# Is it possible for a white person to use the n-word and not be a racist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 19, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-for-a-white-person-to-use-the-n-word-and-not-be-a-racist/578919 "2011-04-19T02:31:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-for-a-white-person-to-use-the-n-word-and-not-be-a-racist/578919/201 "2013-06-14T15:28:53Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I don’t know what benefit you are seeing in turning this into a racial issue. Most animals, lizards, fish, primates etc. make themselves look larger and will often make noise to frighten and aggressor. It is a very primal thing and still effective. Obviously not 100% effective but we need to know how to pick our battles. > > ``` > Was this thread a contest to see who could come up with the most PC answer? > > ``` People are just surprised that someone actually thinks shouting a racial slur would make a tense situation _better_. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-for-a-white-person-to-use-the-n-word-and-not-be-a-racist/578919/202 "2013-06-14T15:34:41Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I don’t know what benefit you are seeing in turning this into a racial issue. Most animals, lizards, fish, primates etc. make themselves look larger and will often make noise to frighten and aggressor. It is a very primal thing and still effective. Obviously not 100% effective but we need to know how to pick our battles. I’m fairly certain that lizards do not frighten away other lizards by calling them _niggers._ ---
**Author:** ![randomface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@randomface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomface)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-for-a-white-person-to-use-the-n-word-and-not-be-a-racist/578919/203 "2013-06-14T19:31:37Z")
You would be surprised. The lizards that live in the brickpile by my house say some of the most awful things. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-for-a-white-person-to-use-the-n-word-and-not-be-a-racist/578919/204 "2013-06-16T12:17:20Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Good idea to respond to a threat with a counter threat. Remember, a blackman can smell fear. Stand up taller, spread your arms and yell. This will effectively call his bluff **(most of the threatening manners of a blackman are simply posturing)** and establish you as the alpha dominant in the encounter. [QUOTE=Eddie Murphy] Black people from New York have this trick we use on white people. [/QUOTE] Damn you, Eddie! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-for-a-white-person-to-use-the-n-word-and-not-be-a-racist/578919/205 "2013-06-17T15:19:09Z")
I posted in this thread a couple of times back when the thread was fresh and new, and now that it’s back I just wanted to remind everything of what happened with the OP: the black man left the guild. The guild remained lily-white. That’s what happens _all the time_. We (and I am not black, but I am definitely not white) look at some all-white organization, and we think, “hey, look, they are friendly and open, I want to get me some of that,” and then we get in and if they are racist, even in language, we don’t feel comfortable enough to stay. This then gets us to thinking that a lot of whites WANT their guilds/organizations/clubs to remain lily-white. And probably a lot of them do, but I just don’t believe it of all of them. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-for-a-white-person-to-use-the-n-word-and-not-be-a-racist/578919/206 "2013-06-17T17:29:20Z")
For the record, I’m no longer in that guild 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-for-a-white-person-to-use-the-n-word-and-not-be-a-racist/578919/207 "2013-06-17T17:47:16Z")
I hope you found a better one! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-for-a-white-person-to-use-the-n-word-and-not-be-a-racist/578919.md?page=10)