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Sitting in Memphis...I don't think Obama would have ever used any of the other words of disrespect in his speech.

First, I did overlook the fact that you used "beauty" and that you never said nigger is a term of endearment. My bad. I guess my frustration lies in the fact that there are so many things outside of our control in the Black community that the things we can work on ourselves and develop or change we don't. According to your logic the removal of the flag is a part of the process of creating a domino effect that removes the images of slavery for White America. I agree with that logic. I agree with it so much that my primary argument for Black people to stop calling each other nigger/nigga is that as small as it seems there is great power in calling a Black man brother and a Black woman sister. There are small things that can generate change that we can control. How we view ourselves and respect each other is the greatest power that we have. We can't control much else. I remember when Spike Lee's School Daze came out. There is one scene that for me validated and spoke towards how changing how we interact with each other can change things. This is very similar to John Singleton's Furious Styles character in Boyz n Da Hood who speaks about gentrification. I guess what I'm saying and what I'm sure you understand is that if removing a flag is seen as progress, how powerful would it be if we began to think more highly of ourselves and stopped limiting ourselves to being niggers/niggas. I think we should stop focusing so much on changing White America and begin delving into the small changes we can make in changing ourselves. Who knows. If we decide to call each other our names, or brothas and sistas, maybe the next step is supporting a black owned business or changing our browsing and viewing habits on the web. You're right though as small as the flag being removed is, it is progress.

I never said nigger is a term of endearment - altho it can be, as well as a term of contempt. Which is what I wrote, it is a multi-faceted word that is never misinterpreted when one black directs it at another. Obviously you understood how it was to be regarded when a black man who was holding you up called you that and he knew that his calling you that wasn't a term of endearment but a way to emphasize his seriousness. Never underestimate the endorphin effect of a moral victory; especially since the chances of Blacks winning economic victories are next to nothing. You and Troy keep pointing this out. What makes you think you are wrong????? You 2 also keep downplaying the removing the confederate flag from public places. But this can have a domino effect; that's what die-hard Southerers, themselves, are currently bitching about. They're afraid that taking down statues will be next and then changing street names. It's a process.

Cynique you are dead wrong. On the several occasions I had a gun pulled on me it was by a Black man calling me the N word. You are completely wrong. I don't use it. It's not a term of endearment in any way whatsoever. Every kid I've seen jump or beat a kid at a school I taught at called the other kid that word. I honestly don't know how you say that we control it and own it when, like the flag, no one of either race is comfortable with either of these negative words/images. I've had a second to think about this and the idea that the N word lacks a tangible representation is just that an idea or opinion that you hold. When I hear the word I have several images that pop into my head. All tangible and all representing the behavior associated with the idea of what that word means. This is why it bothers me so much that we have allowed the word to be commodified, packaged and sold to us as okay. I get that the word was taken by us and changed. I really do. However, the logic of that word ever being positive is just amazing to me no matter how anyone, you, rappers, anyone attempts to explain it, it's damaging to us and whether you agree or not, I truly think it hinders the cohesiveness of the people. How can 1 word hinder togetherness? The word weighs on us and like the flag it's not something accepted as good by all. Now nothing has to be all good or all bad, and that flag doesn't need to be flying over state capitols or used as a state flag, but banning it is a waste of time. It does nothing at all to improve the livelihood of Black people. Absolutely nothing. If this is considered a small victory then we need some bigger damn goals.