Do you think there should be a law passed to ban the "N" word?

Question

I've made my decision I just want to know what you think.
I'm just asking because the NAACP held an "N" word funeral



http://www.naacp.org/events/convention/98th/funeral/index.htm

Answer 1

If the word is very offensive to alot of people then I think it should be. But although it may be offensive it has become part of society through music film clips and movies etc, like part of the vocabulary.

Im not African American but I am Australian Aboriginal and worlds of similar context are used but when used by each other they arent as offensive then when non-aboriginal people use them.

Looking at the culture in America from over here it seems that the people use the word to hit back at those who think they can degrade those people. Like they hav accepted it to the point where that is who they are and they are proud of their heritage and how far they hav risen in society.

So even though there is a ban this word will most probably still be used bcoz it has now become associated with a whole other culture.

Thats my opinion anyways.....resor

Answer 2

If such a law was passed it would violate the 1st amendment of the constitution. And be overturned in a heart beat.

The Constitution allows racist to use the word.

Just like it allows the Nazis (another N word) to march through Skokie Ill (which at the time had a large population of Holocaust surviviers) on Hitler's birthday to celibrate his accomplishments.

Answer 3

Can't be done.

First, you have a problem of any attempt to legislate speech.
Second, you have problems trying to make a word illegal based solely on a single contextual meaning, ignoring its other uses.
Third, you have a problem even within the exceptions because you are only outlawing one word and not all words that might have similar racial or derogatory connotations, which brings you right back to problem number one.

Answer 4

I think NAACP should be given credit for trying to encourage ~everyone~ to stop using it, including black musicians and recording artists.

There's a huge difference between activating social pressure to bring about changes in a community and making things illegal. I think the former method is most appropriate for this situation and I'm glad to see it beginning.

Answer 5

you can't really put a law agienst words, we live in the US, freedom of speech remeber? and even if you do put a law whos going to follow it, laws are made to be broken, you're not suppose to kill someone but it happens everyday better yet every hour? Sure the N word is bad but its just as bad as the F word, you could go up to the president and say "F you" they cant do anything at all.

Answer 6

No. Unacceptable and malicious as the word can be, it is a
word that exists. Where do you stop word censorship. You
want police reading a dictionary all day? I don't believe a
racist who stops using the word will all of a sudden stop being a racist. Be proud of what you are and ignore malicious words. Your positive example will prevail over their attempt to make you feel bad about yourself.

Answer 7

Although I dont use this word, I am strongly against censhorship. Freedom of speech is the first amnedment and it is the most basic and crucial freedom.

It's funny though because black people call each other that n-word all the time.

Answer 8

Freedom of speech is one of the basic rights in our country. You cannot ban one word. That would open the gate to ban anything someone says.

Answer 9

No. Social pressure has removed it already in what is called "polite society". Nothing would remove it from the vocabularies of bigots anyway, or of rap either for that matter.

Answer 10

No, I think that such a law would violate one of our basic rights in the united states, that is the right to freedom of speech.