Rush Limbaugh says he has the right to say Nigga

Rush Limbaugh wants the right to use that word.  He says since black folks use it, why can’t he.

Go ahead and use it Rush.

“What’s up my Nigga?”

How does it feel?  Liberating?  Justified?  Affirmed” 

Does it renew days with two entries – one with Black on the door and the other with White?

Do you get excited at the thought of all-white schools and work settings with only white men wearing suits and ties with a grin that declares “Nigga take your ass down the street?’

Deep breath Rush.  Does it feel good?

I could replay, “kiss my ass cracker” or  “you racist mother…shut your mouth.”

My mama taught me the lesson about sticks and stones and breaking bones.  Words can only penetrate so deep.  The real power of words comes when we give them power.

That’s what Nigger does.  It resurrects memories like the first time I saw a burning cross.  I’m reminded of the time three white kids threw me into a tree, kicked me in the side, spit on me after calling me Nigger.

I have a long history with the N-word.  It’s interesting that despite how much I’ve heard it over the years it’s a taboo for people to say Nigger.  It’s too dreadful to say.  Saying it takes people back to a time when the word brought the type of pain that felt like an ass whipping for no reason.

Nigger had power back then.

“Get out of my way Nigger,”  you hear that?

“Yessum,” followed by an obedient step to the side. You feel that?

“What you doing here Nigger,” followed by fast moving feet to avoid the bullets launched in your direction.

“You no count Nigger.”

“You dumb ass Nigger.”

“You worthless black trash Nigger,” been there.  Heard that.  Remember all of that.

The word is locked deep in that place that fights the urge to start a revolution. My ears know the sound of the words forced through the lips of racist white men and women.  I’ve heard the word enough to know the thoughts of those who use the word when I’m not in the room.

That’s why it hurts me when I hear black youth use the word.  The say it’s different because they have changed the spelling.  Nigger has grown up to become Nigga.

Translation – nigger is a man.

Limbaugh played the audio clip of Rachel Jeantel’s interview on the Piers Morgan show.  Jeantel gave key testimony during the George Zimmerman trial.

"So was there anything you wished you'd said when you were in there,” Morgan asked

 JEANTEL: Nigga.

 MORGAN: Why?

 JEANTEL: People, the whole world say it's a racist word. Mind you, around 2000, they changed it around, I think. It starts spelling "n-i-g-g-a."

 MORGAN: What does that mean to you, that way of spelling it? What does that word mean to you?

 JEANTEL: That means a male.

 MORGAN: A black male?

 JEANTEL: No, any kind of male.

 MORGAN: Black or white?

 JEANTEL: Any kind. Chinese you can say "nigga." That's my Chino, "nigga." They can say that.

 [End of CNN clip]

“This was between 9 and 10 p.m. last night on CNN, who is in a quest to become the, again, most respected news organization in the country, perhaps even in the world. So, "nigga," with an "a" on the end, well I think I can now. Isn't that the point? 'Cause it's not racist. That's the point. I could be talking about a male, a Chinese male, a guy at the Laundromat,” Limbaugh said.

Limbaugh asserts his right to use the word based on the views of Jeantel, who is only 19.  She hasn’t felt the spite of the word.  She’s unversed of the sentiment felt by those forced to respond to Nigger in a way that made them bow to the power of white privilege.

Her generation doesn’t know what Nigger conjures.  Changing the R to an A doesn’t change any of that. Nigga is still Nigger, no matter how you spell the word.

With that being said, I’m willing to grant Limbaugh and his cohorts the right to use the word.  Go ahead, tell us how you feel.  Don’t hide your racism – use the word that defines racism.

Call me Nigger.  Call me Nigga. Either version will serve the intent of its usage – the separation of the bigots from the people fighting for justice.

I must warn you Limbaugh.  Saying Nigger comes with a cost.  Black folks aren’t afraid anymore.  We’ll slap you in the mouth, kick you, spit on you and call you a cracker for calling us Nigger.

Times have changed.  Young people aren’t aware of the pain the word Nigga stirs, and people of my generation refuse to step to the side after you call us Nigger.

I call that freedom.    

I Did Not Have Sex With that Woman!

I didn’t have sex with that woman. Here we go again. John McCain and his devoted wife stood before the world and proclaimed his innocence. This is the fault of the zealous, liberal press. His record speaks for itself. That’s what he wants us to believe

It didn’t take long for Rush Limbaugh to come to McCain’s defense. No one knows like ole Rush the venom of the liberal press. When his addiction to prescription drugs was uncovered he blamed those devils who write for a living for digging into his dirty laundry.

It’s interesting how the press becomes the bad guy when conservatives get caught with their pants down. When Bill Clinton was doing his thing in the oval office the press was credited for exposing the jerk for taking special liberties with an intern. A few good leads led to the exposure of his Clinton’s secret passions: cigars, young women and hanky panky in his office.

Shame on Bill Clinton for destroying our trust in the highest office in the land. Many liberal minded would say it’s only sex, and that what happens between two consenting adults is their own business. They contend that was a matter between Bill and Hillary, and we, the meddling American public, should stay out of their bedroom. They’ll go a step further by assuming everyone does the same thing.

That’s water under the ole bridge. What McCain’s possible indiscretion exposes are the dangers that come with having all that power. The problem isn’t the sex that may have occurred between he and Vicki Iseman, a Washington lobbyist. We shouldn’t be irked that the New York Times exposed all of this eight years after John Weaver, a longtime McCain aide, met with McCain and Iseman to urge her to stay away from McCain.

People in the McCain camp felt there was a serious conflict of interest that needed to be checked. Iseman had business before the Senate Commerce Committee on which McCain served. The Times story alleges that McCain wrote letters and pushed legislation involving television station ownership that would have benefited Iseman’s clients.

It’s not the sex; it’s the appearance of a serious conflict of interest that is at the heart of this discussion. McCain claims a squeaky clean record, while somehow avoiding the controversy of being accused of trying to influence banking regulations on behalf of Charles Keating two decades ago. Keating was later convicted of securities fraud. The Senate Ethics Committee decided that McCain had used poor judgment but his action were not improper and warranted no penalty.

McCain claims that incident spurred his desire to change campaign finance laws in an attempt to reduce the influence of money in politics. This issue is important due to how his come to Jesus moment has validated his drive for the presidency. Sniff, sniff. I did wrong, but I have been converted and promise to preach the good news of what needs to be changed. Can we believe that now?

The day before this story leaked, McCain chided Barack Obama for reneging on his promise to accept public financing rather than using the massive war chest he’s built over the past year. Of course, Obama had no way of knowing he would raise twice as much as his republican counterpart. He knows he will need every penny he has raised to get his “We Can” message across. Obama’s flip/flop is an issue of concern when placed within the context of campaign finance.

It’s not the liberal press that calculatingly came after an innocent man. The people at the Times had to make a tough decision. Should this story be printed, or should they turn their backs on the claims of high-ranking officials in the McCain camp? The press has an obligation to bring to the public information that may influence the way they think about those we elect. This is especially pertinent when the actions are in conflict with the agenda promoted by those we vote for.

This isn’t about sex this time. It’s not about the evils of the liberal press. This time it’s about real change in government. We need to know the truth.