Potential New Rule Is the N-word: Nuts

Of all the silly, poorly-considered, unenforceable, counter-productive rules that have been proposed and adopted by the NFL, one stands out: the one currently being considered. And it shines a light on how American society has elevated symbols over reality to a degree that borders on cultural mental illness.

The rule would designate a 15-yard penalty for any player who uses the word, "nigger" on the field. This concept is so utterly without merit it beggars the imagination.

Make no mistake, in a particular context, "nigger" conveys a despicable sentiment that harkens to our nation's shameful legacy of slavery and oppression of black Americans. When a person who is not black uses "nigger" as a slur to denigrate a black American, that person is disgracing himself, and deserves all the antipathy that can be heaped upon him.

What's despicable about this invective is the sentiment, not the word, which we have imbued with mystical powers. I've heard many South Carolinians spew racial hatred towards the President of the United States, including fantasizing about assassinating him, without ever using the magic word. And I've heard black friends greet each other with it. The former is not one bit less racist for the absence of the word and the latter is utterly lacking in ill will despite its use. There is nothing inherent to the word, a collection of sounds after all, that is abhorrent; it's the meaning. And meaning can only be understood inside of context. 

Consider the discussions you've heard about use of what many refer to as "the N-word." Because our society has assigned such toxicity to the word "nigger," no one can say it without severe disapprobation, even when they are talking about the word itself.  So we use a stand-in for the word, a symbol for a symbol, because we have confused the first symbol with the original reality. And all of us understand that this new symbol, "the N-word" has the very same meaning as the original symbol. So what is gained? If we're talking about "nigger" why can't we say it? How is using "N-word" any better? (Ditto for all the other iterations of this trope -- the "f-word," etc.)

If racists nationwide all agreed to stop using the word "nigger" and instead expressed their narrow-minded hatred with "N-word" instead, how would that be an improvement? According to those who are supporting this potential NFL rule, if a white Southerner angrily berated the black player lined up across from him with "I'm going to kill you, you nappy-headed, spear-chucking, N-word jungle-bunny," that would be totally acceptable, but friendly on-field bantering between black teammates that included "nigger" as a note of solidarity would result in a penalty. The absurdity is palpable.

Our society already has its own 15-yard penalty for use of the word as a racist slur. Paula Deen lost millions of dollars, not for saying the word, but for admitting that she had employed it years in the past. The NFL, which is 70% black, has a built-in disincentive against hurling racial invective in the form of broken legs. 

The NFL should stay out of the idiot business and concentrate on the problems its players actually have with domestic violence, off-field violence of other types, alcohol and drug use, fiscal irresponsibility, functional illiteracy and brain injury, each of which is far more troublesome than mean language. And the rest of us should stop granting this collection of sounds such power over our emotions, and instead work harder to understand each other's American experience.