Should the N word be banned?

Answer 1

No, it should not. As derogatory as the "N" word is, it should not be banned from speech. There are many ways it would, in fact, do more harm and possibly put an even bigger wedge in between races if it is banned than if left alone and free to say.

1. Many blacks have already taken it upon themselves to use the word as a term of endearment to show brotherhood between one another. It is a way to show that no matter what one does in life or where one goes, they can always understand one another when it comes to being hated because of their skin color, heritage, background, etc. If the word is banned then there will undoubtedly be a consequence for usage of the word, and instead of stopping racists in their tracks, it will affect blacks who are only speaking to one another on a level of understanding.

2. Whether the penalty for using the word is time spent in prison or is merely a fine or community service, blacks who use the word may be more harshly affected by it. Since blacks tend to be less well off in terms of finances because of various different reasons, paying a fine for simply using a word amongst family, friends, etc. will only make any situation they are in worse. And spending time in jail for using the word is even more inconvenient to both non racist blacks and police forces. Instead of getting criminals who are actually doing harm, time will be spent picking up people because of a word; not to mention time and money being spent trying to prove if one actually used the word or is simply being accused of it.

If made illegal or banned, blacks will feel discriminated against not only by the racists who would still use the word but also by the government who will claim they are only trying to make things better for them by banning it.

3. If only made illegal to say by whites or non blacks, it becomes an issue of inequality. Though it is frowned upon for many other than blacks to use the word, it is still the choice of the many to use it or not. They are as free to say it as someone black, but will more likely be seen as racist because of the history of the word and other factors.

4. Another issue of inequality would come into play because of one racial slur being banned but not all. Though the "N" word has been described as the ugliest word in the English language, there are many other racial slurs for blacks and other races alike. While the "N" word may not be hurtful to one person because they are not black, a racial slur for their particular race will hurt just as badly to them as the "N" word does to someone who isblack. So, either there would have to be a ban on all racial slurs or none at all.

5. Banning all racial slurs would be one of the biggest inconveniences to a country there is. Since racial slurs are used basically everyday by racists, there will have to be the resources to find them and punish them, and again, wasting time and effort with them when they might not have even committed any other crime other than being an overt racist.

6. Even if everyone was on board with banning the word, it would not stop racism in the least bit. There are many other ways to discriminate against someone because of their color besides calling them a derogatory term and again, unless all other racial slurs are banned with the "N" word, other derogatory terms will be thrown about in defiance of the ban. So, race issues will likely worsen.

Again, the word is undoubtedly derogatory and arguably the ugliest word there is in the English language but it would be too big a inconvenience for all races banning it. What one can take some kind of solace in is that although the word can be freely said by all, there are those who choose to never let it cross their lips throughout their entire lifetime because they know the history connected with it. It's better to let everyone have that choice and freedom to show their tolerance rather than forcing it upon the masses; things will likely go in the opposite direction like examples I've stated if done otherwise.

One last usage of the word is that if someone can be so detached from humanity to call someone out of their name and use the "N" word, it says a lot about ones character and can be used as an indicator to show how deeply racist that person is, and how much help they need in learning tolerance and acceptance.