The Controversial "N" Word

Interesting how verbal language has tremendous power to shape attitudes and influence our behavior.... So SAD how the consequences that derive from the meanings given to words can create such turmoil and in cases even lead to violence. It is even more surprising to me that these ascribed meanings are given by insignificant people who in our current lives no longer exist nor have a clue of who we are and of our existence.... It saddens me that people are still attached to words that were created in the past to classify and degrade people. Yet, people have given a new meaning to this particular word that instead of spreading the new, upgraded meaning, to destroy that wall separating cultures, they hang on to it because of the history that according to them is only understanded by them.
To point this specific word out... let me bring up monday's class, the heated argument about who can and can not use the "N" word was debated. As i sat quietly listening and observing to my classmates argue about their point of view and explaining the meaning of the "N" word; i began noticing people's reactions to this subject. I observed how everyone whether speaking out or just listening began to become noticibly uncomfortable with the subject being argued. I began noticing how a few of my classmates who were speaking out about their point of view became heated and eager to get their point across and how they each wanted for everyone to see it the way they saw "their world".
At that moment i began to think to myself that there had to be a middle path in which this debated word would be lost in the past and where it would not have such a negative feeling whether it was said by those who can say it or those who can not! I began to notice how some people live in the past and how most of their present actions are well expressed by their beliefs and how they only see black and white. As my mind wondered off... i also thought that if some people only see black and white something can be done to get them to see GREY .... Do you understand me? Well if you dont, just think that when you mix a bit of black and a bit of white it creates GREY.... and i honestly believe that in order to get rid of any stereotypes and prejudice created by words such as the "N" word we must come to a common understanding of meanings to such words. “Ignorant people see life as either existence or non-existence, but wise men see it beyond both existence and non-existence to something that transcends them both; this is an observation of the Middle Way.” -Seneca-