Kevin Cullen, SERIOUSLY?! Why Are White Folk Stuck on the Word Nigger?

The original quickie fb post:  Hey Kevin. As a PROFESSIONAL writer, a "NEWS" reporter, and supposedly one charged with the public trust/duty to seek truth - i ask YOU, How & when EXACTLY did RACISM become 'moronic"? Racism, discrimination, and violence against African-Americans has a LONG, storied and INSTITUTIONALIZED existence in THIS country AND NOTABLY in Bah-stun. As a reporter, have you given any consideration of how your newsroom & city, perpetuate racism? Perhaps, as a reporter, you could acknowledge laws have been broken. Have you considered what aspect of racism you have given ANY thought to, beyond the word "Nigger" that all 'non-racist' white people seem fixated on these days? Since you are a word-smith, have YOU ever written a story on how the word came into existence, what its purpose is, and how race loyalty has perpetuated racism? Perhaps you could mull over how it is you came to focus on "the game" and the merits of cancelling or not - RATHER THAN the evil that is racism, and how it is perpetuated through GENERATIONS of WHITES. Maybe, you could ask a black friend, or the kid who has been attacked, what it is like to have white people perpetually focused on -SQUIRREL! - rather than the issue of WHITE PEOPLE and the continued propagation of racism. Perhaps you could write a series on how race-loyalty and cowardice sanctioned slavery/racism - and THIS time a school board said - NO MORE! EVERYBODY suffers when racism is allowed to live on, and WE WILL TOLERATE IT NO MORE. Perhaps, the story could be about the lesson from/to all the white NON-PARTICIPANTS that WE WHITES will stand shoulder to shoulder to address an evil? When you are examining evidence of evil, assuming you recognize the difference between evil and sophomoric/moronic, it would serve you and all of Bah-stun well to drill down on what is REALLY important, rather than - SQUIRREL!

And now a bit less rant, and a dash more well-considered response:

 Kevin Cullen, a columnist for the The Boston Globe , posted an opinion piece, "How to respond to morons" offering his take about the use of the word nigger, and whether or not postponement/cancellation of a football game(s)  would "repudiate morons" racists or inflate their power.  This deep thought Mr. Cullen threw together in a melting pot article that addressed, among other things statements made by a television personality that Mr. Cullen took exception with.

  The underlying event for Mr. Cullen's ruminating was recent news of ongoing racists attacks perpetrated upon a 13 year old Massachusetts citizen, Isaac Phillips.  In response to the latest incident, the officials for Isaac's school have decided to postpone games until those responsible are identified.  So far, so good right?  After all, a child is has been attacked (yes, calling someone a nigger is an attack), threatened by violennce, property has been damaged, civil rights are being violated, laws have been broken.  So, a group of adults are bringing things to a screeching halt by getting everyone's attention - cancel football until the criminal racists are given up.  WAY GOOD, by american standards, yes?

  i am jumping up and down with the Lunenburg High School officials' official action!  So what is my beef?  

  Well, it is Mr. Cullen's lofty position in journalism,  employed by arguably a prestigious news organization  that got a rise out of me.  Where, he has a (potentially national) platform; it seems an intentionally ignorant white man, with apparently little to no knowledge of american and world history with regard to racism, american laws regarding rights to public accommodations i.e., public education, redlining, sundown towns or anti-miscegenation laws is allowed to speak for The Boston Globe, Bostonians, Massachusettians, and white people (writ large), can just say any damn thing for starters.  Or.  Perhaps, i give Mr. Cullen and The Boston Globe a bit too much credit.  It could be ignorance is not the culprit here.  It is entirely possible that Mr. Cullen is himself a racist, or just plain evil.  And, maybe The Boston Globe is aware and the organization supports his racism & sociopathic speech.  Fact is, i don't know what is in Mr. Cullen's mind, or what the employment standards are at The Boston Globe.  But i do know, Mr. Cullen described the perpetrators of violent, illegal acts as morons.  You know, as in sophomoric.  He described the violation of a child's civil rights in a public school setting, as nothing more than flatulence humor [sic].  i know that.

  i know white people have fixated on the word nigger of late in a new way.  We all know nigger is word of white culture origin.  That word was created and employed with specific intent, and was effective.  i know that today there is a schizophrenic reality in which we have developed a double bind where we will not say the word to quote someone else saying it.  Instead we have euphemized it.  While at the same time, we utter it in terms of "affection, or endearment", or sing it while bopping our heads to mix-beats.  BUT, when it is uttered in its original immaculate conception - we dismiss its use as "moronic".

  Based on his comments, it seems Mr. Cullen did not ponder what conditions exist in Massachusetts america in 2013 where early adolescent children commit the hate crimes they did.  It did not seem to percolate in his educated (presumably) mind what institutionalized racism does to a people (white people) after 500+ years.     

Well, i say no.  Stop.  Enough.  Can't have it both ways folk.  i know that uttering the words Assalamu alaikum, ("Peace be with you.") will make white "patriots" loose their ever-lovin american minds!  And if i said to the guy selling The Final Call newspapers on the corner, Allahu Akbar ("Allah is the Greatest"), some white red-blooded america-lovin male will either throw me to the ground and slam his knee in my neck or back, or dial 911 or Homeland Security, the FBI, and the CIA - or all of the above!  Fact.  Real talk.  

  So, it appears that words DO have meaning to white america (writ large) - but white america CHOOSES to ignore meaning AND intent selectively.  Words that originate in love. peace, spirituality, and organized religion BY BROWN PEOPLE are fightin words!  Words that originate out of the whitest evil of evil, in hate, sadism, disdain, dehumanization, depravity, sociopathy, psychopathy, did i say evil? are words that are dismissed as moronic.  AND we white people will now grant ourselves permission to use it again with our divine authority, and/or ignore it because the internalization of the word is so complete, we now have the object of vilification using it themselves.

Mr. Cullen, when you heard the officials of that child's school stood up and said to that child, his parents, his sibling, their familes - which includes white folk, the community, the world - and most importantly to the criminals - "We will NOT acquiesce to race loyalty.  Nor, will we bow to the gods of football.  We will NOT minimize racism.  We GOT YOU Isaac!".  You sir, should have knocked your chair over backwards leaping up with raised arms shouting "HALLELUJAH! PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!"

  Just sayin.

"Hate Crime Targets 13-year old Lunenberg Football Player" 

"Massachusetts Town Rallies Behind Football Player Targeted By Racist Graffti"