Anotha "nigga" post

A few more words about that pesky "N-word:" The word, now usually spelled "n-i-g-g-a," has evolved from a pejorative, used by ignorant racists, into a harmless slang term used as a form of address synonymous with words like "dude" or "man." Despite the many, understandable, protests from older blacks and well-meaning whites, who relate it to a much uglier and more hateful time, this once-powerful word has become little more than a meaningless cliche, thoughtlessly spouted scores of times a day by young blacks and even young whites. It is rare that it is used in the context of "you, nigger, are inferior."
The term is so meaningless that I, a middle-aged white man, have countless times been told, "Newman, you my nigga."
To me, it is a good thing that the term has lost its venom. Although it is wise never to forget the atrocities brought upon people in the past lest they be repeated in the future, attaching so much meaning to one word would seem to diminish the perception of how evil those atrocities actually were. If it were just about the "n-word" one could advise the victims that "sticks and stones..."
My all-time favorite usage of the word was related to me by my good friend, Rubin, a fellow high school teacher. Rubin had assigned an oral report on current events to his special education class. Very few of the students actually completed the assignment but one young lady strutted up to the front of the classroom and, without the benefit of notes, proceeded to offer the following "current events" report:
"Yesterday I bought a new pair of Jordans. Them niggas was fresh."