We have no business using that word. Period.

do you consider yourself to belong to? In my family, opinions were split almost perfectly on generational lines.

It is a word that should not be used.

There appears to be a difference of opinion on this which splits along generational lines. I'm curious about whether that is unique to my family or is a general difference of opinion.

This is not an academic, intellectual question? Using that word is hurtful. Just stop.

did I say I'd used the word? Where did I say that?

and abiding by some other groups' rules as the very barest of baselines of good faith, or at least adherence to social pressure to not assert their privilege at every opportunity.

Older ones? Not so much, I've found. A white person asserting that they get to decide when the word is used - regardless of their age - is asserting white privilege, dead stop.

This was the kind of perspective I was looking for when I posted this question.

During the discussion, I did not necessarily feel the older generation was asserting they get to decide when the word is used, and that is an interesting perspective on that argument.

I appreciate your reframing.

I’m 74. I’m glad the younger generation told you to cut it out. Gives me hope for the future.

I’m hoping other white people will jump in here so black people won’t have to explain…once again…that white people shouldn’t use that word.

that I was one of the ones saying it was OK to use the term.

Why would you bring it up, especially in this forum? Why do you want to make African American people discuss this with you as if it was some interesting, inter generational phenomenon?

Using that word is racist.

A Jewish movie producer and his wife saw a film filled with misogyny, denigrating words, degrading images.

Leaving the movie, the husband commented how much he enjoyed himself.

The wife countered: what if they were depicting Jews like that?

….

The offended party gets to decide what’s offensive.

Except, perhaps, as evidence in a hate crime trial.