Racial insults may be wiped off map: North Carolina place names

Raliegh News-Observer ^ | April 30, 2003 | LYNN BONNER

[Howlin]

I'm saying you take this crap way too seriously.

[george wythe]

What about dropping a letter from all those names and use the African niger?

[stands2reason]

Glad to see that removing those names is getting bi-partisan support. There's no place for partisan politics in this debate, IMHO. :)

Hello! Someone sensible on this thread. Of course, to many here, the word "nigger" isn't anymore offensive that the following words:

Black
Brown
White
Ball
Teton
Dildo
Virgin

and the whole idea of removing a perfectly useful (for them) word from these placenames is ridiculous. I DON'T AGREE.

[stands2reason]

Guess that means the Big Ugly River WV will have to be renamed, it offends us big ugly people.

I hear ya. "Nigger" in a placename only offends niggers. Those niggers are too sensitive. (/sarcasm)

[stands2reason]

Well, of course it's absolutely approprite to change these names and get the "N" word out of them. It should have been done before now.

Are you in the right forum?

[stands2reason]

You have no problem with the word "nigger"? I thought people around here were different.

[samanella]

What about the French Broad River in NC since everyone is sick of the French? Or Big Ugly, WV, which is not PC for the comely-impaired folk? Or Intercourse, AL? Or Young Harris, GA? The old folks will get ticked off at that.....

[TaxRelief]

They were joking.

[Howlin]

Don't bait me or try to put words in my mouth.

[george wythe]

"Nigger" in a placename only offends niggers

Never heard ghetto talk?

Or gangsta rap?

[Cacique]

What will they rename Whiteville, NC?

Why Honkyville of course.

[yarddog]

I have wondered why the word "nigger" is considered singularly offensive.

It is certainly crude and probably a result of laziness in speech. On the other hand I constantly hear people using the term "redneck", and "cracker". Are Black Americans more important than other people? I can think of no other reason for the distinction.

I personally think any of them are somewhat offensive and don't use them. On the other hand, I don't think they justify murder or the forgiveness of murder either.

[george wythe]

Randall Kennedy, Harvard Law professor

A 1993 incident at Central Michigan University was particularly illustrative. As Kennedy describes it, Keith Dambrot, the men's varsity basketball coach, in an attempt "to focus and inspire his team, asked his players for permission to use with them a term that they often used with one another: the 'N-word.'"

They agreed, and he went on to give a speech in which he exhorted them to play tougher, stating, "We need to have more niggers on the team." He later explained that he meant the word "in the sense in which it is used by my African-American players to connote a person who is fearless, mentally strong, and tough."

Word spread on the CMU campus about Coach Dambrot's speech, and he was reprimanded for his use of the word and told he would be fired if he used the word again. Kennedy argues that the incident should have ended there, since the coach's intentions weren't racist or malicious. The situation escalated, however, after a university official suspended Dambrot and recruited a sensitivity trainer for his players, sparking protesters. Ultimately, Dambrot was fired.

Chris Rock, comedian and actor:

No, white people can't say "nigger," but you can sing all the rap songs.

[wimpycat]

Was your sense of humor surgically removed or something? Of course the N-word should be removed from the place names here in NC. The rest of it is just kidding around.

[Nowhere Man]

The highest point in Pennsylvania was known as Negro Mountain, but it had been changed to Mt. Davis although some people still know it be its former name. Read about it here:

http://www.salisburypa.com/MtDavis.html

[demosthenes the elder]

nah...
map coordinates.

related topic: some years ago, a bunch of dimwits were up in arms and trying to change the names of a bunch of streams up in the northeast.

Those regions were settled by Dutchmen, and so... the names of many streams and rivers included the word "kill" (as in the Squawkill Creek, Schuykill River, etc...).

They said that the river names "glorified the culture of violence."

No, I am NOT kidding.

I wonder, what became of that nonsense?

[stands2reason]

Was your sense of humor surgically removed or something?

My problem was, the jokes are the same ones that are told after an unwarranted PC move. That this is a rare warranted PC move, I would think, would make the same jokes seem out of place. Making fun of the move to change the word 'nigger' isn't cute or funny.

[stands2reason]

And don't answer the question.

[stands2reason]

Never heard ghetto talk?

Or gangsta rap?

Yes. What is your point?

[wimpycat]

Howlin is no racist. I know her personally.