Posted on 02/15/2020 11:10:28 AM PST by Olog-hai
Who decides whether a word is racist? Does it depend on context? That’s what a German state court said after a far-right AfD politician repeatedly used the N-word in a debate. The decision caused outrage — and action.
In the Duden online German dictionary, the word Neger (hereafter referred to as the N-word) is defined as a term for “a person of (very) dark skin.” In German, it is considered today to be the equivalent of both the dated and debated English term Negro and also the undeniably racist term n—r. The German word’s definition also includes a warning in red describing it as “highly discriminatory” and “to be avoided.”
Whether uttered in parliament or in a personal conversation, the use of the N-word in Germany to refer to black people is “always derogatory,” activist Charlotte Nzimiro says. […]
Nzimiro was therefore angry when the State Constitutional Court of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in northeast Germany, ruled in December 2019 that while the term is generally understood to be pejorative, whether it actually is depends on the context in which it is used.
The ruling came after Nikolaus Kramer, a state leader of the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, used the N-word several times during a debate in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state parliament in November 2018. He said he did not want to be told “what is or is not offensive.” When Kramer was reprimanded for his use of the term, he defended himself in court — and won.
Nzimiro was on the train when she found out about the verdict. She “broke out in a sweat,” she told DW. Furious, she decided to start a petition on change.org calling for the N-word to be legally recognized as racist. …
(Excerpt) Read more at dw.com ...
It literally means “black plowman”.
He said so on Letterman back when Letterman was funny and Schwarzenegger was only an actor.
“also the undeniably racist term n—r. “
Undeniably? You hear it in about a thousand rap songs. I wonder how the would explain that?
The German word for that is “Stickstoff”, which begins with the same letter as “Schwarze”.
“SCHWARTZ!” Memories of A Christmas Story.
If the word is not accepted, and determined to be derogatory, then how come blacks use it on each other as a word of comradery and fondness? Such a confusing word except when it is used by those that can.
rwood
Nearby, is Egg's ancient baths; of which, baths are known in German (and Swiss) as "Bad". Signs point the way to "Bad Egg". :)
https://www.newlyswissed.com/10-hilarious-swiss-town-names/
I was thinking similar as I read the article. If the “N” word is so bad, then why can the group targeted by the “N” word allowed to use it? They are in effect teaching the meaning and use of that word.
During WW2 German soldiers called American GIs ‘’Amis’’.
I saw “Amis Raus” a lot when I was stationed there.
Must come as a shock for Arnold, former governor of California.
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