Oh, now THAT I quite agree with - I had a long, long post about "cunt" about a year ago. Will post a link to it when I get a chance ....
On "nigger" and all it's variations ("nigga", etc.) ... I think that even within the black community it's still a serious point of contention, not least of all because it *can* still be used as an insult, which is what makes me leery of putting it in the fully reclaimed category. One woman calling another "bitch", or "faggot" between homosexuals is generally used pretty lightly (or acknowledging one's own "share" in the word, anyway, when it's used hurtfully), but "nigger" is still a deadly insult even within the community at large, and it's used to Other the recipient. I think that's what makes me classify it seperately, at least in my own head.
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On "nigger" and all it's variations ("nigga", etc.) ... I think that even within the black community it's still a serious point of contention, not least of all because it *can* still be used as an insult, which is what makes me leery of putting it in the fully reclaimed category. One woman calling another "bitch", or "faggot" between homosexuals is generally used pretty lightly (or acknowledging one's own "share" in the word, anyway, when it's used hurtfully), but "nigger" is still a deadly insult even within the community at large, and it's used to Other the recipient. I think that's what makes me classify it seperately, at least in my own head.