Selena Cerda
Mr. Choong
English 101.12
9 October 2014
Informative Paper In society, not many know what they might say could hurt others. Also, certain words will be said to certain groups of people that they might not like: the use of racial slurs. What I mean by “certain groups of people” of the use of racial terms such as the “n-word.” The “n-word was created long ago to discriminate the African American race. Recently, there have been incidents in which athletes use racial slurs to refer to players on other teams or even within their own team. The “n-word” is very hurtful and should not be used in any way shape or form toward anyone. In recent events, there was a football game between the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers. Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the 49ers, was reported to have called Lamarr Houston, defense of Chicago Bears, the “n-word.” Gutierrez, the reporter at the scene of the football game, states in his report in ESPN, “Kaepernick has denied saying anything ‘racially derogatory,’ although he acknowledged that he said something to Houston after throwing an interception against the Bears. Replays show that Kaepernick said something to Houston on the play. Houston, however, told the Tribune on Monday that the star quarterback was "just saying inappropriate language," including using the N-word and a profanity” (Gutierrez 1). The fact that Kaepernick admits he said something but to not what he said to Houston makes it suspicious and caused for reporters to ask Houston the truth. Houston told reporter that Kaepernick used the “n-word” and profanity toward him. Gutierrez also states, “Kaepernick was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty after the play and was fined $11,025 last week. Houston claims he was not insulted by the racial slur, telling the Tribune that it's a ‘cultural thing.’ Kaepernick threw three interceptions in the loss to the Bears. Houston denied hearing Kaepernick using the racial slur when asked on September 14, but Fox Sports, citing NFL referees, reported last week that the quarterback did say the N-word” (Gutierrez 1). If Kaepernick told the truth from the beginning, then this would not be as big as a problem as it came out to be. However, this was not the first incident that another played told another player of the other team racial slurs. Because of the many incidents, the NFL made a law that if any player uses such profanity toward anyone during a game then they will be fined. There has been conflict with the use of the “n-word” with the African American race for many generations. In a teachers guide about the book, “Huck Finn,” examines how there is concern about how the “n-word” is used in the books by teachers and students. “In the United States, "nigger" was first regarded as pejorative in the early nineteenth century. In the era of enslavement, the words "nigger" or "black" were inserted in front of a common American first name (e.g., John), given to a slave to distinguish the slave from any local white person with the same name.” (Teachers Guide Section 1). Now, within a classroom setting the use of the “n-word” changes everything. “Whether in the context of Huck Finn or in any other text in which the word is used, "nigger" raises a number of concerns for both teachers and students when it is used in a classroom setting. When the issues surrounding the word have not been previously addressed in the classroom, it "changes everything," according to parent Danny Elmore. ‘Five seconds before that word is used, everyone in class might have been your friend. But now you're reassessing yourself, and they're reassessing you. It has a profound effect. Nothing is the same after it is used’” (Teachers Guide Section 1). According to parents that have kids who read this book for school, they believe its ridiculous if the teachers do not believe their children are just going to read the term a few times in the book and not say it when they get to school. That is why when the word is explained to the students that it should not be used at all toward anyone then everything changes because they might not have known the consequences it has. Then, theres a situation with one girl in the class who is African American and there was the discussion of the “n-word.” “When African American students are in the minority, however, they often feel embarrassed and singled out. Said one African American student in Cherry Hill, "Every time the word came up [during oral reading], everybody turned around to look at me." It's equally important, however, to address the issue regardless of whether the class is racially mixed or homogeneous” (Teachers Guide Section 1). The fact that the teacher addressed the issue helped the young girl not feel so singled out in the classroom. With that, this helped the girl feel more comfortable in her classroom with knowing that the other students should not use that term in anyway to anyone because it is a hurtful word.
Overall, the use of the “n-word” should be no more due to its emotional, mental effects it could have on people. The use of this term is a problem because the youth look up to our fellow athletes and celebrities, as described with the consequence of Colin Kaepernick. In addition to that, an Ap Reporter states, “Federal jury rules it's illegal to use the N-word while at work even if you're black… New York City non-profit founder Rob Carmona lost his argument that the word is a term of endearment in the black community. Carmona's former employee Brandi Johnson said he targeted her in a racial tirade. Carmona must pay Johnson $250,000 compensation plus punitive damages” (Reporter 1). This shows that no matter if that word was said to you, you may not use toward anyone else of the same race as yourself either. This word not only can cause conflict between two people but can cause conflict between two groups of people or even the same group of people forever. It affects how united society should be. It affects society from its children to its supposed role models. That is why it is better that there is now a consequence for using such language toward certain races and ethnicities.
Works Cited
1. "Exploring the Controversy | The "N" Word." PBS. PBS, 1993. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.
2. Reporter, Ap. "Federal Jury Rules It's Illegal to Use the N-word While at Work Even If You're Black." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 03 Sept. 2013. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.
3. Services, ESPN.com News. "Bears DE: Kaepernick Used N-word." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.