Why is the "N" word against blacks bleeped out during radio shows but the "C" word against whites isn't?

MCPO Roger Collins - Thank you, sir. I try.

I do not want to vote but I have to in order to respond? That kinda makes me mad. So, instead I have to post under some one else's response to be heard. Your question or survey should have included Yankee. Yankee was originally a pejorative word. Yet we have an incredibly popular professional baseball team who use it as their mascot and no one gets upset.

SGT (Join to see) - When we assign words the kind of power through an attempt to ban them, we only make them more of a boogey man. You can no more ban a word than you can ban a thought and we should never want the government involved in banning words. It is a precedent none of us should want.

A real concern is that over 40% of the people on this site (in your survey) think we should ban one or both of them. These are people that took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States which calls for free speech. Banning words is banning speech. As idiotic or offensive as some speech might be, banning it or words is the antithesis to a truly free people. If you value your freedom to speak you should value others even of you find the content offensive.

You also only push some underground. Right now, we have groups in the streets on all sides showing themselves to be the idiots they are. That is the Klan, Nazi's, ANTIFA, BLM, Occupy, Anarchists etc. The real issue for me is that some (even on this site) will not condemn violence and hatred from all of these groups, only some.

Fahrenheit 451

[W]e know who they are and are put on notice to exclude them from polite company."
Very well put CPT Jack Durish . Thank you for your Service and your insight.

PO1 John Crafton - I included a bi-racial relationship and marriage in my first full length novel. It was easy writing about the tensions it would cause with friends and family since I grew up in the American South prior to the Civil Rights Movement and my father was one of the most virulent bigots I ever knew. Even the mother of the groom in my story who was reasonably tolerant says, "...but I don't want him to have any black babies". Strong friendships and family ties can endure a lifetime. They don't snap until stressed and nothing stresses a relationship like bigotry.

PO1 John Crafton - Having grown up in the South I was used to being called a bigot. It was easy to assume, especially if they ever met my father. And I never heard anyone in the South deny it. If you asked them if blacks were [name the prejudice] they'd say of course and they like watermelon too. Northerners would never admit to being prejudiced. I believe that Southerners came to grips with their prejudices much sooner because of this open acceptance of who they were. Northerners were just as prejudiced but never willing to admit it. It's much the same as AA. The first step to sobriety is admitting you are an alcoholic. As for the other things, such as religion, how well I remember those days. I never went to a wedding where there was peace, just two families staring at each other across a dance floor at the reception. At one, I got tired of it and went outside for a smoke. I discovered a Greek wedding going on in the hall above the one where my family was fully engaged in battle. I was pulled inside and given a drink when I stuck my nose in to see what all the commotion was about. Had a wonderful time (but then both families shared the same Greek Orthodox faith)

"Nobody has a problem with it until the tone and nature of the direction goes a certain way"

And thats my personal position on it..

PO1 John Crafton - I see (hear) those two words used on one of three ways commonly
As a derogatory word
As a term of endearment
As term used to describe, debate, discuss as in this thread.

PO1 John Crafton - Your statement is something I toggled with while wording the question.

How can I as a black man ask such a polarizing question I believe deserves discussion without instead simply seeming to see the world burn for my amusement?

A might fine line, it is.

I concur! IMO there should be no need for censorship if the adequate "home school training" was instilled. There are people I can live without in my life, and those people are the same ones that stoop to name calling when they have nothing intelligent to say. My mom has a saying "beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes all the way to the bone" IMO people who resort to that language to make themselves heard are the definition of ugly. Lets just all get along- carry on.
S/F

SGT (Join to see) - Damn, your inference is kind of what I was talking about. They are merely words that should be a reflection of the individual when used to incite, how is that ruffling your feathers. Further, I said call me a Cracker all you want, it doesn't bother me. Those were general statements and not directed at you or any one else.

MCPO Roger Collins - I wasn't taking offense. I seriously wanted to a deeper explanation on your issue with the epithets. You have an interesting perspective I haven't thought of much.

Basically, the only people that can use these words with no reaction from the general public are those of color. If they are so bad, while wouldn't all avoid them? I do because I have many friends on here and in the past that I hold in high esteem and would do nothing to effect our relationship such as using a word that is offensive. Lots of other offensive words that I try to avoid.

IMO bottom line is common courtesy and mutual respect. The word cracker doesnt bother me either, it just proves lack of intelligence IMO. But what I dont understand is, why is it "more ok" for someone of color to call another the "N" word, but if a white person says it, bring out the torches and pitchforks? What is good for one should be good for all. Stop the B.S. games, treat others as you want to be treated. Life is alot easier that way. JS
S/F

I have you question for you regarding those words which look like typos to me.

Did removing those words from the culture's vocabulary take anything away from the history of your ethnic background?

SGT (Join to see) - Those words weren't part of my culture's vocabulary. They were made up by others. My culture is made up of more than the 100 years that we've been in America.

PO1 Don Gulizia - Fair. I believe these two words have affected too many lives to simply be erased. At this time, I say embrace and learn from the mistakes related to them.

SGT (Join to see) - Embrace? by continually using those words? I don't think so. Those words won't be erased by discontinued use...you can still look them up on Google. Hell, Wikipedia has a whole page for ethnic/racial slurs. People can learn from them by looking them up online or in a book, not from overuse on every media platform.

SSgt Ryan Sylvester - I enjoy intelligent debate as well. You have a good one too!

My sense of the matter is that it's more than just 'societal' or 'cultural'. They play a part, but it's also biological (hardwired into our psyche).

There is an inherent fundamental difference between men and women. In the main (yes, there are exceptions, and that's exactly what they are) men are visually stimulated more than women. It really doesn't take rocket science to figure that out. Yes, women will pay to see shows like 'Thunder From Down Under". But not because the men are stripping completely.

It's been said that, for women, sex begins at the breakfast table (i.e., how she ends up being treated during the day). Or, put another way--when it comes to sex, women need a reason, men need a place.

In short, there's a difference between a man's chest and a woman's.

Well, just some brief comments. And I may be completely wrong.

MAJ Don Bigger - Definitely some good comments on it as well. Of course, we're men talking about the subject of female attraction. Think we'd be better served with some female perspective on the matter... I say as if that would actually clear anything up for us, heh. What was that old joke about the man, the genie, and either building a bridge to Hawaii or understanding women?

SSgt Ryan Sylvester I just wrote what my wife told me to say :)

Well said! PFC Roger Goff

SFC (Join to see) - So the why did you try to speak on their behalf?

Cpl Benjamin Long - Like I said, don't be so sensitive. You could have put all of that into one post. That's your prerogative though.

My assumptions are implied to be my opinions; if you choose to see them as me trying to speak for everyone else, that's your problem, and is indicative of YOU looking for a problem, not me.

I spoke because I myself HAVE been called a N*gger by White adults on numerous occasions throughout my life, as a child and young adult (it stopped after I became a much larger adult), and know exactly what it feels like, and have seen the effects it had on my Brother, and my friends, and other people it has happened to growing up. Where on the other hand, I have seen others refer to White children/adults a C*ackers, and they literally laughed at the idea of a N*gger trying to insult them. Luckily, my mother raised my siblings and I better than to stoop to the same level as the people who speak as such. That is not to say the latter term does not actually have a hurtful impact, its not one that I've personally witnessed. However, I'm always willing to admit something is possible without me having personally witnessed it yet.

In closing, my assumptions are based on personal experience, BUT, do not necessarily mean that is the ACTUAL reason why one is censored and the other isn't. A DOUBLE STANDARD exists, and is not right, but again, I don't think either term should be used, because they are not conducive for constructive conversation.

MSgt Kurt S. - I consider anything I put online, with my name on it, to be a professional discussion, to some degree. To be fair though, even when I send text messages, I use full punctuation.

MSgt Kurt S. I know. Please don't mistake the back and forth between myself and Cpl Long to be directed at anyone else. Funny story, emoticons were created to alleviate confusions of written attitude just like this. ;)