Blog #5 (N-Word)

"The best way to get rid of a problem is to hold it up to the bright light and look at all sides, and that's what Kennedy does in this book." I agree with this statement made by Andy Rooney for a number of reasons. First, to solve a problem one must know where the problem comes from. Let's take school as an example. If students come into an advanced math class not knowing how to multiply, the teacher can't just say "It's OK, I will teach you how to multiply this year." That is simply not possible with the amount of material needed to be taught. The school must investigate why the kids can't multiply in order to try to fix it. If they don't find the root of the problem, every year more and more kids will come into class not knowing how to multiply, and every year the teacher will have to teach it. In short, to solve a problem we must investigate the root. In his book, Randall Kennedy attempts to do just that. He investigates the root of the problem. He asks on the first page, "Why does nigger generate such powerful emotions?" He goes on throughout his novel to seek and answer to his question. His concepts range from interracial usage to pure racism. He also identifies the numerous connotations and denotations of the 6 letter word. To blacks it can mean "buddy" or "bad" (in good connotation), or also "thief" or "pure." While if used by a white, blacks mainly see the word with an extreme negative meaning. It's a double sided argument, stemming from the race of the man who uses the word.

For the word nigger there will probably never be an answer. We may never know why it holds some of the public in fear, and how 6 letters can pull intense emotions from the listener.
In "Boston Public" one of the boys said he doesn't know why the word has so much power, and it doesn't matter. Another girl said "that's just the way it is." I believe that we can't let ourselves fall into the "that's just the way it is" attitude. Like Socrates, we must question and seek some sort of answer. We must at least enlighten ourselves to the word nigger.

The website www.abolishthenword.com has a mission to educate the public about the word, and stop it's usage. Like the book Nigger, the website has information on the word and the fear behind it. Believing the history is what causes the turmoil, the website challenges the public to stop it's usage by buying only radio versions of songs, teach the history, and ultimately stop fighting over the word and "Debate & Educate!" Like the book, the website gives the reader history on the word and asks questions to educate the reader.