DON’T BE NIGGARDLY WITH LANGUAGE

June 24, 2015 | « back

By: Ted Nugent

Welcome to the Honest Society, be it ever so briefly, Mr. President. If I may quote the controversial one on Marc Moran’s “WTF” podcast recently:

“Racism, we are not cured of it. And it’s not just a matter of it not being polite to say nigger in public.”

Well, there you have it. The Honest Society is a rather large and growing club, clan if you will, that is not afraid of speaking honestly without fear of politically correct word nazi’s going berserk.

Along with President Obama and my hero Richard Pryor, we join Howard Stern, Johnny Cochran, Mark Furman, O.J. Simpson, Kid Rock, James Brown, the mighty Funkbrothers, Al not so Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, Malcom X, Kanye West, Fifty Cent and pretty much every black rapper and hip hopper on earth, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, a few thousand NBA, NFL, MLB sports stars, legions of famous and not so famous musicians, actors, politicians, media personalities and assorted celebrities of every color, creed, ethnicity and walk of life, along with a few million others around the world who have used and continue to use the word nigger at one time or another.

The dishonest referencing of the word by its first letter is the epitome of political correctness gone mad.

For those who have chosen terminal denial and have completely lost touch with the real world, the word nigger has historically been used in a powerfully positive way when describing the proud heritage and history of deeply respected, even revered “blackness.”

For my entire life, whenever I performed my most soulful and emotional guitar playing, I received the greatest compliment a musician could ever dream of when the word was used to describe my Motown touch.

The word is used constantly across America in a friendly, even tribal greeting and salutation with no hint whatsoever of negativity nor hostility.

It is foolish and dishonest to discuss a given word, or language overall for that matter, by not saying the word and sheepishly referencing it by a letter.

Does anyone truly believe the title “WTF” of Mark Maron’s podcast doesn’t stand for vulgar street slang? Does the swapping of the universal F-word colloquialism with the term “freakin’” really absolve one from vulgar language?

Like the ever resonate “MF” word, it can be used in every imaginable way possible. There is a difference when someone assaults you with a knife, demanding “Turn over your wallet MF’r!” and the ultimate compliment given to anyone performing to the absolute best of their ability when praised as a “stone cold MF’r!”

Anybody not get that? Anybody not aware of that? Anybody so insulated, ignorant and disconnected to claim otherwise?

Semantics is one thing. Context something else altogether.

For our society to dare claim that any and every use of the word nigger is hateful and wrong is just plain dishonest, foolish, denies the truth and only hurts those we wish to protect the most.

As blacks blow away blacks in record numbers in Chicago and other urban hellzones each weekend, does anyone have the audacity to believe that words play any role in this insane widespread criminality?

Who thinks if certain words could be eliminated that any lives would be saved?

What sort of politically correct zombie could actually believe that the elimination of a word or a flag would reduce the evil of racism?

What sort of goofball could possibly believe that certain words are OK for one group of people but forbidden by others?

That, by the way, is the definition of racism.

When discussing hate and criminally evil behavior, could it possibly matter what words are uttered or symbols are displayed when an innocent life hangs in the balance?

The president’s use of the word as stated was honest and useful. His statement, this time, should be respected and learned from.

Everybody knows that Richard Pryor’s use of the word in his award winning-comedy recordings and routines and in his “Blazing Saddles” movie was honest, harmless and clearly funny beyond belief. The iconic artist was rightly honored with the Mark Twain Award at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, all knowing how he used the word nigger in a non-threatening, non-racist way throughout his personal and professional life.

Until we as a people break free from the shackles of political correctness and honestly admit that words and context have meaning, we will continue to focus on nonsensical symbolism instead of meaningful upgrade.

I for one would rather save lives, not worry about hurt feelings.