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Topic : 09/12 The N-Word Debate

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Created on : Thursday, September 04, 2008, 12:16:52 pm
Author : DrPhilBoard1
This two-syllable expression is arguably the most divisive word in society. Dr. Phil tackles this touchy topic with help from a panel of outspoken luminaries: civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton; legendary comedian and writer Paul Mooney; CSI actor and author Hill Harper; comedian Sheryl Underwood and conservative radio talk show host Michael Graham. First, is there a double standard that allows African-Americans to use this sensitive word, while non-blacks are forbidden? The debate heats up when Rachel, a white guest, says she calls her husband the N-word all the time. Then, should hip-hop artists be censored or fined for using the N-word in their songs? Becky says rappers promote negative stereotypes with their lyrics, but find out who Rev. Al Sharpton thinks should face the music. Plus, does tone or intent make a difference when using the N-word? See what Dr. Phil thinks and share your thoughts here.

Find out what happened on the show.

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September 15, 2008, 9:13 am PDT

IM THE ONE MOONEY YELLED AT ON THE SHOW

Quote From: charm9985

I am a young African-American female and most may say that I am too young to understand the debate about the "n-word"..and I accept their opinions and criticisms. But people like Paul Mooney make the world a much difficult place to live in and are the reason we as a black people are classified today. He was out of line and incorrect in all aspects of the word. I for one am very greatful for Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and a lot more mentionable civil rights leaders and promoters, but I think that America has changed...in some ways for the better...in some ways for the worst...but it has changed. The people have changed. The people who did come to America as slaves are no longer with us..and if there is someone with us, then I understand his/her anger. But for someone as Paul Mooney, to have the nerve to say what he did to an audience member, he is the reason why black people are stereotypicalized today. As far as the "N-word" goes, I am a young person so I hear it in rap all the time. A word never bothers me..a word only has power if you give it power. We young people today, or at least my type of young people, could care less what anyone's personal beliefs are..as long as you know who you are and what you are about..you can think or call me whatever you like...I know the truth and I live.

 My name is Rachel. I was brought to the show to debate Mr. Mooney. I have to tell you that you are a smart young man and I am so glad you are our future. Please don't ever ever let anyone make you feel different. You will be the reason racism between whites and blacks gets better. Your attitude is great. It is the attitude I wish your elders carried but they don't so its up to you to make the difference. Thanks so much!

 
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September 15, 2008, 9:16 am PDT

09/12 The N-Word Debate

Quote From: cornell74

Trust me no matter what you say, someone on this message board will find fault in it. Do yourself a favor as I have, don't bother getting angry or upset its not worth it. You can't rationalize will irrational people. People love to argue and if you speak from your heart you will always have someone who wants to sound intelligent and make you look bad. Don't bother.
It's not that blacks call themselves African-American. That is a phrase crafted by the government in an attempt to be politically correct in sensitivity to the formerly used "colored." I'm black and I'm just plain American. I've lived abroad most of my life and in other countries the blacks or asians there didn't say I'm black-English or Asian-German....they said said they're English or German. "African American" is just a divisive term that had good intentions when it began but still does nothing more than separate people from just being considered American.
 
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September 15, 2008, 9:21 am PDT

09/12 The N-Word Debate

Quote From: anabela70

OMG This post is so full of crap and ignorance it is even amusing. LOL  being forced into slavery, having your religious and spiritual culture taken away from you by FORCE, your men beaten down and murdered, your children separated from you ... IS THAT THE BEST THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE?

I would advise you to do some research before making such a FOOL out yourself with this fictional statistics. Then again, I am always up for a good laugh, so keep up with the good job you're doing. That was fun, thanks!  ROFLOL

Thank you so much for saying so, you couldn't be more right. Thank you for handling this type of ingorance with grace and humour. I'd also like to thank you for not giving it a worthy response as if it were even worth arguing about. Kudos.

 
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September 15, 2008, 9:38 am PDT

Im Rachel from the show

Quote From: jaleesha88

Hello, My name is JaLeesha, I saw you on the show and honestly I was infuriated with you. Now that I have read some of your comments and I see why you were the way you are. You feel that you can used the word because of your great grandfather. Honestly my dear, what you fail to realize appearance says everything. On the outside looking in, you look white, but honestly you are biracial, but to the average person you look white. For me I am often judge by my outward appearance. I work at a drive thru at a fast food restuarant, I am often judge and told I can't count and comments are made. But beyond my surface people don't know that I ama junior in college with an associate Degree pursuing a bachelor and masters in education. I feel the word has power only if you give it, but its a comfort issue to hear the word coming from someone who is not of my ethinicity.  But its first amendment and your choice, but the next time you think of something to say, if you get a feeling "I should say it," then its best to just keep your comments to yourself.

I would like to personally apologize to anyone I offended by what I said on the show. I guess I should have kept my honesty to myself. Dr. Phil told us we were going to be on stage debating on the show. At the last minute we were told we were going to be in the audience. It was to my understanding I was going to be given more time to explain my feelings but I was not. I had hoped by flying over 2000 miles I could use my honesty and my history in an effort to explain that saying the word may be wrong, yes but does not make you a racist. I love people of all colors and I am truly sorry I couldn't have more time to make myself clearer.
 
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September 15, 2008, 9:48 am PDT

Nword show

Dr.Phil  I am a loyal viewer of your and was very disturbed by your viewing of this show.  While you stood to the side and let some very militant blacks run rampant on your stage.  To view something this racially one sided at this time I find strangely unfortunate and I wonder about your reason.  Was there an attempt to make whites afraid of blacks.  If not than you failed because that is exactly what  you did.  You could have found reasonable blacks and whites to discuss this but instead you aired extreme militants.  This close to a historic election I wonder about your motives.  Your credibility took a direct hit with this one.  Remove me from your list I am no longer a viewer.

  

 
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September 15, 2008, 9:56 am PDT

09/12 The N-Word Debate

Quote From: anabela70

OMG This post is so full of crap and ignorance it is even amusing. LOL  being forced into slavery, having your religious and spiritual culture taken away from you by FORCE, your men beaten down and murdered, your children separated from you ... IS THAT THE BEST THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE?

I would advise you to do some research before making such a FOOL out yourself with this fictional statistics. Then again, I am always up for a good laugh, so keep up with the good job you're doing. That was fun, thanks!  ROFLOL

ditto ROFLOL, and i like to add, another  SMALL factor of slavery...rape...i know its shameful and is probably--for that reason--left out of most folks' take on slavery, but , hey it happened...over and over and over definitely not enough time to "let it go" as some folk put it.

 

but...anyhoo..that post was funny...lol "best thing that could ever happen to anyone"...lol

 
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September 15, 2008, 10:10 am PDT

WE NEVER TOOK ANY BLACKS FROM THERE HOMELAND!!

Come on,All I'm hearing is poor us,"YOU WHITES took us from our home,and sold or kept us as slaves">Well guess what<I have never known a slave or anyone who has ever owned one>do you?Don't both these children look equally human?I hear a whole lot of racism towards us on these boards.I have never called any man,women,or child of any race a N***** and never will.And you don't hear us crying about the many white people(children included)that where in-slaved long before blacks ever where.No I blame the people that did it.Not there future generations.Take a look at the facts.

Whites were auctioned on the block with children sold and separated from their parents and wives sold and separated from their husbands. Free Black property owners strutted the streets of northern and southern American cities while White slaves were worked to death in the sugar mills of Barbados and Jamaica and the plantations of Virginia.

The Establishment has created the misnomer of “indentured servitude” to explain away and minimize the fact of White slavery. But bound Whites in early America called themselves slaves. Nine-tenths of the White slavery in America was conducted without indentures of any kind but according to the so-called “custom of the country,” as it was known, which was lifetime slavery administered by the White slave merchants themselves.

In George Sandy's laws for Virginia, Whites were enslaved “forever.” The service of Whites bound to Berkeley’s Hundred was deemed “perpetual.”

I challenge any researcher to study 17th century colonial America, sifting the documents, the jargon and the statutes on both sides of the Atlantic and one will discover that White slavery was a far more extensive operation than Black enslavement. It is when we come to the 18th century that one begins to encounter more “servitude” on the basis of a contract of indenture. But even in that period there was kidnapping of Anglo-Saxons into slavery as well as convict slavery.

[…]

Before British slavers traveled to Africa’s western coast to buy Black slaves from African chieftains, they sold their own White working class kindred (”the surplus poor” as they were known) from the streets and towns of England, into slavery. Tens of thousands of these White slaves were kidnapped children. In fact the very origin of the word kidnapped is kid-nabbed, the stealing of White children for enslavement.

   Do we not have one common goal,PEACE.Don't we want our children not have hate in there hearts?Like one Great man once said"Can't We All Just Get Along?"

 
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September 15, 2008, 10:48 am PDT

09/12 The N-Word Debate

Quote From: lazinda

Dr.Phil  I am a loyal viewer of your and was very disturbed by your viewing of this show.  While you stood to the side and let some very militant blacks run rampant on your stage.  To view something this racially one sided at this time I find strangely unfortunate and I wonder about your reason.  Was there an attempt to make whites afraid of blacks.  If not than you failed because that is exactly what  you did.  You could have found reasonable blacks and whites to discuss this but instead you aired extreme militants.  This close to a historic election I wonder about your motives.  Your credibility took a direct hit with this one.  Remove me from your list I am no longer a viewer.

  

This was my thought exactly, i will no longer be a viewer if he doesnt make matters to CORRECT what took place friday.  Thank you, I wondered if i was the only one who felt this way

 

 
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September 15, 2008, 11:34 am PDT

09/12 The N-Word Debate

Quote From: cillysue

I am 61 years ol, grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and never experienced racisim.  I wasn't taught it, I just never knew about it.  I learned about it when I married a militarty man and lived all over the place.  When I learned that a friend of mine from Florida would not get on a bus if the driver was black, it made me laugh.  I have never heard of anything so ridiculous.  Then my black neighbors told me what they had gone thorough when growing up, couldn't try on clothes they wanted to buy, etc.  I was mad.  I know my mind, and If I had been born black and lived in their area I would be dead.  Now I am a very proud and happy gramma of a black grandson and he considers himswelf black.  I try to teach him all I can about his history, try to keep him from going into the gangs (white or black or hispanic, asian).  I want him to carry himself with pride, be smart, make the right choices and tell him how it is.  He has a great sense of humor, manners, and he does not even think about "what" his friends are.  I see lots of people looking at him then looking at me and I know it is because he is so handsome, how could it possibly be anything else?

 

Children live what they learn.

I think that is a wonderful example of how we can make the world a better place. Not acknowledging what background a person is. Is that really that important? As far as the "n" word people give that "word" to much power. It is a part of histoy that won't ever go away, as much as we try.  We can not control what people say in public (remember freedom of speech) or what they say behind closed doors. We have to realize that there is ignorance in the world, and what counts is how you as a human being reacts to the ignorance. There is no solution to this debate, it will never be solved because we as a  people will not let it go. it is not fair to say slavery is over just get over it. Some people hold onto things not sure why but thats just the way life is. I guess
 
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September 15, 2008, 11:34 am PDT

The N Word Show

 This was a show that coud have been terrific - but I think the panel should have been choosen differently.  The only "white guy" on the panel didn't even to get to say anything, and I was surprised that you, Dr Phil let Paul Mooney get so out of control. I think he needs "extensive therapy" - put him in the Dr Phil house with some white, hispanic, etc people and have him work out his hatred - he really needs it!  The color of peoples' skin should not matter to anyone, no one in this life time has slaes, so why do black people keep brining it up?  They have the same opportunities that everyone else has - schools, colleges, jobs, etc.  Look around you Mr Mooney - there are a lot of black people that have made it,like yourself, and I don't hear them screaming like you did on national television.  And Ms Underwood was just as bad,  Dr Phil, take the lead, offer those two help!
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