The N-words, and what it means to say them

THERE SEEMS to be a problem in the black community with two not-so-simple words. One represents the hatred that we feel from others and is of historical context. The other word is one that black people themselves have made up and embraced. Those two words are "nigger" and "nigga."

The first word, "nigger," has historical implications and for generations has been used by whites to serve as a put-down or to denigrate the person of color that they were using it against. The other word, "nigga," is some variation of that horrible word, and this new word is used to perpetuate friendship and is embraced by blacks themselves as some warped term of endearment.

The word "nigga" is used in professional athletes' locker rooms to denote a teammate; it is used on street corners across America: "Hey, it's jigger my nigga!" And we act like as long as we say it, it is OK, but let a white person say it and we are ready to jump out of our skins. It is almost like black-on-black crime: As long as we are killing each other it appears to be OK, but let a black person be killed by a white person and we are ready to march and protest.

This word, "nigga," is perpetuated by our popular culture and by the so-called gangsta rappers community with their so-called street cred. People like Jay Z say that they have no problem using the word "nigga," but that is the problem - because that variation of the word is still used as a weapon by these gangsta rappers who are nothing more than paid stooges. They are used by the white capitalistic establishment as a form of oppression and control within the black community. These gangsta rappers continue to perpetuate a negative image of black people, as well as of women ("bitches" and "whores") for their own economic gain.

So, while we should be upset at Riley Cooper for using that racial slur, we should also be upset with our own culture for embracing any variation of that terrible word. For me, whether it is "nigger" or "nigga," they both have to go!

Robert L. Glover Jr.

Philadelphia