So if you are hurt by a word that is said because the user knows

that that word communicates their hate for you, what does it matter what the word was?
this is re: previous discussions of white people being slurred by black people and the relative importance of that vs. black people being slurred by white people.
I just have a couple points for consideration and I hope people don't mind that I started my own thread for this

The first consideration as far as context that I can think of is: What was felt in the hearts of the two people. If hate is in the heart of a white person or a black person neither person's hate is more valid. If hurt is in the victims heart that same rule applies.

I don't automatically assume that every white male ultimately has more power than every black female, or black male etc. Take Condi Rice for example, she could fry my ass if she wanted I emphatically do NOT have more power than her.

I realize that I recieve the benefits of white privilege in a lot of different areas without even knowing it, but some of that has to do with whether I'm in the company of a bunch of white people.
If I happen to be in the company of minorities the role is reversed, and if they decide to hate me I'm powerless.
I've experienced racism before in my life, nothing really too sensational, but enough to know that I was hated. Like I said, these incidents were no "big" deal" and I tried to let them roll off my back, but just from the fact that I knew I didn't do anything to deserve it it bothered me.

So I guess what I'm saying is you shouldn't just assume that because a person is white they have power and deserve to understand the "sting of racism" because they couldn't possibly know what its like to be poor and oppressed, or what its like to "feel the sting of racism."

That's really it. I don't ignore history. I don't disregard reality. I don't even want to make a big deal about any racism that I've experienced, or pillory anybody for an understandable (if inexcusable) attitude. I just don't like it when people treat other people with hate - that goes for everyone - and if we treat racism with tolerance in its milder forms than it will grow and spread, across color lines.