Posted on 05/04/2015 11:58:35 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
Controversy over the use of the word “thug” in the wake of the Baltimore riots continued Sunday with former CNN host Soledad O’Brien weighing in to claim the word has racial overtones.
“I can’t think of a situation where there’s ever been a headline or someone has called a white young person who’s in the middle of a violent protest, demonstration, whatever, a thug,” she told guest host Frank Sesno on “Reliable Sources.” “We use it all the time when we’re talking about people in the inner city.”
Sesno pointed out that no racial connotation s given in the dictionary definition of the word and that the word was also used by President Obama and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
“Doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t have a specific agenda in how they’re using it,” she said. “Richard Sherman who — plays for the Seattle Seahawks, he really said like, listen ‘it’s the new n-word,’ and I think that’s true.”
She added that the word “thug” doesn’t accurately describe events.
“I think there’s violent protesters, I think there’s peaceful protesters, I think there’s drunk protesters, I think there’s angry protesters. I think when you look specifically about how the word ‘riot’ is used, and the word ‘thug’ is used, it’s always used around people of color, specifically in an inner-city context,” she said.
“I can only comment on how I think journalists should think about a word that actually doesn’t have a lot of nuance and isn’t specific, but somehow seems to be used a lot when you’re talking about African-Americans.”
O’Brien repeated her comments on Twitter and was met with both support and opposition.
:: I can’t think of a situation where there’s ever been a headline or someone has called a white young person who’s in the middle of a violent protest, demonstration, whatever, a thug ::
Well, Soledad, how many headlines or direct quotes using the word “thug” can you recall from the Berkley Protest era? All those nice white hippies...
We gave up “gay”; I’m not giving up “ thug”. From my earliest memories, “thug” meant any violent criminal intent upon mayhem and I refuse to be marginalized. The word is of Hindi origin and no one will prevent me from using it.
When did Soledad attain Lawgiver status?
If you act like one, you are one.
Rather thuggish behavior by p.c. ninny Soledad to attempt to bully people into not using a very appropriate word.
You are not suppose to call anyone names. Especially, if you do not have left bonfides.
Otherwise, if you are not a leftist, you should not say someone is a thug.
Even if someone acted thug-like.
You can not call someone the “n’ word
Even if they acted niggardly.
Also,don’t call anyone queer either. Even if they act queer.
Just play stupid and everything will be okay. Pretend not to see what you see. The Emperor has no clothe etc.
It is all very much an enigma.
But you can’t say that either.
Now should we just call it “the ‘t-word’”?
soledad just doing what comes natural... being a thug.
I suppose she wants us to call them “rascals” and “scoundrels” instead of what they really are.
The next prohibited word, coming soon: “rioter”. That word will have to become racist.
As far as I’m concerned, they’re either Americans or domestic black savages....depending on how they live.
And for the black people who don’t know, “negro” is not “the N-word” it’s simply Spanish for “black”.
Don’t believe it? Check out a can of black paint.
#Blackthugsmatter
Pray America is waking
How long till the word “Teen” is banned because it is synonymous with “thug”
THUGTHUGTHUGTHUGTHUGTHUGTHUGTHUGTHUGTHUGTHUGTHUG
also time fir tagline change
Solly Sole -
You’re not going to do the standard liberal language control thing
where, if a word comes to be too “truthy”,
you “ban” it.
Soledad = Media Thugette.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.