The word itself is a degradation of the word "negro"(Latin root; meaning "black)." Its initial usage was among the poor and uneducated, including slaves, and grew to have additional meanings through the travail of slavery, the civil war and Jim Crow. Today its degraded and emotionally loaded meaning is kept alive by our focus on it.
I firmly believe that we give power to racists idiots every time we regard this word as something more than it really is; a somewhat distasteful reminder of a evil and stupid practice now consigned to the ash-heap of American history. As a society we should not empower racists by giving this word value it does not deserve. We should take this word out in the light of day and laugh and jeer at any rube that actually trys to use it. Only then will the coffin lid finally close on slavery and racism.
“I think it is a mistake to make so much of a simple word.”
In a PC world, the word used trumps everything. Meaning, intent and context are nothing.
AMEN! I wish more white people were like you.
The more an antagonizer nows it bothers them, the more they will use it.