Niggardly Controversy

[zobia]

**Details of the Niggardly Controversy
**
Washington, DC’s black Mayor, Anthony Williams, gladly accepted the resignation of his white staff member, David Howard, because Mr. Howard uttered the word ‘niggardly’ in a private staff meeting.

      Webster's Tenth Edition defines the word 'niggardly' to "grudgingly mean about spending or granting".  The Barnhard Dictionary of Etymology traces the origins of 'niggardly' to the 1300's, and to the words 'nig' and 'ignon', meaning "miser" in Middle English.  No where in any of these references is any mention of racial connotations associated with the word 'niggardly'.

      In other words, it's a perfectly good and useful word.  But there is the unfortunate coincidence that it starts with the same four letters as the word "nigger".  The news media are so loathe to use the "N" word, that they've been substituting the phrase "racial slur", as in "...they mistook the word 'niggardly' for a racial slur..."

      Washington, DC's population is 60% black, and it's citizens have been very critical of Mayor Williams for "not being black enough" -- especially because he hired several well-qualified whites to help him run this troubled city.

      Racial intolerance, ignorance, and misplaced political correctness have cost a white mayoral aide his job in Washington, DC.   And, as many of the other stories on Adversity.Net clearly illustrate, the "niggardly" controversy is only the tip of the "intolerance iceberg".

Immediately below are several prominent news stories about this insane and sad example of ignorance and racial intolerance.

D.C. Mayor Acted ‘Hastily,’ Will Rehire Aide (Thu., Feb. 4, 1999 - Washington Post)
"D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams said yesterday that he will rehire a former top aide who resigned last month because some city employees were offended that the aide used the word “niggardly” in describing how he would have to manage a fund’s tight budget.

      "Williams, whose quick acceptance of David Howard's resignation last month led to a national debate over racial sensitivity and political correctness, indicated in a statement yesterday that he had made a mistake and "acted too hastily" in allowing Howard to resign as head of the city's constituent services office.

      "The mayor said that an internal review had "confirmed for me that Mr. Howard did use the word 'niggardly,' but did not use a racial epithet" during a Jan. 15 discussion with two employees of the Office of the Public Advocate. "Niggardly" means miserly and has no racial connotation.  Locally, [the controversy] focused attention on Williams's discomfort over criticism from some black residents that he has brought in too many white department managers who have little feel for their community."

source

ps. just heard it on pod-cast so decided to share. the pod-cast was about how english is losing word as they are turning into swear words.

[anagnorisis]

Re: Niggardly Controversy

Does the word philistine have racial connotations?

[Gamma_Dilation]

Re: Niggardly Controversy

i think people get too stuck up and take things too far. Relax mah brothers take a chill pill...its aite... noamsayin dawg

[chacha_Ghalib]

Re: Niggardly Controversy

i didn't know washington d.c. was 60% black... anyways

poor bloke

[goodnews]

Re: Niggardly Controversy

Yar kehny ko tu kehty hain kally kally Allah ky piyary magar yahan kuch kallon ny bhi att chuki hoi hy Like Oj Simpson waghaira waghairah:chai:
PS: Waisy lafz tu kalon per aiysa fitt bythta hy na kia bataon meaning daikhy baghyr tu by ikhtiyar in kalon ko “Niggardly kahin ky” kehny ko dill chahta hy:hehe:

[goodnews]

Re: Niggardly Controversy

@chacha_Ghalib

i didn’t know washington d.c. was 60% black… anyways

poor bloke

Tumhin apni population ka nahi patta tha uff:smack:

[Mamaof3]

Re: Niggardly Controversy

I'm sorry if I sound hard but lets get a grip here people. These things are taken WAY too far. Niggardly means something far different and is properly used in a context that is in no way racist. People are WAY too sensitive sometimes. I mean, its WAY ok for a black guy to greet another black guy with "Hey! Wassup NIGGA?" ...yet if a white guy says the SAME thing, they get murderous or hire an attorney to sue the ass off the poor white guy. I dont know, it just seems to me to be a bit OFF kwim?