Just a question?

Question

Why is it NOT o.k. for a white person to call a black person a Ni**er but its o.k. for a black person to call a white person a Cracker? It's jsut a question no need for name calling and prejudice remarks. I'm NOT Racist!

Answer 1

its such a double standard and i'm sick of it...i think both words shouldn't be acceptable.

Answer 2

First it is never okay to hurt someone else or stoop to namecalling, especially racism.

Having said that there is a difference. I will use the terms you use, White and Black. When a White person commits a racially insensitve act it has more power behind it. There are two reasons for this:
1) Because people of color have faced histories of oppression that are very brutal. So, when someone calls them a racist name they can experience something very deep and painful. There is something similiar to PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) (what war veterans experience) that can occur for people of color when something like this happens. This isn't necessarily true in reverse. White people haven't experienced such oppression so while it still hurts to be called a racist name it may not effect them as deeply.
2. White people have more power in this country. So, when they are racist they have more power to cause change. Think about it, nearly all the positions of power in this country are held by White people. This means that racism by Whites holds more weight and has a much bigger and broader impact on the world because they have the power. When a Black person is racist towards a White person it hurts them individually but generally doesn't have a bigger impact than that. This is called hegemony.

I hope this helps and answers your question.

P.S. please note I spoke in general terms using words such as can and may, i cannot speak for everyone.

Answer 3

Ni**er is waaay different than cracker. The history and meaning are different for the two. Don't just go there.

There are other appropriate names to call African-Americans. Some are just o.k. with Black, because not all our Dark Chocolate brothers and sisters are from Africa.

Answer 4

There is a lot of history behind "Ni**er" which has always been used to insult and belittle the person it was said to. I don't call white people "cracker" IT means nothing.

Answer 5

The history behind the names involved. While both are racist names one involves whites enslaving blacks and just about everything else that can be done to a person. Cracker on the other hand is just a racist name given to us white folk by blacks.

Answer 6

The word cracker is just a way to rebel against the word ******. But, to answer your question, the reason why is because the word ****** is much worse then the word cracker. I had to do a couple of projects on slavery. And ****** or ***** was put on a bunch of posters and ads for the selling of a slave. So, of coarse the word is much worse.

Answer 7

It's called a double standard.
But what do I know. I'm just a white male with a German, Polish, French, English, Irish background with a little American Indian for flavor. And let's add God fearing saint who is blood bought by Christ filled with the Holy Spirit and that means you could add Protestant Christian Fundamentalist Evangelical who likes scaring the hell out of people.

Answer 8

I don't care what people call me, any racial name they want, go for it. I'm not proud of being white or of English origin but I really don't care. We have several people of mixed race in the family and they are beautiful. Korean, Chinese, Mexican, and even Honkies and Micks.
If you turn it loose when called ****** and say something like,"it is interesting you noticed", or "yes, isn't that neat?".
You can kill teasing by depriving the perpetrator of what they want most, to control your emotions.
Some people just like an excuse to be emotional.

Answer 9

well its not ok for a black person to call a white guy a cracker. they are both offensive terms. that being said the "N" word is a lot more offensive because of its history being used on slaves. I don't think you can compare then equally.

Answer 10

Cracker? What make you think we use that word towards yall? (yes im from the south) Theres so many other words we use but that not one of them. lol im just kidding, but i dont think that black people really use that word. But just because black people say the N word dont mean whites or other races can say the N word. And thats because blacks took the word and redefined it for OUR use, not for other races. It just like you getting mad and calling your mother a B*tch to yourself but you wouldnt allow anyone else to call your mother that.

Answer 11

Well aji answered you already.

Mainly because you have not crossed racial lines when the name calling is done. Black to Black or White to White. It's when the name calling crosses the line it becomes an interracial issue.