If cracker had the same level of offense to it as the nword, then cracker would be referred to as the cword. A person tries to talk to another person, who, frustrated, is making the talktothe hand gesture. So while you may not be personally responsible for racial inequity in america, and you may not be able to personally make reparations, the. But i feel that both the nword and cracker are slurs, with massive difference in which one has more power. So well need to travel back in time to begin to understand why white people saying the nword and black people saying cracker are not the same. In the context of the nword, the power behind the word is reflective of more than just slave times. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racist slur against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. When it comes to the nword, most see it as offensive. It wasnt a racial slur a black person would never have dared call a white person that, at least not within earshot of any white person. Cnn had a remarkable discussion panel this weekend, thanks to the presence of george zimmerman and paula deen in the news, in which. It is sometimes used in a neutral context in reference to a native of florida or georgia see florida cracker and georgia cracker. Cnn is seriously wondering whether cracker is worse than. If i have no intent, if i show no intent, if i clearly am not a racist, then how can n be bad coming out of my mouth.
Calling a white person cracker is equally as offensive as using the nword self. I noticed it said cracker barrel, and it had an image of a barrel and what looked like an older white man. Wasnt it cnn who ran a segment asking if the nword or cracker was more offensive racist. I dont understand how that word would be offensive. Why explaining the nword to nonblack people is so damn. With the n word versus cracker debate, we have to discuss the history and power relations at play. Being from florida, and proud to be a cracker i do not find it offensive. The massagetes bordering vpon the indians, and the nigers of aethiop sp. Republicans are more likely than others to say the word is inappropriate. Every black person who lives in the united states at some point or another comes to accept one thing.
It should be that either theyre all bad to say, or none of them are. Lemon assembled and moderated a panel tasked with debating the ramifications of the n word in society and which derogatory term, ngger or cracker is the most offensive. It comes from white people cracking whips while beating black slaves. You dont see anyone eating n or s if it was so offensive, why do we eat crackers. Martin s supposed use of the term cracker doesnt make him a racist any more than zimmermans resentment of punks necessarily makes him a murderous racial profiler. Whoever said this shouldnt be on the list it should because its just short for. Harvard university professor randall kennedy has traced the history of the nword to understand the evolution of the infamous racial slur. How is the word cracker comparible to any racial slur directed towards any race when theres a food we eat called crackers. Cnn, if your chyron compares cracker to nword then its self evident which is more offensive. Why do white people think the word cracker to comparable. The nword as it is not allowed to be typed is an extremely offensive ethnic slur and name for a person of african american or negro decent. There has been a lot of debate on which word is more offensive. The word cracker sometimes is a matter of punching up, as an epithet for bigoted white people, but it doesnt have the same history associated with it. Now,all of a sudden its in style with these young kids who havent a clue.
People are the most easily offended by this word, holding it to a higher standard than normal cuss words, which is pretty ridiculous if you ask me. It means you celebrate your whipcracking heritage in the context of slaves, im pretty darn sure. One in three republicans call the nworld inappropriate, but not offensive. In this article, i analyze the discursive construction of this socalled reverse racism, focusing specifically on the euphemization of the racial label cracker as the c. The only thing i call cracker is the ones in a box made by keebler elves. I guess you could call me a racist against myself, but i dont give a shit. Honky is not offensive if you watched the jeffersons as a child then its downright hilarious. Why do people think the word cracker isnt offensive. In the english language, the word nigger is an ethnic slur typically directed at black people, especially african americans. No, i dont like it when blacks say it to each other but im also not going to try to put honky in the same category as the n word. The phrase the nword is worse to me than n, allen told the tampa bay times last week.
Its supposed to be offensive but you wont get a highly irate or inflamed reaction from someone if you call them that. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial slur used against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. Black veteran sues cracker barrel for racial discrimination after getting kicked out by manager. Theres no equivalent negative word for white people like the nword. Its such a shame so many people fought and died so that word wouldnt be used anymore. However in the united states i think the word nigga is now more acceptable for almost anyone to use even whites cause its used in rap music so much these days. Ive noticed there seems to be this idea that nigger is the penultimate slur, that it is somehow inherently more offensive than others, usually cracker specifically.
Weve all heard the terms cracker, white trash and redneck in reference to poor white people living in america. It has nothing to do with saltines and the complexion caucasian people share with delicious soup crackers. I think when black people talk about crackers its funny. In street interviews aired thursday, cnn found that whites are not as offended by the term cracker as they are by the nword. Theres no equivalent negative word for white people like the n word. Lemon assembled and moderated a panel tasked with debating the ramifications of the nword in society and which derogatory term, ngger or cracker is the most offensive. Trayvon martins use of the term cracker doesnt make him a racist. Cnn, in service of knowledge and desperate for ratings, is going all out on the trayvon martin case and, when its forced to cover something. A majority believe the nword is even more offensive when it is used by a white person. With the nword versus cracker debate, we have to discuss the history and power relations at play. Why white people saying the nword isnt the same as black. Yes, and i hope i may be excused quoting the word in a scholarly context. To be sure, he cautions, cracker is not on par with the n word, but it is nonetheless a sharp racial insult that resonates with white southerners even if white northerners dont get it. Controversial words can be offensive, but as don lemon reports, sometimes they can also spark a useful discussion.
These stories are not about the nword and cracker the atlantic. Was the nword an offensive word in mark twains day. Whether you use it or not, whether you are ok with it or deeply offended by it, its a word weighted down with so much history and so much pain that is impossible to avoid. Cracker perpetuates racist, harmful, and negative stereotypes for white people. To home improvement star tim allen, the euphemism the nword is more offensive than the racial slur itself.
These words, and the case built upon them, ultimately may prove little more than an abundance of superfluous breath. Calling a white person cracker is equally as offensive. I have heard that some people do use the word cracker as a put down to white people, like the n word is used towards black people, then it is offensive. Although cracker is mildly offensive, it wasnt and isnt regularly used in society and thus, it does not carry the weight that the nword does. Its super offensive, as a white person, to call yourself and other white people this.
There would seem to be a contingent who feel that martins use of cracker was the equivalent of a white persons using the nword. A person tries to talk to another person, who, frustrated, is making the talktothehand gesture. I dont even want to hear it used by africanamericans. For the record, theres no evidence that zimmerman ever used. The term cracker comes from the crack of the whip they used to drive the cattle to market. How the nword became the atomic bomb of racial slurs.
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