I feel like you're sidestepping my questions in a deliberate way. You've heard a white person seriously use the n word against a black person "plenty" in your life?
Well today's your lucky day because I can. If you were in a situation where you had such contempt for a person's well being and wanted to do them so much emotional and/or physical harm that you simply wanted to say the most vile thing you could.
This is my entire point. Nowadays, regular people in regular circumstances don't use the n word in the manner I'm discussing. The rare instance in which a white person will feel safe enough and enraged enough to call a black person the n word, that black person probably isn't safe. Why is that such a difficult idea to accept? Do you think I just walk around getting called the n word all day?
The only time in recent memory I've been called the n word was when I took a wrong turn and a group of homeless white dudes were standing around a trash fire. They called me the n word. I left. I guess I should have asked them for directions? Would you argue that I wasn't in danger?
On several occasions, people have tried to kill my dad and brothers. Each time, the n word was used right beforehand.
Again, is this surprising? Do you think I go to lunch with white people and they say, "Hey, do you mind passing the salt, n word?"
I agree with this and I have this entire thread.
I think that non-minorities have difficulty understanding this, because it is something they have never faced, and likely would never face.
The 'N' word is not the same as calling someone stupid, or fat, or a turd, or whatever. The history of the word, and that that it is a word that is directed at a particular group of people is what give it power, and make the people it's used on fear it.
Of all the words in the world you could call me, for a person to choose the 'N' word, that is deliberate. It isn't just a word. You chose that particular word for a reason. If a white guy is ballsy enough to call me a 'N' word out in the open, that guy wants to fight me, or cause some other sort of harm to me.
I really don't view it as "he hurt my feelings". I view it as he said that for a reason.
If I call some random dude I don't know a F**, and I call a guy i know to be gay a F**, those words will carry different weight and sting to both of those guys. The random dude that isn't gay will just see it as a diss, the gay guy can see it as a potential threat on his life.
All that being said, I don't believe that words justify violence. Though, I also think the idea that words are simply words is bullshit. Words have meanings. Words have intents. There's a reason why we say the words that we say, and those words precede actions.
I'm half black, have never been called the 'N' word to my face. (though i have heard it behind my back) I wouldn't swing on someone that said the word, but if someone were to actually say it to me, I would be on red alert, because I would think that guy would probably want to fight. An exchange like that is likely to lead to violence if you engage with words, because that person said it because they wanted something to happen.
For this story though, the guy punched a woman. There's no excuse. Doesn't matter what she said, punching out a woman that didn't touch you is indefensible.
He's getting off extremely light considering that this resulted in someone's death.