A few weeks ago when EF had the dust-up about Swiss kids in blackface, the OP caught a lot flack for giving the Swiss school system minus 1 million points because of perceived level of willful ignorance.
Wouldn't this be another example of the Swiss school system again perpetuating a certain level of ignorance? Or is this another Swiss behavior that foreigners should just get used to?
The difference is the perception part. This time does pretty much everyone agree that Neger is a bad word. Even if the pre-school uses some old materials... I guess they'd need to be older than me or most pre-school teachers in order to still have Neger as an acceptable term in it.
Last time many didn't agree that it was racist or bad at all as the concept of "blackface" is American and not known here. At least I didn't know about it before... and was able to come up with positive explanations for the things the OP then observed.
So while I fully agree that this time there is no doubt that the pre-school is wrong, we still have no clue for what occasion the girls dressed up last time.
The difference is the perception part. This time does pretty much everyone agree that Neger is a bad word. Even if the pre-school uses some old materials... I guess they'd need to be older than me or most pre-school teachers in order to still have Neger as an acceptable term in it.
Last time many didn't agree that it was racist or bad at all as the concept of "blackface" is American and not known here. At least I didn't know about it before... and was able to come up with positive explanations for the things the OP then observed.
So while I fully agree that this time there is no doubt that the pre-school is wrong, we still have no clue for what occasion the girls dressed up last time.
I am not so sure, really. I find the issue very similar. I am glad both brought it up to our - and whoever is reading this - attention.
Re: Should the word "Näggr" be used in Swiss German?
For the people who truly care about the subject. This in an interesting documentary on the "n-word". I makes some of you think twice about writing it out or even using it.
Knowing, that it is an offensive term in both English and German, I must say, that I feel truly offended and disappointed, that the EF allows open usage of this word.
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Re: Should the word "Näggr" be used in Swiss German?
It never fails to amaze me how some people feel themselves so vastly superior to others,
that they name-call in this way.
Who the f*** are they to judge and put down others???
Re: Should the word "Näggr" be used in Swiss German?
I am surprised that this thread has even generated some discussion. I lived in Switzerland for 9 years and interacted as a child in Swiss-German with others up until I was 17 going on 18. I had dark-skinned friends in Switzerland. Never not once was the word "Naeger" used to refer to people of African descent. I have heard a common use of "Schwarzi" but other than that, the word "Naeger" was never used in a non-racist manner. The only time it was used was when my friends and I encountered a bunch of skinheads at our school and they called my friend a " huere naeger", but you can guess whether or not they were trying to be racist.
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I am surprised that this thread has even generated some discussion. I lived in Switzerland for 9 years and interacted as a child in Swiss-German with others up until I was 17 going on 18. I had dark-skinned friends in Switzerland. Never not once was the word "Naeger" used to refer to people of African descent. I have heard a common use of "Schwarzi" but other than that, the word "Naeger" was never used in a non-racist manner. The only time it was used was when my friends and I encountered a bunch of skinheads at our school and they called my friend a " huere naeger", but you can guess whether or not they were trying to be racist.
Well, a sample size of 1 is usually enough for the EF...
No biggie, on to the next popcorn-crunching thread..
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Re: Should the word "Näggr" be used in Swiss German?
I think those who never been a trully member of a obvious minority don't understand the real implication of words like this...
When you never been in this situation, when the chance to be in this situation yourself is very very low if non-existent, too often, too many people don't give a shit about it and will argue it is a cultural thing, not something bad, bla bla bla...
As long as you never been the target, you don't know how it feels.
Also most people have enough empathy for others but still too many weren't there when empathy passed by...
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Well, a sample size of 1 is usually enough for the EF...
No biggie, on to the next popcorn-crunching thread..
Well what are you trying state? If you disagree why not have the courage to explain your own opinion on how you feel about the usage of the word "naeger" rather than making a snide comment?
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This is a common usage, but personally I feel it's one of the worst. I've never met an actual "Black" person, unless they've been painted with black paint.
I have met many people with dark-coloured skin, but never black.
Similarly I don't call lighter-skinned people "White" people, or "yellow" people.
Personally I feel the extreme-colour palette generalization is the most offensive of all, but that's just my opinion.
Yeah, Chris Rock pointed out that if any of us saw a genuinely "white" person that we would be likely to run screaming. Afterall only albinos are even close to white and even they aren't really that white.
My daughter, who is a beautiful milk chocolate pities me by saying "poor daddy is stuck being pink.".
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Re: Should the word "Näggr" be used in Swiss German?
If I read the OP correctly, her child - who is dark skinned - was bullied by other children who chose to use this word in a deliberately intimidating way. Failure to address such behaviour at source merely serves to reinforce the idea in the bullies that such treatment of a fellow human being is acceptable.
I find some of the "it's not that bad posts" on this thread to be particularly lazy and offensive and I have to wonder at the attitudes of some EF members.
With regard to the school's response to the complaint from the parent, personally I would have escalated the matter until something was done. Tackling the parents of an individual child is one thing, however the school should have policies in place for dealing with bullying and other intimidation of children on grounds of race, nationality, creed, gender or sexual orientation. The school is failing in its duty of care otherwise.
Cheers,
Nick
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What completely baffles me (and makes me cringe)...is how many people here, have no problem or inclination posting racial slurs and other offending material.
Because they have never been on the other end and can have true idea of how truely terrible it feels and how evil it is to the soul.
Humans discriminate and generalize as a function of mind and it is difficult to ownthat this same ability when exercised in a different manner or context can be so hurtful and destructive. It is the "not me" response when we don't want to accept responsibility for our own actions, intentional or not.
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Why is it when the word "Nigger" comes out of a white man's mouth they are labelled as racist? And yet when a black man, called his fellow black man a "Nigger" No complaints whatsoever?
I'm sorry but I think some people are just over reacting on the subject.
Here's a relevant story for you.
I remember a year ago or so when I was still living in the U.K. There was news about banning the use of "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (children's nursery rhyme) on the grounds that it was racialist because of the word "Black". My first reaction was. You what??
Yes, but just because you can find mentally defective examples of reactionary stupidity like this doesn't mean that the used of Ni***r and it's derivatives aren't racist. This view is a false syllogism.
Nice picture. Is she your daughter?
. One reason I why don't post pics of my daughter on the web...
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