This is an awesome discussion, but I have a question for those board members who say white people should never use the word.

What are the limitations? Am I really expected to say "the n-word" instead of "ni**er" when discussing something like its use in Huck Finn? That seems ridiculous to me. If I'm tell a friend about a discussion I overheard where one man called another a "ni**er", why do I have censor the word? We both know what I'm talking about and it isn't like I'm using that word "against" someone.

What are everybody's thoughts? If it isn't being used as an attack and is being used to refer to something, is it still necessary to change the wording?