Bill Maher spent much of his last show with a schooling from Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Ice Cube, and Symone Sanders for using the N-Word, in his last show. Unfortunately, I think all three advising Bill Maher were wrong. Here is why.
It isn’t the N-Word that’s the problem
Until we stop allowing the N-Word to control our emotions or stop it from paralyzing our every move, nothing will change. Soon after the reaction to Maher’s use of the N-Word, I wrote the article titled “Bill Maher and others using the N-Word does not bother me, reality does” and received a lot of feedback.
Many will be upset with my take. But I think it is now time that we stop being held hostage by those who use the N-Word whoever they are or held hostage itself by the word. I am a black man. I am not a nigg$r. I am an intelligent person. I am not a fool. I do not acknowledge anyone who may think they are referring to me with words for which I do not classify myself as. Therefore, I simply disregard those utterances as just warm air vibrations. If we taught more people that concept, we could then get upset and do something about issues that matter instead of spending time on issues that stimulate passion but have little value to our personal economies or well-being.
Here is something to ponder. Rappers’ music is repleted with the N-Word. Most of the buyers of rap music are white. Can all purchasers rap along with the music they buy?
I am no longer interested in the arguments in who can and cannot use the N-Word or for that matter other offensive words. The only intellectually honest position in my humble opinion is that everyone can or no one can use these words. But again, since one should learn not to make the words from others define or identify them, it should not matter all that much.
Hearing the N-Word either directed at me or in general has little effect on me. However, the color of my skin does. I am more concerned with fixing those problems. The two examples that I speak about in the video in this post, a technology-exchange-gone-bad and an ongoing business deal on the brink, did not require the use of the N-Word but it is the real type of problems that afflict blacks and other people of color. Less than optimal treatment in an emergency room, police maltreatment, harsher sentencing, overpricing loans, insurances, etc. and many other social and economic ills are rarely inflicted with the use of the N-Word.
We must use the energy wasted on trying to educate others about who has the right to use any particular word to solve real solutions. I was extremely frustrated watching Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Ice Cube, and Symone Sanders for over-analyzing the use of the N-Word. These are very smart people who by now should realize that while part of their argument is correct, some are intellectually dishonest. Worse, some of their arguments portray black people as so weak that a word that was spoken by a white person, the vibration of warm, humid air still has an adverse effect on them.
Watch the entire radio show I did on the subject here.