Wow. We are all getting SO banned over this. Me included becuase your all SO right.
So your telling me one group of people can say a word to each other thousands of times per day, but I cant say it becuase im white?? sounds like racism to me. Its excluding a group because of their race.
And truly...if people didnt react in such an adverse and elaborate manner, would the word not loose its power altogether??? The REACTION is were the true power of the word lies. Give it no reaction, and its power is gone. People who say that word do it to offend, because they KNOW they wil get some huge reaction out of it. People need to get over it. Its fucking 2008. If the word was met with general apathy, its power would go away.
In biblical jerusalem, referring to someone as a "fool" was THE dirtiest name you could call someone. But now that the word is met with apathy, no one is particularly offended by it, and it isnt used to knife into peoples emotions anymore. same thing could happen in any word. Its "heel" tactics, in the real world. When a heel receives no reaction, he loses his power, and is forced to do something different, or go away altogether. Same thing.