m ashamed of the fact the my black brothers and sisters use this word despite the fact that they have fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts or uncles that find it offensive. There will always be black people on the earth that find this word offensive. Doesn’t this matter. Every black person that has ever supported/listened to comedians or music artists who use this word has some responsibility for Dr. Laura’s comments. We certainly could learn a lesson from the Jews, when it comes to protecting & defending our true legacy. We must not allow anybody to ever forget about slavery. Not repeating this injustice depends on it. STOP USING THE N-WORD NOW!!!
People seem to be forgetting that Jade called to ask about advice regarding her husband’s friends saying things that she finds offensive and her husband not having her back. Suddenly Dr. Laura goes into an Obama rant. The caller wasn’t making a political statement and didn’t bring up Obama or society in general. She had a specific question about her dickhead hubby. Dr. Laura didn’t even see her question as valid. THAT is what I found offensive.
It WAS offensive. To top it off, Sammy, she attempted to make Jade feel “hypersensitive” for even inquiring about her husband and his friends’ racist remarks. As an African-American woman, I found her to do what a lot of whites often do…TRY to make blacks feel bad for verbalizing being fed up with all of the overt and covert demoralizing racism in society.
I LOVE your point. I should note that I have found out my own girlfriends pet peeves(She REALLY hates the “B” word… among other things), and to tell you the truth, if ANYBODY were to go there around her, I’d be the first one to make them take it back… Or at LEAST comfort her on it.
Let’s see if I get this.
I am a woman.
So, the esteemed Doctor will not get concerned if I should start calling her a ho-ing C-nt b-itch, if I have a lilt in my voice. Just that she knows I say it as one woman to another as a sign of our common gender.
Laughing my BUTT off. ..LOL…LOL…HaHaHa! I get what you’re saying, Peg G. If the “esteemed” Doctor doesn’t get it, then we will really understand her motives behind what she said. RIGHT?
Gina M is racist (ie white people) oh wow you think black-think is racist when you state all white people think close mindedly riiiight???
(she’s that first post)
youre as racist equally to the so called “Dr” up there
really i voted for Obama I’m white i liked his policies and overall i liked him he is a GOOD GUY
i know both black and white friends who also voted for Obama and we debate the good and bad and i agree that it is not a race issue most Black Americans do not vote for Obama because he is black they vote for him for the same reason why i voted for him
I do enjoy how most of the African American posters here use the descriptions as whites and use it in a derrogatory manner its sick in a way how things have turned around and in trying to protect yourself from somthing that me and many white people had nothing to do with my parents were poor and only recently came over from Amsterdam my mother was from there and my father left when i was young he was also from Amsterdam yet any black person could comment like all the other posts here that they think every white person is racist ;
sorry if you don’t think the “KILL ALL WHITE BABIES” comment by
King Samir Shabazz
was racist because all black Americans get a pardon for racism
to me what she said does not even scale close to what he said yet many people see what she did as worse
all races have a little craziness but if you want to bring up black and white labels we are all just people and this is a problem of all races not just one.
I think you are reading into some of these remarks things that are not there. Show me where anyone here said that the Shabazz comments weren’t racist. No one here ever said that. Show me where anyone anywhere said that what Dr. Laura said was worse than what Shabazz said. I’m pretty sure you can’t.
This isn’t about comparing one act of racism to another. We are simply talking about what happened in this case with Dr. Laura. And there is fairly strong consensus that she was wrong. She even apologized herself.
Adrian, bless your heart, you are shouting into a hurricane. The people who agree with you, already agreed with you. The rest will never hear.
I wonder if Dr Laura will add f–k, c–t,and big dick to her next show… I hear that on HBO too
Now that would be Funny!!!….
haha!
Looks like ole “Dr.” Laura is done:
Dr. Laura Schlessinger announced Tuesday night that she would end her radio show following her N-word rant last week.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/17/dr-laura-to-end-radio-sho_n_685652.html
The caller was rude and out of line. She has a BIG problem. Laura should not have used the n word. However, how do you justify a black person calling me a white n—er? The word will die when blacks show more respect for each other and stop using that disgusting word. Shame on today’s black entertainers who earn money using that word.
blame the caller – wow; SP must be your fb friend
Dr. Laura always has been an idiot. Her callous, self-righteous, shrill, shrew behaviour is annoying to the nth degree. I bet if someone used a Jewish slur on her, she would go into convulsions of anger. The way she talked to this woman was so outrageous. I would have hung up on her straight out. But I guess it’s better she didn’t.
This country is loaded with hate on every side. And the politicians on both sides are instigating it, fomenting it and profiting from it.
Obama is nothing more than a part of the same power structure of elites that all his white and brown compadres are part of. He works for the international bankers, period. To believe otherwise is to be naive.
Wake up people, and see the REAL world, instead of the fantasy soup that the talking heads on every channel are trying to feed you. Some things never change, and the world still works the way it did 5000 years ago.
A more hateful, clueless, racist, ignorant bitch than “Doctor” Laura would be hard to find. And what makes her all the more despicable is her hypocrisy. She tries to come off as this perfect little avatar of morality and goodness when, in fact, she’s a two-faced, lying little slut. Goodness of heart? Nah, ask Laura’s mother who hasn’t heard from her daughter in God knows how many years. Miss Prissy? Hardly, check out the nude pics of “Lacivious Laura” posing in a variety of porn poses. Doting, caring mother? Her crazy son Deryk is hardly an example of good parenting!
Ok lets clear up a few things,
1. We are protected under the first amendment to freedom of speech as long as it does not infringe upon another person.
2. No word no matter how offensive should ever be banned nor should stir this much pandemonium from one individual, it is a word and it only has power as long as people are investing power to that word.
3. It is also your right to be as racist as you want and be free to do it until you infringe upon another rights.
Now that that is out of the way.. seriously people why does this still exist. Why is it day, after day, people are still up in arms about what might or might not offend people. How have we become so sensitive that a mere word spouted can attract national news. The thought boggles my mind.
In our crusade against offensive language, where does it end? If anyone could be offended by anything must everything then be banned or restricted.
Your reaction feeds the attention on race and further divides people. By saying that she is a racist and can’t say “nigger”, you have just committed the very thing you are trying to prevent by creating another divide of the people who can say certain things and those who can’t.
Just accept that there will always be people who say ignorant things and act in unbecoming ways. By ignoring them and giving them no attention we give no validation to their words.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it – Aristotle
You think we can take that advice and perhaps discuss possibly “offensive” material without being racist, insensitive, etc.
Ok lets clear up a few things,
If you read my article you would know that I explicitly rejected the criticism of Schlessinger for using the N-word. However, I found plenty of racism in her other remarks. I also expressed my opposition to banning words.
This isn’t about the First Amendment. No one is restricting her right to speak. But remember, the First Amendment also gives people the right to respond to what Schlessinger said. That’s what free speech is all about.
I couldn’t disagree with you more about “ignoring them and giving them no attention.” Racism MUST be confronted and repudiated or it will persist. Nothing is gained from ignoring it, except that the perpetrators get away with their repulsive behavior and continue it. We must always point out racism and condemn racists.
I was just stating everyones rights so when the populous saying that someone cannot utter a word, they are wrong from a constitutional standpoint.
From that of course I believe that everyone is entitled to criticize any belief that is contrary to theirs. This is how we refine ideas, come about to ethical standards, inspire each other, etc.
Mark, most of my comments were addressing the multiplicity of statements condemning her for saying “nigger” which were responses to your article.
But you could not be farther from actual reality.
You seem to think that by confronting racism we will get rid of it. You would be delusional to think you can ever eradicate a mode of thought. For example, hundreds of years ago we determined that the earth is not flat but is spherical. Yet there is an organization called the Flat Earth Society.
Now we all know this belief and idea is irrational, not held up by any real evidence, and is at this point just silly. We ignore the ramblings of those who we know to be irrational because we understand that they are the fringe and their opinion does not matter.
We as a global society are moving towards ending discrimination of all types but the psychotic rantings of a woman mean nothing and to further analyze ignorance is not only a waste of our time but also giving attention to those who do not deserve it. Much like the idiotic ramblings of the Flat Earth Society.
Yes racism is irrational, ignorant, and vile, but as long as our society remains the bastion of freedom that it is and not in anyway discriminating towards anyone based on race, color, creed, sexual orientation, etc, I could care less about one racist individual because there will ALWAYS be an exception.
@Age: I wish I could be as sanguine as you about the occasional racist, but when you have people like Sarah Palin supporting her, you have to wonder. Racism has deep roots in this country and its a shame most people don’t know how that came about.
America’s uneasy relationship with race predates the establishment of the country itself. That “Puritan Ethic” was about more than hard work–it also reflected English beliefs about sexuality and race that were built into our laws, and which eventually seeped into our general “culture” and mode of thought.
If you remember, we had laws against interracial marriage still on the books as late as the 1980s in this country; these same laws, in some variation, had circulated through our legal systems since the early 1700s. That’s 200+ years of indoctrination. When you foster the creation of segregated family units in a society, you are inviting racial stratification, and that is what we have here.
My family is biracial, and I have black friends and white friends. I’ve seen racist moments play out in both “black” and “white” families, and I’ve heard people say stupid things out of ignorance or spite or a combination of the two. I think most real racists are angry and frustrated, and now that the economy is bad, we’re getting some doozies.
@teacher: No would could ever question the genesis of racial feelings and tension and it being a major problem and hurdle for our country. Yes, we have had countless laws that have bisected our nation into various “cans” and “can-nots” but it is more than apparent that we continue to move towards equality for all.
Many of these racist come from a different era. This is not to say they are not responsible or given carte blanche to say anything with out consequence but racism is waining and with it being so demonized it will almost disappear all together. This is why I say paying attention to those fringe people who do think this way should be ignored. Their opinion does not matter because that is the responsibility of the populous, to ignore the raving lunatics on their soap boxes spouting ignorant pablum.
Now I am a white, young adult male, one of the most enfranchised groups in this country, but I also belong to the most hated and discriminated against groups in America today… I am an atheist. Do the research. 8 state constitutions prevents us from holding office, all polls shows that we are the least trusted and least likely for anyone to vote for.
Now how often have I heard slurs and hate speech towards other fellow atheists? I have seen thousands of police reports from around the country from atheists being threatened and attacked but when men of the cloth go on television and speak of our immorality and being hell bound heathens, is it televised?
Quit being so damn sensative. As long as you have your rights… who cares what someone says? It only has as much power as you lend it.
Whites and Blacks in this country need to agree to stop using the n-word or any other derogatory word or words or actions. Blacks need to make a serious change by not accepting use of this word by any group especially blacks. How can you talk about the dirt in anybody’s house when all can see your dirt a mile away. it’s out there and I am sick of it. Groups like the NAACP and UNCF NEED TO LEAD THE WAY BY CHANGING THEIR NAMES FIRST OF ALL TO INCLUDE NOT ONLY BLACKS BUT ALL MINORITIES that suffer from racism and discrimination. We use to have standards in music and radio and television and now all are just running amok. If we are a christian nation this and all non-sense needs to stop. We need to live with God in our lives and as though he is in the room at all times. if we all did that and followed His commandments we could move on to bigger and better things. His kingdom is at hand. Quit all the hate…EVERYBODY! Don’t let evil rule you. Would you use the n-word in any sense if Christ was in the room? Think about it.
Laura Schlessinger has always come across as a misogynistic, hateful shrew. I know this…I listened to her radio show for a while in the ’90s for as long as I could stand it. It doesn’t surprise me to learn that she’s a flaming racist, too. And Mark is correct; it’s far more disturbing that Laura belittled the caller’s concerns so she could go off on a racist rant about our mixed-race President.
Laura showed no interest in trying to help the caller, who had legitimate concerns. Calling her hypersensitive was, at the very least, condescending. I know exactly what the caller was talking about. Many of my white friends routinely beleaguer me with ignorant, inappropriate, racist comments or questions (like ” Do black people have white dandruff?” or “What do your people think about this?” or “Did you have fun last weekend with your peeps in the hood?”). Then they have the gall to be surprised when I take offense, as if their black friend should know everything about the entire black race, and be willing to educate them. That’s our job, I guess. These people feign ignorance to cover up their own laziness and unwillingness to reach out and expand their worldview.
I have witnessed, and experienced firsthand, much covert racism in my life. Now that we have a mixed-race president, it has steadily become more overt. I, for one, am not surprised.
I don’t want to defend Dr. Laura here at all. What she said was ignorant and wrong. But regarding her (off-topic) remark about Obama’s election; weren’t we told repeatedly that Obama’s election might help bring us closer to a “post-racial America?” If someone said before the election “Obama’s election will make racists more vocal and inflame racial tensions.” They would probably have been called a racist. If someone said the same thing after the election, that’s okay. It seems to show that what’s acceptable and what’s not has nothing to do with what’s actually true.
And after the election there were numerous accusations of ‘racism’ in response to people opposing Obama’s policies on legitimate grounds. If calling someone racist is a serious accusation then we need to be willing to seriously take to task those who use the accusation casually or libelously against those who only have a policy axe to grind. Otherwise, allowing people to repeatedly cry “wolf” will condition a lot of folks to look the other way when accusations of racism are made. People will say it’s from apathy or sympathy to racism. But it will be for the same reason that some black people use the ‘n-word’ to try and ‘reclaim’ it. If you overuse a word, it loses its power.
First of all, I never heard anyone other than right-wing media pundits use the phrase “post-racial America.” Everyone I knew considered the election of our first black president an important milestone, but the end of racism. Those of us who were conscious also anticipated that the racists in society would be more angry and hateful than ever.
Secondly, I don’t know anyone who accused anyone else of racism in response to people opposing Obama’s policies on legitimate grounds. That’s a red herring raised when racism is pointed legitimately, but the racist doesn’t want to face it.
Dr. Laura: “We’ve got a black man as president, and we have more complaining about racism than ever. I mean, I think that’s hilarious.”
NC: “Hilarious? Schlessinger thinks it’s funny that the election of a black president results in an escalation of racist commentary and behavior.”
Way to turn the woman’s words into their complete antithesis. She didn’t say there was “an escalation of racist commentary and behavior.” Which there wasn’t, unless you are defining any criticism of “Obama” as “racist,” or you’re simply lying.
By the way, in smearing anyone who criticizes the John Doe calling himself “Barack Obama,” who is himself a genocidal black supremacist, as a “racist,” you certainly don’t lack for chutzpah.
It’s safe to say that tens of millions of people voted for “Obama” out of racism.
A genocidal black supremacist? You are damn good evidence that racism still exists.
Rather than answering my question, you confirmed it. You’re the racist, chump.
Excuse me but, you didn’t ask a question, Poindexter. But you sure love to throw around unsupported, nonsensical accusations of racism as a substitute for coherent dialogue.
Dr. Laura has always been a complete idiot anyway and from the overall remarks she obviously generalizes and stereotypes blacks.
But…
She does have a right to free speech. It is hypocritical when one race can use a word and another race can’t. The people who make those rules are already creating a division between the races. I think that’s the only thing she’s ever gotten right. That said, there is what is culturally acceptable which is often unrelated to an abstract philosophical point.
So she used her right of free speech and others used their right of free speech also, boycott, letter and phone calls of complaint.
This is how it works. Nothing wrong here. If Dr. Laura is unhappy with the result, then this is an opportunity for her to learn from the experience. That she has to do so at the cost of her job is probably pretty strong incentive to grasp the information quickly.
I would guess what she learned is that most people of any race with any concept of good manners or common courtesy don’t use racial slurs.
So. I’m not black. I’m East Indian. So I can’t claim to know anything regarding black culture, and the n-word.
So if I can’t “Dr.” Laura sure as hell can’t. She’s an upper class middle aged white woman. What does she know about it? And you might say “HEY THAT’S RACIST EVERYONE’S THE SAME NOW.” I believe in equality, and I believe that in many ways that’s true. But you cannot be a middle aged upper class white woman and tell a black woman that she’s ‘oversentive.’ Because she knows nothing about this woman’s identity, or racial experiences. And it’s disgusting that Dr Laura thinks she actually has a valid viewpoint with what she said.
And yeah. White people. You can’t say the N-word. Sorry to break it to you, but there are too many instances of racial strife, so much historic pain and so much disparity and Othering that occurs surrounding this word. Black people? It’s not for you to judge. Because frankly, you obviously don’t know anything about race if you think this woman is oversensitve.
A wonder if “Dr.” Laura would have responded the same if the caller found it uncomfortable that her husband’s friends constantly made comments based on stereotypes of women
Or maybe they constantly used the word whore or cunt in reference to women.
Derogatory words do what they intend, devalue the human and it’s meant to tear a person down. There is no rational debate on the issue.
Why is it okay for Blacks to use the “C” word (Cracker) especially in view of the fact if a white person uses the “N” word (Ni**er) it considered “Hate Speech”?
@Americanthinker,I don’t use the “C” word at all( put that broad brush away ).Thanks Mark for the intelligent feedback…I’m off to work at a free clinic(retired Trauma Nurse) for both Black,White,Hispanic and Asian folks,who work but have inadequate or no medical coverage…No one here has time to use or debate the use of degrading, hateful words.We’re to busy helping fellow Americans and others with health issues…How does she get away with impersonating a psychologist?…Peace and Love
I think people like Dr. Laura and Sarah Palin (well, aside from being completely insane and ignorant) need to learn the difference from the word “ni**er” and “nigga”.
I also feel bad for poor Jade, because she probably got flustered because stupid Dr. Laura wouldn’t let her talk.
And there is a HUGE difference between the way Dr. Laura used the word “ni**er” and how black people (not just black people; I’ve also seen white people say “nigga” to black people, but in the same manner as most black people use it, as a term of friendship/kinship) use it.
i am 14 years old and i think her saying that is really racist what makes her racist is not her saying it it’s how she said it.
she just made her self sound really stupid
know it a black person had a radio show a said “cracker,cracker,cracker” it would of been a whole different story
they show might have got takin of air
its true that SOME black people say that to each other
just to let u guys know “ni**er” is racist and we(black people) don’t say “ni**er” we say “nigga” there’s a big difference not just spelling
Sorry dude, just because you’re mispronouncing the ‘er’ as an ‘a’, and decide to go along with a spelling change to attempt to legitimize it as a different word, you’re still saying the same word. “nigga” wouldn’t exist as a word without having “ni**er” first, and its parent word already had all of its offensive potency before “nigga” was created.
Point being: you’re trying to use the word and coming up with lame excuses for it.
If you think the N word is wrong for people of any specific race to use regardless of context, then it should be extended and you should consider it wrong for anybody to use it ever, including the race that is the target of the word. This is not equivalent to “why can’t I use it”. I do not wish to use it. But to treat people otherwise is a double standard based on race, which is racist.
why, when you hear the word racist, by default, it means whites against blacks? Racist means placing judgement on a person regarding only the color of their skin. (ex affirmative action)
Why is it only white people can be racist?