Why don't we call 'em nigger for short....

"Nigger. I've confronted her countless times. I've stared that bitch straight in the eye and lived to tell about it. She's been a part of my family as far back as I can remember. I was introduced to her at a very young age and she changed me, but I still can't stand the bitch. In my family, she's the mistress masquerading as a distant cousin. Everyone knows she exists, but no one wants to give credibility to her position in our house. Nigger gave me a distorted view of my own culture. I discovered how slave owners and white supremacists used her as their personal whore to degrade an entire race of people. Having the true nature of Nigger exposed, I realized the ignorant way Black people were viewed in America, how my peers saw me as a person and ultimately, how I viewed myself. Because of this, we've fought many battles. Unfortunately, it's hard to imagine family life without her."

That was my introduction to a college essay that explained how I came to know the meaning of the word nigger. When I was in high school, a fellow writer of the school newspaper was afraid to say "nigger". Ok, he was white so maybe he had good reason to avoid saying anything that even reminded people of the word (hence the Washington official who was fired for using the word niggardly)

What offended me was the fact that he thought I should be offended. Why should I take offense to word that doesn't define me? If I overheard someone say "redneck" I wouldn't get upset and say to them, "Excuse me, but are you referring to me?"

I haven't been called a nigger...lately...to my face.