The "N" Word

Hello folks



I grew up in the 60's and 70' on the edge of what used to be know as a slum. The polite term then was "The Inner City". My neighborhood was made up of working folks of all races creeds and colors. We had our gays, our loose women and our welfare families.



My fmaily had moved into the area in 1960 when I was 6 years old. My dad had had a business in the area before that. While not in the upper crust of the community, we had "respect". Respect in those days was earned. It was how you treated people that counted. As early as I can remember, the one word that was off limits, was the N word.



I make no claims to perfection. There is only one person who was ever that way and he died on the cross. Still, I did try to do what my parents wished. I chose my friends carefully. It wa a pretty mixed gang, most of us were in Boy Scouts together and had other interests we shared.

Hanging together were some catholics, some protestants and even a lutheran family. My neighbor from across the street was darker than most of us. His family came from The Azores and was of Portugese decent. I met my first black family when i was eight years old. they were just like us, working folks. they went to church and like most others , we never treated them with anything other than respect. I might have used the N word once and got a beating for it.

My father then explained to me the evils of racism and how using that word would cause my family to loose the respect that he had worked so hard to earn.

From that background, I come into today. I am a middle aged white male. As part of my job, I spend a good bit of time in the inner city. Having been in this area and in this field for several years, I know that I have many customers who watch for me. I have earned the respect of people I work for and with.

What I do not understand is how certain groups of people use that word without a thought. I hear young people of many races refer to each other using the word, the word that would hav earned me scorn by my peers and a beating by my parents. I wonder if they realize the meaning of the word. I wonder if they realize that by using that word they are beating themselves up in a society that seems to have little use for them to begin with. I wonder where the pride is, where the self respect is? I for one do not see it. Until you respect yourself, no one else will respect you.

At the same time I wonder, why does so much of today's popular music glorify the inner city lifestyle? When growing up, tyhe inner city was a place to grow up and leave. Leave I did, for another city. My home today is still in a working class area. My neighbors today are a diverse lot. Will I choose to leave the area? I think not. We are safe and happy here. We have respect. In the end, that is what matters today.