With the latest RIDICULOUS distortion of Huck Finn, I think it's a good time to have this discussion. There was already a thread about Huck Finn, and I'd like this thread to be about the N word in all its uses, real-life, fiction, music, you name it.

I ask the question: should the word die? if people will not use it, it will die eventually. It will still have its place in history, but everyday people will not have it in their lexicon.

HOWEVER - it is not going to die anytime soon. Because it's mostly used by afro-americans these days, and in a very different sense than its original historical meaning. It became a word similar to "brothers" "guys" "dudes", even bearing a positive meaning at times, depending on its use.

So my second question is: is there anything wrong about using this word in such manner? would you say that afro-americans are hurting themselves by keeping this word alive?

What about white guys using it, and not in offensive manner, but in the same way black guys are using it? is that where you draw the line and say "no! white men should never use it!" -- when a white man says it, it surely becomes offensive / awkward / doesn't feel right. And declaring that whites are not allowed to use it -- is that in itself a racist declaration?

My third question is therefore: can white people use it with their afro-american friends, or would you say that it's best if whites will not use it at all?

Now, about literature: people speak against changing Huck Finn saying that "at the time of writing, it was a common word" -- but what about current fiction? if someone decides now to write an afro-american novel, or a novel which features afro-american characters -- the novel could have these characters using this word in their dialogue, and you can't argue that it's untrue to our times, because like it or not, the word is still in use.

So my fourth and final question -- is there anything wrong about using this word in current/future literature? I think most people agree that past literature should be untouched.

In the bigger sense - should fiction even be subordinate to realism?

And finally, should writers refrain from using all sorts of "bad words" - should certain words be banned, or is there total freedom in writing?

Thanx for reading