You really can’t say what you want. Take, for instance, what has happened recently to Duane Chapman, aka Dog, The Bounty Hunter.
Duane was recently tape in a private conversation with his son using racial slurs, mainly the word nigger. As a result of this being made public (by his son, for a lot of money– that’s a whole different issue), A&E has pulled his show from their network.
While I don’t advocate calling someone a nigger, it’s just that, it’s a word, not an action. People say things out of anger all the time, and I am sure I have said worse.
“I hate you, I wish you would fucking die.” If I said that, does that automatically mean I am planning a murder? Should I be brought up on charges?
It is a shame that we give so much power to simple words. What ever happened to “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me“?
I understand people get offended by the word, but it’s just a word, and I don’t believe that the use of a word makes a person a racist.
By freaking out and reacting to the word, it’s just been lifted higher on a pedestal. I can say, “you are a fucking asshole“, and mean it with just as much anger, but nobody gives a shit about that.
Should Duane apologize? Yes he should, but to his son, not to his fans or the world, and then he should beat his son’s ass for making a private conversation public. Referring to someone as a nigger is not against the law, but it is bad taste. Come on… it’s 2007, and the guy wears the king mullet, what were you expecting?
– I chose to write the word, because I give it no more meaning than any other word.
