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Soledad O’Brien lectures ‘naive’ journalists ‘thug’ is the new ‘n-word’ – you can’t use it
BizPac Review ^ | 5/4/15 | Carmine Sabia

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.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: racerelations; soledadobrien; thuggery
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To: Impala64ssa

21 posted on 05/05/2015 1:40:05 AM PDT by Zakeet (Obama: fail ... deny ... blame ... golf ... distract ... lie ... repeat)
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To: Impala64ssa

So we can’t draw pictures of Muhammad and we can’t say “thug”? I thought “journalists” were supposed to be pro-first amendment?


22 posted on 05/05/2015 1:59:09 AM PDT by RC one (Militarized law enforcement is just a politically correct way of saying martial law enforcement.)
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To: Impala64ssa

The “T-word”?


23 posted on 05/05/2015 2:08:51 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Impala64ssa
Don't draw Mohammed. Don't call a thug a thug.

BTW, if the "n-word" is so bad, why is it used so freely by those who should be offended by it?

24 posted on 05/05/2015 2:16:31 AM PDT by windsorknot
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To: Impala64ssa
THEY.

CAN.

ALL.

KISS.

MY.

BUTT.

I am sick and tired of having my language dictated to me by liberals. It is a perfectly legitimate word in use for centuries by people of all races to describe people of all races. And they want to say it is racist?

Not going down that road.


25 posted on 05/05/2015 2:19:02 AM PDT by rlmorel ("National success by the Democratic Party equals irretrievable ruin." Ulysses S. Grant.)
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To: Paladin2

Speaking of Soledad, I’ve heard tell that it’s a haven for thugs.


26 posted on 05/05/2015 2:19:15 AM PDT by windsorknot
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To: Impala64ssa
“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, she was correct on one point...."I can't think"

I would bet a trillion dollars during the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, lots of trustfundians protesting were called thugs...by the media

27 posted on 05/05/2015 2:26:02 AM PDT by Popman (Christ Alone: My Cornerstone...)
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To: windsorknot

Pretty much my obliquely stated point. She’s too sensitive because of her name and the tendency of the LSM to exhibit thuggish behavior.


28 posted on 05/05/2015 2:29:37 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Impala64ssa

Sorry Princess but “Thug” IS NOT the new “N” word. Grow up an get a life. If life is too hard for you, I recommend that you just stay home and bake cookies.


29 posted on 05/05/2015 2:30:14 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Hillary and the Ghosts of Nixons Past. An American Nightmare.)
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To: Impala64ssa

It’s weird but I’ve ALWAYS thought of CNN “journalists” being the “new ‘N’ word”.


30 posted on 05/05/2015 2:34:03 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Hillary and the Ghosts of Nixons Past. An American Nightmare.)
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To: windsorknot

The Left are free-speech Nazis who themselves constantly butcher the language to conform to their world view.


31 posted on 05/05/2015 2:35:29 AM PDT by windsorknot
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To: Rastus
Maybe they're saying thug and she's hearing thig.
32 posted on 05/05/2015 2:39:34 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Impala64ssa

blackniggerthug blackniggerthug blackniggerthug

There, whole new word. You can substitute color as needed


33 posted on 05/05/2015 3:36:01 AM PDT by eartick (Been to the line in the sand and liked it)
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To: Cvengr

I rather like the term “community organizer” to describe the people who burn down their neighborhoods.

It kind of fits in a perverse sort of way.


34 posted on 05/05/2015 3:36:12 AM PDT by Skepolitic
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To: Impala64ssa

$h!t flinging monkeys is already taken, so I’ll stick with thugs. I don’t want to disrespect the monkeys by relating them to thugs.


35 posted on 05/05/2015 3:38:15 AM PDT by mikefive (RLTW)
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To: Rastus

My thought exactly. She sounds like a journalistic thug. Thug is as thug does.


36 posted on 05/05/2015 3:39:38 AM PDT by abclily
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To: Impala64ssa

Someone needs to get out into the real world a little more often.


37 posted on 05/05/2015 3:47:46 AM PDT by jughandle (Big words anger me, keep talking.)
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To: Impala64ssa
“I can’t think..."

You got that right, Soledad.

38 posted on 05/05/2015 4:13:51 AM PDT by Flick Lives ("I can't believe it's not Fascism!")
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To: jonrick46
The jackasses on the Left know that if they can control the language, they can control our thoughts. Orwell's "1984" demonstrates the problem quite well.

I vote NO. If the word "THUG" offends you, then don't act that way. It's that simple!

39 posted on 05/05/2015 4:13:51 AM PDT by Pecos (What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.)
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To: EEGator

Based on your picture, I assume that a “thug” is a homosexual guy with arthritis in his hands ...


40 posted on 05/05/2015 4:18:28 AM PDT by NorthMountain ("The time has come", the Walrus said, "to talk of many things")
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