Posted on 06/28/2013 6:00:09 AM PDT by RummyChick
At the merciful close of key prosecution witness Rachel Jeantel‘s testimony in the trial of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, defense attorney Don West asked Ms. Jeantel to describe the “culture” that she said uses the word “cracker” to describe white people. “The area I was raised in?” Jeantel asked, to which West replied “Yes.”
As it turns out, in the area in which Rachel Jeantel was raised, the word “cracker” isn’t a racial slur at all, but rather, a proud nod to the region’s history, and one’s own ancestry.
A whole mess of white people like to get worked up about the word “cracker,” some in the mistaken belief that this will somehow result in permission to use the n-word. Here’s a secret for you: you don’t need permission. This is America, go ahead and say it, and in the process, you’ll find out if “cracker” and the n-word are really the same thing.
Some of that worked-upedness has occurred over Rachel Jeantel’s revelation that Trayvon Martin referred to his eventual killer, George Zimmerman, as a “creepy-ass cracker,” which the Zimmerman defense has tried to capitalize on as a sign of racial animus on Mr. Martin’s part. Jeantel denied that there was anything racial about the comment, which many found strange. The term is, indeed, a somewhat derogatory term for white people. However, in Florida, the word “cracker” is anything but.
Many years ago, during a visit to Orlando’s Gatorland, one of the trainers regaled the group of tourists I was with by explaining the origins of the word “cracker” as a description of Floridians of pre-Civil War ancestry. He explained that Florida cowboys used whips to herd cattle, and to scare away gators, and were called “crackers” because of the sound of their incessant whip-cracking. He also explained that although the term is derogatory in much of the country, in Florida, it’s a source of pride.
In fact, the Wikipedia entry for “Cracker (pejorative)” even notes the distinction:
Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a sometimes pejorative expression for white people, especially poor rural whites in the Southern United States. In reference to a native of Florida or Georgia, however, it is sometimes used in a neutral or positive context and is sometimes used self-descriptively with pride.
Now, it is entirely possible that Rachel Jeantel was referring to the common, derogatory use of the word, perhaps even likely, but its also possible that she and/or Trayvon Martin were referring to the non-pejorative use of the word, especially given Jeantel’s insistence that the word isn’t racial, and is region-specific. Don West, who looks like he ought to know the difference, never bothered to ask. It’s possible he just assumed the derogatory meaning, but you’d have to ask him why he would do that, why he would assume that two Florida residents could not have been using a Florida-specific colloquialism.
Tired of the media pissing on my leg and telling me its raining. Creepy ass commies.
Heck I named my white rooster “Cracker” as a prideful nod to racial solidarity.
Cracker Pejorative
Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a sometimes pejorative expression for white people, especially poor rural whites in the Southern United States.
Wikipedia
PLD called Ms. Jeantel “a racist pig.” PLD did you mean this as a compliment or an insult? I was under the impression that “cracker” referred to plumbers. Ms. Jeantel my be illiterate but she is an accomplished etymologist. Of course “cracker” is a complimentary term. Much like “crazy-ass” it is a term of respect. People often misunderstand the context. Context is everything. Hymietown is an endearing term for New York City. Now to Paula Deen. She is lucky she is avoiding jail time. She violated (albeit many years ago) a modern taboo. Taboo words a magic. In a post-Christian world magic will play a more prominent role.
Pure BS.
Well, she does have a few "cracker" recipes available on the Internet ... most notably her "Georgia Cracker Salad" recipe on the Food website.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/georgia-cracker-salad-recipe/index.html
Perhaps a better reference in this case is the Urban Dictionary.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cracker
Almost all of the definitions - many pages of them - state it’s a racist term.
Lemme see if I get this straight...
Jeantel was at Gatorland, heard the same explanation Tommy Christopher did, and thus used the word in that sense?
Uh-huh.
More proof that liberalism truly is a mental disorder. These people contort themselves into pretzels in order to defend the indefensible. Everything they derided about gwb is defended when zero does it. Libs would defend zero if he were able to achieve total compliance using the same means that Hitler used.
Psychopathy.
I had to take a shower after going to that site. Unapologetic, generational racism on display from the left.
Zimmerman is 1/8 black is considered white. zero is 1/2 white and considered black.
Your get labeled according to what advances the liberal cause.
You’re absolutely correct. But remember that “He who controls the language shapes the debate”. We on the right tend to be conformists when using language. Words have meaning and uniform acceptance of the plain meaning of things is essential to a civil discussion.
But the left has no respect of language or of others. They use language to divide, not unify. Remember Alinsky’s rules for radicals?
* RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.
This is how they disenfranchise their opponents and they use fluid definitions of words in its execution. The use of “Cracker” is plainly pejorative and everyone knows it but they scratch out an alternate meaning and attempt to shame us into accepting a pejorative as a compliment.
* RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)
This (IMO) should be our response. Just like their overuse of the race card to shame and silence their opponents blew up in their faces, our ridicule of their rationalization of “cracker” serves the same purpose - it robs them of a tool that they wish to bludgeon us with.
The author has been hit by a meteorite made of stupid gasses and rocks. The way Martin used it in the context it was used was an insult. Blacks of his class and demographics don’t mean “Cracker” as a shout out to old Fl cattle drive crackers.
Have you ever seen the “Cracker trail ride”? I live near Fort Pierce and it comes through down town every year.
There are still some true Floridians left in that area, but most would be out west or down Homestead way.
Lots of blacks are native Floridians and I'm sure many of them used whips to heard livestock. Are they ever referred to as crackers?
So.....a honky must be someone who raises geese?
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