FIRST COMMENT!

Hysterical.

One wonders what gang of liberal white tossers came up with this foolish idea. Y'all should read the article and take notice of Chris Rock's comment at the end.
This ban is nothing more than a smokescreen. The word "nigger" is not the problem. The poverty, the crime, the misery, the police brutality...now those are the problems. Banning a word and trying to hassle the Grammy commision about rappers who use the word is pointless. Any musician/artist/performer worth their salt knows that an award does not dictate the direction of their career (ask any group that's ever won the Mercury Prize in the UK).

Okay, its not a nice word, but to ban a word? That's actually kind of scary. Or pathetic. What is this country coming to...well, city.

Nigger, Nigger, Nigger, Nigger...

The "word" might not be the "problem", but the hiphop culture glorifying gangs, violence, drugs, misogyny, unbridled materialism, etc... most definitely contributes to the "problem".

nigger

Why wasn't the phrase "cracka-ass cracka" banned?

Fucking racists.

What a yellow, niggardly bunch of cretins!

It's Nigga! You racists!

I'm just happy we can still use the word "grundle". I don't know what I'd do without it.

Hooray for freedom of speech!

"One wonders what gang of liberal white tossers came up with this foolish idea."

From the article BV links to:

"...angering some black leaders who consider those who use it as ignorant of the word's hate-filled history in slavery and segregation."

This ought to raise some interesting constitutional law issues if they ever find a way to enforce this. There really is no way of flat out removing a word from the collective vocabulary of a society that easily. Whatever.

Can you get ticketed for this? and what might the fine be? would a black person get a ticket just like a white/asian/latino might? maybe just a warning for "nigga"

jesus christ... they're also asking the grammy's not to nominate anyone who uses the word on their albums. people can use the fucking word if they want to. isn't that what the constitution is based on?

there is no way this could be enforced according to current constitutional doctrine. colleges tried to ban "hate speech," their efforts were immediately struck down by lower court and it didn't get any further than that. since there is no enforcement mechanism, this is simply the city saying, "we don't like this word." as the comments here reveal, calling attention to a word in this way seems to usually backfire.

the grammys, as a private entity, can do whatever they want, however.

It's a symbolic ban that carries no penalty, idiots. It says so in the blog post, and it says so crystal-clearly in the article many of you didn't bother to read:

"The City Council unanimously declared a moratorium that carries no penalty but aims to stop youth from casually using the word, considered by most Americans to be the most offensive in the English language"

With that in mind, I think it's a nice way to try and affect usage of the word, but I'm with Chris Rock- I'm not sure what good removing the word will do toward solving any problems.

سيكس

I would vote for a ban on hiphop.

I guess the kids in my neighborhood didn't hear about it. Yesterday, like every day, the youth down the street dropped the n-bomb like they're at a Klan rally.

Except they're black and dress like hip hop artists.

I guess the kids in my neighborhood didn't hear about it. Yesterday, like every day, the youth down the street dropped the n-bomb like they're at a Klan rally.

Except they're black and dress like hip hop artists.

But seriously, for fucks sake, every man-and-woman-minute that was spent discussing, drafting, and passing this proposal would have been better spent on work that actually fixes housing, welfare, and education issues for the least fortunate (overwhelmingly the 'niggers' they seek to serve with this play-pretend law) in our society.

that's mad niggerish!

in the words of rik james

"fuck your couch nigga!"

Words do change meaning over time...being "gay" meant something quite different 50 years ago.

I always wondered why the Flintstones were having a "gay old time."

im personally not involved in any niggardum, but this sure is a kick in our constitutional nuts. i suppose its freedom of speech as long as it isnt hateful or opinionated in any way... that's fair.. right?

what do you think John Ritter (looking down from on high) thinks of Jack Tripper now!

Considering there is a large population of my people in NYC they should ban kike, sheenie, hymie, shylock and heeb too:)