re: For all of you over the age of 35

The issue really boils down to the "context" argument. The kids in this thread(whether a kid by age or by maturity level) argue that the term is fine and dandy if used in a non-disparaging context. They say it is fine for a white person to say it if the context is not racist. We know that is a pipe dream and does not hold true on the public stage regardless of how endearingly it was intended. Perhaps in a locker room or on the street but NEVER in a public situation like a press conference or an interview type situation. A white person cannot use that term under any public circumstance regardless of context without being burned at the Social Justice of Political Correctness Altar.

If you think otherwise then you are just demonstrating youthful naïveté or a lack of real world experience. Who determines what the context was? Of course....it is easy pickings in many cases so that no elaborate determination is required. Some white man that says "I really hate n****s" really leaves no room for interpretation. But if a white man says "my n***a really balled out tonight" in a public statement ( press conference, Twitter, FB, etc) would fall under the wrath of every SJW and PC maniac who became aware of the incident. Small time exposure for some average person....just being lambasted about his/her racial insensitivity on his small social network. But enormous National exposure if he/she was a celebrity, athlete or CEO of a major corporation.

So...who gets to arbitrate the intended context from the white person when it is not apparent that it was intended to be hateful or obviously racist? Those with an agenda....that's who. They would frame it however they want to further an agenda....regardless of context. It is a double standard that needs to end. The word is filtered out of just about every social forum because it carries a very negative connotation. I am very sorry if some of the kids on here cannot go a day without using the term but it seems like it would be an easy habit to quit. Maybe instead of arguing for their right to use a racial slur in their daily repertoire of the English language in a "good intention" type of way.....they could exert some energy into putting an end to the word usage in their generation. Leadership is cool too even if your peers don't readily acknowledge it.

Never thought I would see the day when the older generation is arguing for the restriction of the slur while the young generation is arguing for their right to use it with "good context."