Is "Thug" a Racist Word?

Is "Thug" a racist word?


  • Total voters
    122
  • Poll closed .
I would guess that if "thug" refers more to a black person, that's because "thug life" is a black thing.

See above the many, many black rappers who glorify being a "thug". I have not seen any white artists (except for the Eminem type) who refer to themselves as thugs.
 
and if people in the thread were really being honest with themselves, id bet your experiences with the word are similar to mine.

And thus you have built in a way to dismiss opinions you don't agree with.
'Grats.
 
Thug is a term used to describe behavior not aesthetics, therefore race is irrelevant.
 
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/1...gs-over-alleged-assault-on-special-needs-kid/

- Two black high school football players attack a black special needs student from behind in a surprise attack.
- White wrestling coach (coaches kindergarten through sixth grade kids) sees video of the attack and comments that the two attackers are "thugs."
- Aunt of one of the attackers complains to school board that the white coach is racist for coming up with a creative way to call her nephew and his friend the "n-word."
- School superintendent forbids white coach and his students from using school facilities.

I guess "thug" is the new "n-word?"


Language is important, and although, rightly, there are words we can't and shouldn't use to describe people/behaviour we don't like, we should be able to express ourselves freely.

I don't think 'thug' is racist but I do think it is basically used to describe an African-American up to no good.


lol when Tony Ferguson said to Kevin Lee 'I'll beat you like the thug you are'.

To clarify, I think Kevin Lee is a nice young man and an asset to the UFC and possible future champ.
 
Not in Australia.

Well I never thought so at least.

Best way to tell is watch out for the next few ways you see it used.
 
Due to the fact that minorities commit a lot of crime, it's considered racist. They only commit so much crime because white people are racist. So there you go.
 
Quick someone (not on a phone) do a search on the most recent use of the word thug on sherdog before this article was posted.

Would tell you what you need to know.
 
Or to those who use it to refer minorities 90% of the time.

Poll needs a third option, “Sometimes.”

Which is the correct answer.

So... Racists?

No, "sometimes" is not the correct answer unless you're a race-baiting asshole looking to sabotage conversation by fabricating intent on behalf of your opponents because you can't handle honest exchanges.
 
My opinion, this is the same type of fucked up word policing that led to a man getting shit for correctly an unracially using the word :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:rdly about twenty years back.
 
My opinion, this is the same type of fucked up word policing that led to a man getting shit for correctly an unracially using the word :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:rdly about twenty years back.
See? It's a legit word that the autocensor thinks is bad because nobody knows their own fucking language anymore.
 
See? It's a legit word that the autocensor thinks is bad because nobody knows their own fucking language anymore.
And if Elon Musk gets his way that same autocensor will get its driver's license.
Time to just stay home and get your beers delivered by drones.
 
It's not inherently racist. It's become racialized in recent years to some extent. Initially due to black rappers like 2pac promoting and popularizing thug life and then some white racists used it as a code word. I think we should be able to use discretion and take it on a case by case basis.

Unfortunately, zero tolerance policy doesn't really allow for that. If a white teacher refers to black students in general as thugs, that could be a clear sign of racial bias and potentially actionable by the school. However if a white teacher is merely reacting to actual thuggish behavior from an individual or small group of black students, we should be able to denote that distinction and act accordingly.
 
Seems the aunt is more concerned about them being called thugs then them beating up a weaker kid. Real principled family there.

Superintendent should have told her to fuck off.

And let's not pretend like hip hop culture hasn't glorified being a thug for decades now.



Don't want to be labeled a thug, don't behave like one.

This is true. But on the flip side are white racists who are more worried about being called racists than addressing their actual racist beliefs and actions.
 
It depends on the context.

Oh paper, no it's not, but the way it's used in media and particularly right wing media it is.
 
With all due respect, that works both ways. ;)
I understand that, but there's not been any studies or anything on this so we can't use numbers to prove anything either way. It's pretty obviously used one sidedly in the news though, if not, this thread wouldn't exist or no one would have an argument for this. I'm extremely fucking politically incorrect, I'm a HUGE proponent for free speech and get in trouble for exercising that pretty often. I keep saying thug is fine in the common lexicon, it's that it's used as code in the news for "violent black guy" rather than just a violent person. If people are fine with that, then it is what it is, I have to accept that.
 
...and never towards white people. It's always a black guy who's "ghetto" so he's a "thug" now. Maybe they should just stop using the word because it's thinly veiled racism.

They were calling Trayvon Martin a thug for christ's sake. The fat wanna-be security guard that killed him was the real thug.
Trayvon was a thug
 
Maybe these idiots should stop promoting "Thug Life" and creating rap song about thugs? Anyone thought of this simple solution?
 
This is true. But on the flip side are white racists who are more worried about being called racists than addressing their actual racist beliefs and actions.
It's that kind of thinking that has everyone defensive and so vehemently against actually considering the possibility. You're not racist for using the word thug, the danger here to me is that the media is changing what comes to mind when you hear it.
 
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