I appreciate Wilbon’s honesty and I hope there isn’t a fake apology in his future. While on PTI, he defended Matt Barnes’ tweet saying he wouldn’t protect these niggas (his teammates) anymore.
Wilbon’s went on to say he says the word all the time, but white people shouldn’t use it or frame the conversation on when it should be used. He went on to compare David Stern to a plantation owner if he was to do so (Barnes was fined).
http://youtu.be/Q1VRty1DKdE
While it was refreshing to hear a non-politically correct answer, I can’t express how strongly I disagree with him.
It isn’t so much a white and black thing, but more of a hypocrisy thing. I think the word nigger is a vile, painful and hurtful word to many black people, so morally I just don’t feel right using that word in my daily interactions.
I certainly would find it hypocritical to tell white, black, Asian or any race not to say something, that I used in my daily vocabulary regardless of the context. The interesting thing to me is black people throughout history have been told what we can’t do, but other races can do, so I find it hypocritical to do the same thing to others. More than any race, we should know better. I want to be respected for who I am, I am not ashamed of being black, but I treat people how I want to be treated. I am not a Nigger, Nigga or any variations of that. My mother and grandmother raised me to just be the best person I could be and it would be disrespectful to them to use that type of language. Wilbon said the word was forced upon us, which to me is another reason why I will never say it, because to me that is taking away the power.
There are always going to be racists and ignorant people in the world, but you don’t have to be one. I agree with Wilbon white people shouldn’t be the ones who police the word Nigger, BLACK PEOPLE should. That’s the problem, not David Stern, Riley Cooper or Richie Incognito, we as the black community are allowing this and until we decide to eliminate the word there will always be others who think it is ok to say.
So, while I will never condemn anyone for their personal opinion, I think this is one of the reasons we have such a divided county. There isn’t just a divide between black and white, but a inner divide in the black community. I know the reasons why black people still use that word. They say it is taking the power away from it and maybe that was the case years ago, but is it really needed now? Is the 18 year old kid calling everyone his niggas really doing it to take power away or because that is just the environment he was raised in?
I address my friends as my friends. I address people I respect by their name. I don’t feel like I need to validated my blackness by saying “My Nigga!!”, I think it is silly. To me most people do this as a habit, just like smoking and drinking, but those aren’t good for you either.
Go read a history book and maybe you will have a different perspective.
I don’t think Wilbon should have to apologize, nor do I think he said anything wrong, but I do believe until we lose that train of thought we will always be a divided country.