Michael Richards is not the ONLY one at fault here!
Upset that Michael Richards used the "N" word when referring to some black folks who were heckling him at his stand up comedy show last Friday night? Did it bother you that he repeatedly called the men the "N" word? What bothered you about it most? The fact that he was saying the word repeatedly in a defamatory manner, or, the fact a White man was saying it in a defamatory manner?
Seriously, what does it matter WHO said it? The fact is, it was said. It doesn't matter who said it. That is irrelevant. Black rappers say it in hundreds of songs, it doesn't bother anyone then. Why now? Why does it only bother people when a member of one race, says something bad about another race? Why doesn't it matter whn a member of the same race says it to their same race? It's a double standard. If we've decided that the word itself is a bad word, and that is apparently what we've decided, then, who says it, is irrelevant, isn't it?
I would like to see the SAME condemnation from blacks towards black rappers that blacks scream at Whites for saying the "N" word. It's a bad word, no matter who says it. Period. Black rappers need to come under the same scrutiny that Michael Richards came under. If they don't, there is a clear double standard. If they don't have respect for each other, how can they expect it from others outside of their race? Seriously.
The part of the story that the media did not report was this. These two black patrons had been heckling Richards for his whole show. I understand that hecklers do that kind of thing. Why? Well, usually cause their lives are so freakin' pathetic that they have nothing else to do, but make fun of other people. Truly the mark of a pathetic human being. Regardless of race, mind you.
Why were black men, heckling a white man however? Couldn't that have something to do with race? I mean, it's pretty clear that Richards is White and that the black me were black. Why can't it be made an argument that pehaps there was some element of race involved in their heckling of him? Certainly, if it had been a White guy heckling a Black guy, an argument for race could be made.
How about, as these Black guys were leaving, them calling Michael Richards a "Cracker"? Is that not just as wrong? They were responding in anger weren't they? Will they apologize for calling him a "Cracker"? I really doubt it. I think they should be made to apologize. What they did was just as wrong and is just as inexcuseable. Don't give me that crap about "well, Michael Richards started it." What, are we 5 years old all of a sudden? If we're actually gonna talk about who sarted it, well geez, I guess that'd be the Black guys because they started heckling Richards, didn't they?
So, before we all jump on Michael Richards, we need to do two things: First, we need to condem all people who use the "N" word, regardless of race. If a Black person says it, even if to their friends, they need to be called on the carpet for it. If a White person says it, they also need to be called on the carpet. Second, we need to look at all forms of hateful speech. If a Black person calls a White person "Cracker" that's just as bad. Knock it off. If you hate the "N" word, I have a right to hate the "C" word.
posted by nonfreak at 9:55 PM
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