Are black children taught by their parents to become irrationally angered or offended by the "N" word?

Question

I'm trying to figure out how this word can be so powerful. When I was a kid, we were taught the saying, "sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me." So, if anyone called us a name, we would say this to let the other person know that their words have no power over you. So how can this old word still be so powerful. Surely not every black person is a history expert and can explain the historical ramifications of the word as a reason for being offended when a white person says it. Now there is a movement to ban the word. Ban a word? How can this even be thought as a rational solution. Wouldn't it make more sense to teach people not to be offended by words?

Serious answers only, please.

Answer 1

i think they all need to get over it, i can see why their grandparents would be offended by it, but they have grown up just like any other person so they have no reason to get offended anymore, now that everyone is giving them equality they want to make themselves stand out and want special privilages for being black, its like reverse racism
i would not get mad if someone called me a cracker

Answer 2

There is a difference between teaching and indoctrination . The younger the child ( or more uneducated the adult) the less pressure it takes to indoctrinate . Children become indoctrinated with such things as the Bible Myth , The Quran myth , the Cinderella Story , The Santa Clause Storty , etc. Many children suffer a severe psychological episode when they learn there is no Santa . Many women can't progress in the world because they are still hoping for a Prince Charming . Children waste time becoming indoctrinated to religions when they could be learning useful skills . Teaching of complex ideas such as Deism vs Atheism is something that should be restrained until the child can understand the issues . At possibly 6 or 7 . Otherwise the child may experience severe rebellion , depression or worse when they start to encounter opposing viewpoints to their indoctrination when they are older , often as early as 11 or 12 . This can lead to drug and alcohol abuse as they try to rid themselves of their indoctrination . If you are religious I think it should suffice , until the child asks questions , to say "Our family believes in a great person we call "God" and we believe this God created people many , many , many years ago . We go to church to thank this God for the good things ." Then tell them that they will learn more about these things when they go to school . Anything more than that is indoctrinating children , not teaching them .

Answer 3

I think black children learn and are not taught about the N word.
Black children observe their environment and learn from it.
They also discriminate the context in which they would be offended.
For example, they are more likely to be mad if a person outside the ethnic race says it, how it is said, and the relationship with that person who said it.
This is the reason I feel that they learn instead of being taught. I can't imagine a mother saying to her child, get offended when someone says the N word, but not if he's black also, or if he's your friend......

Answer 4

good question. so to answer it, i would have to say, that old saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me", is false. So many people commit suicide because of constant verbal abuse. So you can just forget about that.

Then, about the word ******. Every black person knows, or should know, that that word is a word that is used to put them down. you know what, let me change that:every person should know that that is a word to put someone down or to hurt someones feelings. Mainly, a black person.

I know what the word ****** means and what it was used for, so of course I'll get upset if someone calls me that. but then again, are you black? if ur not, how could you possibly understand?.........

Answer 5

I do not know many black parents, but I have always been told that such things as hate starts at the home. We are products of our environment. So, if parents use the "N" word chances are that it started at home.

Look who is trying to BAN the dang awful word -- stinking Jesse Jackston -- the biggest bandstanding preacher of HATE there is; along with Al Sharpton.

Lastly, from my experience, the biggest users of the "N" word are the "African Americans" themselves.

I dislike peoples actions and what they do -- not because the color of their skin.

Answer 6

To me it would make more sense for them to be taught to not be offended. If they did ban the offensive "N" word then would black people not be allowed to say it either, lol. Sounds funny not being allowed to say a word. What would be the punishment I wonder.

Answer 7

I dont know any black parents so cannot say with certainty. However, I do believe the word is over-sensitized when even black comedians will not be allowed to use it. Hhmm .. think they will ban the use of the word "cracker" next?

Answer 8

Parents sometimes do teach their children what words are offensive. Many times it is society and other people that show, teach, children such words as the "N" word.

Answer 9

The answer to your question is NO! No child is taught to become irrationally angered by anything. You also have to be careful how you pose your questions, because I honestly can't take you seriously when you put words like irrational in a question with serious subject matter. It makes me believe that you are irrational and trying to cause a stir. This is all the time and devotion I am going to give to your "IRRATIONAL" question and pose a proposition to you. The next time you have a question, if you are serious, post it without the cynicism.

Answer 10

I believe that we as black people should be offended by this. They created this word to mean many things such as dead, death, and black. Then again I feel like we should just ignore it. I have mixed feelings about this word.

Answer 11

At my son's daycare a little boy taught him that his skin color was "peach", and this came from a colored boy who called himself "brown".
I think this is something they learn as they grow up- one generation of kids passes it to the next generation. Kids have more influence over other kids than parents do.
But I do think that the word is used more by colored people than any others.