Should I have been fired for saying *******?

Question

There is an older black gentleman that I am friends with at work. When we have an opportunity we tend to discuss politics and racisim. One day during one of our conversations on racism, and while we were heading to clock out and leave, I mentioned an event that occured at Texaco's corporate headquarters years ago. Many blacks and hispanics were being passed on promotion by lesser qualified whites at the company. One day, a senior executive recorded a board meeting in which racial slurs were being used. I then gave my friend an example of the garbage that was being said. I told him they were saying crap such as, "We can't promote them ********." Someone overheard this and complained and I was fired. My black friend wasn't offended because of the context of the word. I wasn't saying something hateful to a person; we were just having a conversation about racism. This country will never move forward and progress if we don't talk about these things....by the way I'm white.

Answer 1

just saying " the N. word " would have been more appropriate.

Answer 2

I guess that is a perfect example of where others should stay out of personal conversations, but better yet if you are about to use a term like that, even in a resaurant, either pull them in an say it low. Or say, the "n" word. Now that the damage has been done, you may call and request a meeting with a manager from human resourses or whoever is resopnsibe for hiring and firing and ask if your friend may attend to support your story. In most states, employers are at will. Meaning they really don't need a reason to keep or let someone go. But if the employer is worth keeping on your end tell them the misunderstanding and see if they will reconsider given the circumstances. Good Luck!

Answer 3

If the events are as you describe then no, they have shot the messenger.
In my Garden I have a plant called ****** grass (notice how the word is censored by Yahoo) Do I now refer to it as N-word grass.
The next time a person of African extraction uses the term white trash or honky will they be penalized.
How about the derogatory terms for most other races and countries. Do i now get my butt kicked for calling a citizen of England a limey.
Respect for your fellow man is right and decent, but i think the thought police have gone too far.
Incidentally if the word is so offensive then no one should use it.....This debate is about equality right...Think about this.
At Dafour in the Congo. The ( sounds like) Jan ju weed (who are black Arabs) are ethnically cleaning those they refer to as black savages and natural slaves ( Africans).
So black on black racism is a reality, the N-word can be used as an inter black racial slur. I want to see black people penalized for using it, the law must apply to all..

Answer 4

This topic has been in the news a lot lately. I do not use the word because it is personally offensive to people, and I do not like to hurt people and I do think it is like many other words that should not be said in the workplace, it is offensive speech. It is too bad you got fired, you should have had the opportunity to explain. But many places would also fire you for dropping F-bombs also.

That being said however I think that the reaction to the word by just about everybody is overeacting. If you have seen the Real World recently one of the black roomates became enraged for no justifiable reason at the white roomate. That is how it started in the midst of them verbally fighting the white roomate said the n-word and then it was totally forgotten about who started the fight. That word needs to be brought down to just a not nice word and not a word that justifies anger and hostility. Why have the both the black and white communities allowed this word to become a reason to hate and be violent.

Sticks and stones. It is still just a word.

Answer 5

FIRED,,, for what, get a lawyer and sue, It's getting to where you can't say anything anymore without being worried about being overheard, black people never seem to have a problem calling us honkies or crackers, show me one black man who's ever been fired for using the slang white cracker, how many more times does Michael Richards have to apologize for what he did, OK so he went alittle off the deep end, he didn't kill anybody, besides weren't those guys the ones that were heckling him during his performance, they should have been thrown out of the club, and you should not have lost your job, sometimes you just can't be really open with people.

Answer 6

Absolutely not. Who cares anymore, more than half the white people in this damn country including myself have relatives of european decent such as Italy, Ireland, Germany, We never had any slaves, or treated black people wrong in anyway in our entire history. The real racism that goes on is labeling white people as the "white man" and "living in the white mans world" like we are all from the south or something. People don't do there history because they don't care enough who it was exactly that treated there ancestors wrong. *** those people that fired you, I wouldnt even wanna work for that company anymore if I were you.

Answer 7

By quoting the exact words you were in effect repeating the racial epitaph which wasn't necessary. You could have made reference to it and your African American coworker would have understood the premise. This gives rise to you finding other "situations" to talk about and use the offensive word. I wish that all people would stop using it ; especially the African American youth who think it is a term of endearment when used with each other. I don't think you should have been fired but reprimanded and then if you continued then you should be fired but not if this was just a lst offense.

Answer 8

I agree that you weren't saying anything bad because you were quoting someone else's word. However, you should be judicious about what you say in a work setting for just this reason -- people may take things out of context. Ask for your job back, but next time you're telling a story, say "n-word" instead of the real thing.

Answer 9

Check your employee hand book. If you want your job back talk to the human resource department.
The conversation that you had between the two of you was fine. The clincher As long as no one around you was offended. And someone was.
Does your company have 0 tolerance.
Should you have been fired probably not.
Reprimanded yes. written warning yes
Does your company have 0 tolerance.

Answer 10

Obviously NOT. But unless they gave you a nice severance package, I would be talking to a lawyer. The mere use of the word "not directly derogatory toward" is not a reason for dismissal.

Mirriam - Webster Dictionary has 3 definitions:
noun (n) dirivitive of common term '*****'
1 usually offensive; a black person
2 usually offensive; a member of any dark-skinned race
3 a member of a socially disadvantaged class of persons

Should Webster be canned for including the word in their dictionary?

Webster also defines "Honky"
noun (n)
1. usually offensive; a white person

Wonder if anyone ever got fired for using that word?

Now don't get me wrong. I don't approve of the word, and never use it. But I am amazed at the double standard.

Answer 11

You should have been given a chance to explain the context of the conversation - you wern't just calling somebody a n****r, you were talking about a discrimination case at Texaco where the CEO was going around calling people n****rs. Did you ever get to make your case to your boss before they fired you?