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During a college Humanities class my professor was trying to start a discussion on why we use the words we use for certain things. For example why do we call a car, a car?
However, the first example that came to his mind was, "Why do we call a pig, a pig and not...a nigger"

Of course there was a black guy in the class and the professor instantly started stumbling over his words, turned red and was trying to save himself saying "maybe that wasnt a good example"

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When I used to tutor at the residential treatment center I now work at, my college advisor used to come in and work with the guys. Most of them are black and this is a young, urban, and hence very homophobic crowd. One of my guys in particular was throwing 'F-A-G' around like it was nothing.

I asked him to stop, and when he didn't grasp what was so offensive about it, I was trying to explain to him that it's a derogatory word for a whole class of people and is thus unacceptable. He still wasn't getting it.

My advisor (his name was Jim) is about five foot three, seventy years old and a very mild mannered, impish, friendly guy. Spent a lot of time working for SNCC and SDS in the 60s, real left-wing guy. He just pops up and says to the kid, "Well, it's sort of like how you wouldn't want me calling you a nigger, isn't it?"

This of course infuriated the kid, who spent the next ten minutes trying to fluster Jim, play the race card, etc, and Jim just smiled and politely explained that he was illustrating a point. It was great.

NT