Can we ban the N word...?

I agree 100 % and I am a black woman. But its impossible to ban a word especially when it carries so much power. As opposed to banning it, maybe we should stop acknowledging it altogether. The reason why the word works so well is because we all lose our minds when it is said, one way or another. It would probably stopped being used as a weapon if we stopped treating it like one.

No I don't think so. Although at first it was only used as a way to terribly demean a people who deserve just as much love and respect as any other people, It is such a strong word that both blacks and whites use it, and both are able to use it either neutrally or destructively, or even constructively( there are several poems about this word that use it constructively) Like any other strong word, it has a lot of possible uses for it and to ban it, for fear of one usage of the word is wrong.

It's a pretty basic principle of human nature that if you ban something, it will give it more power and induce more people to try it out. So, no, I don't think banning a derogatory word will help things.

The strategy used by the African-American community is one many minority groups have employed: Make the word your own, change it from epithet to endearment. So now that when the epithet is used, it no longer has any negative power. African-Americans use "n****r" as a gentle jibe or a sign of friendship in a way that gays have taken the power out of "queen," "f*g," and "queer," for example. When someone tries to call a gay man a queen, instead of being fearful or ashamed, he says "Yes, I am, and proud of it," and that is how the hateful words are transformed.

While I agree that it is wrong to use in every instance, I feel it would be even more wrong for one person to tell another what the can and cannot say. Freedom of speech is granted by the constitution, and I believe that to be a beautiful thing. You or I may not agree with what people choose to do with that freedom, but that is what is great about our country. Men and women throughout history have died to protect the freedoms that our citizens have, at time, taken for granted. Its not right for you to tell a black man or woman that they cannot say the "N" word any more than it is to tell a white man. Every person is granted the same freedom to speak the words they choose. It is a great responsibility, and not everyone handles it they way they should....but it is their right to speak freely nonetheless.

Are you kidding? Banning words? No way. I think stigma attached to the word should be minimized to insignificant. After Michael Richard's little tirade, I was impressed at the large number of black Americans that came out and were more offended that society thought they would crumble over a little word than the word itself.

Intelligent society does not give black Americans enough credit. To think that any thoughtful human could be broken down by any word? Nonsense! We should not even consider banning words or thoughts. These are the tactics of dictators, socialists and nazis.

I understand your idea, I don't think ANYONE should be disrespected. In the case of the "N" word, if it is muttered and taken as a put-down, then a abore it, but Coloured people have endured bloody bloody history. I think the "N" word should be a rally work, like "remember the Alamo" because Coloured people should be extremely proud of the courage which they as a people have endured untold atrocities and injustices which showed the whites the error of their ways. If you want to ban the "N" word, then what about "Dummy", A******e, idiot, fool, and a million other words having a negative connotation.

Your thought is kind, but the word will never be banned, at least not in the United States, because of freedom of speech. We are all free to insult each other any time we like.

(Of course, that doesn't mean there won't be social consequences. Anyone who uses the n-word in Harlem, for example, had better be a fast runner.)

In order for the N word to have been bad in the first place it had to be used negatively. The whole concept of equal rights will not be the same because we "blacks and whites" segregate ourselves from what we consider right and wrong. As long as we have BET and other Black only orientated mentatlity "blacks and whites" will be separated.

It is banned at most places of work and persons using it where I worked could be terminated. Any ignorant language is counterproductive in a company & very few tolerate it.

However , in a private environment , only when the mentally damaged get healthy . . . then their language will reflect it.

My expression for those with mental / emotional problems that express themselves in a hostile way is - "their brain is broken !"

Unfortunately, even if a ban was put on it, there are 6 billion (and growing) people in this world, there'll always be one person who says it. The only way is to just kill everyone. But, then again, THAT would also be impossible to achieve. So, no, I don't see any way out.