Pronunciation and it being Twitler supporters only.

Matthew M. Martin who's allegedly "loving, kindhearted and one of the greatest people this person has ever met" We don't know him and blah blah blah. He hit a man who died on the way to the hospital and he call that man who was MURDERED while being civic minded "some nigger".

No remorse, no nothing, just "some nigger". That fucker right there is Wypipo. If you aren't that fucker or fuckers like him than you are not Wypipo. He is exactly the type of white person this word was created for. He might be the best person in the world -- to the white people he knows, but he'll run a black man down on the road and kill him and then denigrate the man by calling him "some nigger".

Now somebody is probably going to replay to this and try to explain nuance to me about how Wypipo is a slur, Don't even bother because all I'm going to do is block you. In this country to your brothers, sisters, uncles, cousins, friends and whatever I'm still a fraction of a person. I can be run down in the middle of the day and called "some nigger" for my trouble by Wypipo.

That's not mere "prejudice", that is white sheets grade criminal malice and forfeiture of the status called "human".

Wow. You've again perfectly illustrated the appropriateness of the term "wypipo." Congratulations!

It seems reasonable to use it in a context like that.

"N-word" is a copout.

His like can't be slurred, his attitude/behavior is worthy of any and all total condemnation. Are there words for the spectrum between tried and true white allies and callous racist killers like Martin? For the record I'm not suggesting patience is called for in the face of any degree of racism.

The only name an ally needs is friend.

I'll just say that sometimes it is a blind spot that inadvertently interferes with a potential friend becoming a genuine one. I've shared my own story in regards to that here before. I guess I believe in at least 3 categories then; friends, non friends, and outright enemies.

There are already words to describe him and his behavior - a racist and a murderer

I think of Honkey, Cracker or Wypipo as just an insult, no more so than any other insult. It just doesn't register with me. I can easily accept it, especially in the context of friendly "banter". IMO, the n-word however, is in a much different, malicious class somehow. It reflects centuries of oppression, injustice, torture and murder of one culture/race over another and its use is far more serious, much like pointing a gun at someone. One just doesn't do that. My two cents.

is beyond me. If the shoe doesn't fit, go barefoot and walk on.

Last edited Sat Jun 2, 2018, 03:54 PM - Edit history (1)

In fact I can't imagine how it could be possible, without becoming a living Buddha, to not have some of those feelings. Especially since racism is clearly not "safely in the past". In the real world of genuine human nature, whites as a group have more than earned more than their share of insults. I don't expect those discriminated against, to the point of loss of life, to be saints as well as victims. There is real anger over white racism, and anyone who is non white must continually live with never knowing just how racist the next white they encounter is until, at best, they get to really know them. That is a brutal way to have to live and I don't think most whites appreciate that. The least I can do is not totally lose it in the face of a relatively mild insult grounded in historic reality. Let's clear the air and then maybe a real dialog can follow if whites don't melt in the face of a little heat.

The N word is more than just an insult, it is a literal threat to those who it is hurled at. Like you said, there is no comparison.

Yes, I agree that "Wypipo" is part of a category of words used by a minority/marginalized group to describe an oppressive majority. The fact that our POC DU members feel comfortable enough to use the word here seemed like an indication that they view DU as a safe place full of allies. The outrage over the term has has made me question whether it is down to a misunderstanding of its definition or a contingent of straights taking umbrage because it feels the term applies to them.

...seemed like an indication that they view DU as a safe place full of allies." EXACTLY I really have appreciated the degree of honest expression of real anger at the daily effects of racism on people of color that has been expressed here lately. To not expect those sentiments to circulate within a marginalized/oppressed community is a real life equivalent of being "shocked" that gambling was taking place inside a casino in Casablanca.The refreshing, and truly healthy, part is having it happen is a public mixed race progressive forum like this one.

I obviously can't speak for others, maybe no one started out convinced that DU could handle this discussion, but some of our members at least were willing to take that chance. I gladly stand by them, and don't mind being exposed to some potential insults in the context of an important frank dialog that is long overdue.

Allow me to "whitesplain."

It's not a racial slur. It's like a setup to a joke on subtle -- and sometimes not so subtle -- differences in American racial cultures. The kind of thing black comedians do successfully in front of racially mixed audiences.

This joke format has been popular on black social media for some time.

The transfer from black-to-black casual social conversation to a racially mixed political bulletin board facing a deadly serious 2018 election has not gone smoothly. Serious-minded politicos like myself worried that it would become a racial slur, or that widespread acceptance in the Democratic Party would make the party's slate threatening to white voters.

Now I'm a little more chill on the subject. It's more a function of what table you sit at in the high school lunchroom. In-groups, in-jokes, etc.

My suggestions on its use. Keep its wry, angry humor up front; don't use it any public context until it receives widespread acceptance as a joke setup on late night television; and don't assume that anyone who objects to a WYPIPO joke needs an angry lecture on White Privilege.

(Drops MIC)

Sorry but that's how I feel. When one of the people who uses the term says oh it doesn't apply to all white people and then promptly cites a source saying that it does, when we get posts of somebody blatantly feigning that they don't understand why others dislike the word and then dismissing out of hand any response that isn't fawning to her, you can't actually pretend it's a word used in good faith.

I'm not offended by the term. I'm offended by the childish nature of it. I'm offended by the intent to divide.

But offended by somebody using a word alone, no. I mostly feel pity for them for being so small and petty that they think their slur adds anything to the conversation.

So what. Not all communication is meant to foster comfort and closeness. Not all honest feelings revolve around expressing sensitivity and good will. That doesn't make the intent to divide. Exploring different personal realities can get raw when those differences are significant. Trying to do so with most of the emotional content stripped out often leaves important truths unspoken. The word itself is a symptom, the feelings behind it must be addressed, and sometimes that means going outside of our comfort zones.

We clearly disagree. I find Wypipo to be a relatively mild word used to express potent long pent up resentments with a white dominated society that still harbors life restricting and sometimes life threatening racism over one hundred and fifty years after the abolition of slavery. I favor getting real with each other as the best starting point for ultimately bridging our divisions, and consider our talking about "Wypipo" as part of that. I tried to use my OP to explore the use of a relatively innocuous "slur" like that in context. Not much point in repeating myself here. In a perfect world there would be no fear of "the other" or any negativity whatsoever expressed towards groups of people that one does not already belong to. Let's just say that we're working on it.