"The changing of the use of the word was important as a signal to others that the ideas were indeed changing/changed. Words express ideas and some ideas should not be acceptable to a civil society, not through laws and legislation but interactions between a moral and just people."
First, let me be crystal clear; I'm not *advocating* for the use of the n-word😅. I'd be very happy to see it disappear from the vocabulary of everybody on the planet. Black and white. I have never and would never direct it at anybody, but I also think it's ridiculous that any reference to it, even when clearly in context, is treated as an act of racism.
As for attitudes changing, we might be dealing with a "chicken and egg" situation here. Thankfully, children are almost always less bigoted and stupid than their parents were, especially as our societies become more diverse. But did people become less racist because they stopped saying Ni**er Town? Or did people stop saying Ni**er Town because they became lest racist. I suspect the latter.
In fact, I'd argue that the name being dropped was a sign that attitudes were already changing. A critical mass of non-racist thinking had to be reached before anybody felt strongly enough to take the map down. But you obviously have more insight than I do here, considering that it's your town.
I completely agree that words express ideas and that some ideas aren't acceptable in a civil society. I'm just trying to dig down past the idea that "you shouldn't insult people on the basis of their skin" and get to "what do you mean by 'insult people on the basis of their skin'?! That doesn't even make sense!"
The former is a good start. But to me, the latter is the goal.
"The changing of the use of the word was important as a signal to others that the ideas were indeed changing/changed. Words express ideas and some ideas should not be acceptable to a civil society, not through laws and legislation but interactions between a moral and just people."
First, let me be crystal clear; I'm not *advocating* for the use of the n-word😅. I'd be very happy to see it disappear from the vocabulary of everybody on the planet. Black and white. I have never and would never direct it at anybody, but I also think it's ridiculous that any reference to it, even when clearly in context, is treated as an act of racism.
As for attitudes changing, we might be dealing with a "chicken and egg" situation here. Thankfully, children are almost always less bigoted and stupid than their parents were, especially as our societies become more diverse. But did people become less racist because they stopped saying Ni**er Town? Or did people stop saying Ni**er Town because they became lest racist. I suspect the latter.
In fact, I'd argue that the name being dropped was a sign that attitudes were already changing. A critical mass of non-racist thinking had to be reached before anybody felt strongly enough to take the map down. But you obviously have more insight than I do here, considering that it's your town.
I completely agree that words express ideas and that some ideas aren't acceptable in a civil society. I'm just trying to dig down past the idea that "you shouldn't insult people on the basis of their skin" and get to "what do you mean by 'insult people on the basis of their skin'?! That doesn't even make sense!"
The former is a good start. But to me, the latter is the goal.