Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

confuses me as well as for the correct usage of the word........

nig·ger ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ngr)
n. Offensive Slang

Used as a disparaging term for a Black person: †œYou can only be destroyed by believing that you really are what the white world calls a niggerââ‚Ã⠀šÃ‚¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ÂÂ� (James Baldwin).

Used as a disparaging term for a member of any dark-skinned people.
Used as a disparaging term for a member of any socially, economically, or politically deprived group of people: †œGun owners are the new niggers... of societyââ‚à ‚¬Ã‚ÂÂ� (John Aquilino).

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=nigger

although:

WordNet Dictionary

Definition: [n] (ethnic slur) offensive name for a Black person; "only a Black can call another Black a nigger"

http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/nigger

:shrug:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Well my point is if this word is offensive then the people who its offensive too should perhaps stop using it. I thought it was just common sense myself..

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I think its something to do with black people claiming a derogetary word that was used against them in the past.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Atkinson is a disgrace. I always thought he was above that kind of remark.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I think it should be left alone.
After all I walk down the street and hear racist remarks, If I go to a football match I hear racist remarks, If I go to th epub I hear racist remarks.

Provided they arent threats then why cant it be dealt with in an adult way?

Its cost him his job, well sorry but I hope the people that complained are ****ing happy they have done this.
If they have nothing better to do than cry foul because someone who is in the habit of speaking his mind does so then they should try living in the real world.
We cant wrap people in cotton wool, Perhaps atkinson shouldnt have said it, but he did, he is a man who speaks his mind and has NEVER minced his words.

You lot that complain and feign shock have destroyed a good mans career, I hope you can all sleep well at night.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Poppy****. The 'good man' in this instance has destroyed his own career by being damned stupid. Or don't you believe in personal responsibility? To come out with that particular line when in the heat of anger suggests that in his mind the word n*gger is associated purely with being a black person and nothing else.

Also, anyone with any interest in football (and even no interest at all, my other half has listened to him being interviewed on daytime TV and remembered his voice clearly) would know that Desailly, when not being a cheating disgrace, is particularly bright and articulate for a footballer. Some pundit calling him 'thick'.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

No, because words only have power over you if you *let* them.

I know gays who deliberately refer to each other as "queers".

If someone says to me "you make bondage gear, you're a pervert!" my response is "yes, and your point is...???" to which the response is generally silence because they have *no* comeback. The idea is that the *claim* is bad enough that nothing else is needed, but by totally failing to rise to their bait they are left with no other ammunition.

The problem comes when, with a word like "nigger" it becomes an "us and them" situation. It's may be ok for one black person to use it to another, but not for a white person, because that's just racist and we can't have that.

The Atkinson situation is unfortunately a classic example of this, as has been pointed out, if he'd have said "ba$$$$d" or "scouse git" or whatever, there wouldn't have been this outcry, but we now have a situation of effective *reverse* racism which is just as prejudicial and divisive as the original plain racism :(

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Correct I'm not one for letting words bother me either infact I like people trying to have ago. The problem here is there are people who dont like words, There are also people who dont like these words but use them themselve's :erm:

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

They only have power over you if you let them but they have power over others. Someone calling you a pervert may have no 'internal' effect on you but it may well have an external effect through others. If the same person that had no effect on you internal was to go round your local community calling you a pervert, it might well affect how those people react to you in the future. Words are powerful things. They are expressions of peoples thoughts AND they shape peoples thoughts. We should all be careful what words we use and how we use them imo.

The same with the N word. You might choose not to let being called that affect you, but the perptuation of the denegration of someone because of their race and colour affects the whole of society and the use of this word perpetuates that idea. Words DO matter (imo)

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

To prove that this is being blow out of perportion is this:

He is still being hounded and his career distroyed because of one word he said when he thought he was off-mic

But richard glaszebrook edtior of the express started calling a german company nazis and walking around the board room bazil fawlity style. let he is not being hounded and some people in the media find it quite funny.

How come when someone in football says it everyone is shocked and systematly destory the man for one word that slipped out while the other guy has no such treatment

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Just a quick correction....It was Richard "Dirty" Desmond, owner of the Express group of papers (amongst other things...).

Labour Expresses 'Contempt' for Desmond"

And he has, justifiably, been criticised a lot for it.

But that whole incident could be the topic of a thread of its own...

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

I dont condone what Big Ron said but as Timewarrior said, Ron has never been a guy to mince his words, theres a website dedicated to his gaffes. Give the man his due, he faced the press and cameras the next day and apoligised. I dont think his apology was to try and save his job, he`s got plenty of money and doesnt need to work. It`s blown up out of all proportion over a stupid remark.
I reckon he`ll be back with Sky or channel 5 when all this cools down, he`s too good a commentator to lose forever.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Compared to what this guy got richard desmond has gotten off lightly

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Apparently a load of footballers have come out and defended Big Ron and his comment. I know that doesn't emcompass all black people, but it is interesting nonetheless. Didn't get Desailly's thoughts on it though.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004182772,00.html

It does seem like, despite the comment, he really gets people's respect. Bearing that in mind, he must be one hell of a bloke in that case.

Re: Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment
 

Ooops.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...287912,00.html