Word of the Day - by C-Luv

Controversial - marked by or capable of arousing controversy.

Alright brothas and sistas, its time for some adult conversation. I’m fairly certain that if I conducted a poll, most of us would agree that the ‘N word’ is extremely controversial. Some folk despise the word; others use the term very loosely. Since the word has such a powerful impact, particularly on the African American race, I felt it was worth addressing. A comedian once argued the point that when used craftily, the ‘N word’ can add humor, emphasis, and/or insult to a given comment.

Here is a supporting example of two very similar statements using a different choice of words...

1) "Man, those jokers sure know how to ruin a good time..."

2) "Man, every time black people are having a nice time, ignorant Ni&&ers phukk it up..."

The comedian actually has a pretty valid argument, right? Even though the latter comment was emphatic and somewhat insulting, it was still slightly humorous. Crazy right? No, that's Bull-crap. It is only a word, people.

The concise arrangement of these six letters together may very well comprise one of the most controversial words in the English dictionary. The word Ni&&er can often be as offensive to non-blacks as it is to some Blacks. Conversely, the ‘N word’ has been embraced by many blacks. At the end of the day, it's just six little letters. If we separated the letters we'd end up with an I, an E, two Gs, an N, and an R. Sounds pretty innocent to me. Whether you agree or disagree with the usage of the word is completely your prerogative. What's important to remember is that if we did not empower these six otherwise innocent letters, the word would have a far less controversial stigma.

It's only a word, brothas and sistahs... regardless if you decided to remove it from your vocabulary completely or use it at your own discretion. Today, I encourage you to empower objects of substance such as yourself, your community, and your family. Let's take back the authority that we’ve given to mere words. Remember, sticks and stones may break my bones, but names are merely the combination of otherwise innocent letters. Be blessed.

Corey R.