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Originally Posted by ASBSECU E93
Ok - I'll clarify my comment...and provide you with a little perspective.
I grew up in the deepest, darkest, Redneck South. Growing up - I had limited exposure to people of color until I was about 8 years old. Suddenly - I move to the opposite of my childhood. Suddenly, I became a minority in the community and school when I moved to the Eastern (and still rural) part of NC. Literally - one of 5 white children in a school of 400 students.
Fast forward many years later - I am yet again a minority due to the place I live and work (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian). Even though I held a position of authority - it was incredibly difficult to function in authority simply due to my perceived lack of understanding of their culture.
I have experienced some of what it is like to be a minority in my life. It's one thing to be 'redneck'...it's worse when you are 'poor' and 'redneck'...It is entirely another level to be poor, redneck, and the only white kid in the school...
I am not PC (Not even remotely close to PC); however I am sensitive to perceptions and ethnic boundaries with respect to slang and the use of these terms. Couple this with being from the South, where so much racial hate began and continues to survive. Even when racial slang is used as terms of affection - the realistic perception of me using this term is far different than someone who identifies with that ethnicity using that same term...
Now - I'm gonna pull my ghetto pass back out and resume our regularly scheduled program  |
Makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.