Philly WR Cooper racial slur and McCoy's reaction
- Thread starter ISUFan22
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Here's the thing. The n word was used against an entire race and in parts of the country just 50 years ago, these people were not allowed to vote, not allowed to use the same drinking fountains, restrooms, and had to give up their seats on buses. They were treated by many as less than white people.
Crackers is a dumb term and I would be offended if I was called one, but I can truthfully say that 50 years ago, many white people were not treated as less than human.
This is all pretty stupid. It is threads like this that make me realize that race relations in this country still have a long ways to go.
Same reason gay people use the word queer to reappropriate it. To lighten it to make the word less painful, some gay people hate this some don't. Same is true.for the African American community. Context matters he said it jokinly in the lockerroom he may get some funky looks, but he said it in a hurtful demeaning way. Maybe he is a racist maybe not but he messed up and will have to earn back his teammates trust.
You really think that is the same thing? And the same context? If he said it jokingly in the lockerroom he may get a few wtfs and some laughs. I was the only white guy on an allmost all black defense in college, believe me it is about context and whether it is percieved as intended to degrade. I never would but if I had said it to my teammates effing around nobody would have taken offense because they would know I wasn't using the word to catefiruze them as less than me. If they heard me use it like this jackarse did they would. That really that hard to understand?
Wow...how is this so difficult??? I have gay neighbors they call each other queer all the time but if my redneck neighbor across the street yelled hey queer go home they shouldnt be offended. Really? You dont get this?
I agree, he doesn't really owe anybody an explanation. Any statement he gives will be strictly for his own good.There is a probably a greater emotional bond on a professional sports team than most occupations, so it may not be that similar to your situation.
And it sounds like his coworker McCoy will continue to work with him and do his job professionally. But he certainly well within his right to end any friendship with the guy. And I can understand why people might not feel like talking to him or sticking up for him right now.
What if you were the boss. You expect your employees to work as a team and one of them made national news letting the world know he thinks that an entire race is subhuman. Oh and that subhuman race is the majority race of your employees. You bet your *** he owes his coworkers an explanation, if he worked for me he would be fired. Depending on how sincere and out of character it was I may let him apologize and try and earn the office/team's respect back. But to act like that was an unreasonable request for an employer to make, do you really believe that?
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I have a good friend--young African from Zambia I work with...fairly westernized in our culture after 3 years here
He has little knowledge of race relations/history here, MLK jr doesn't mean much to him, and he laughs at anyone getting worked up over the 'N' word....He fails to see why it's a big deal (he brings this up)
just refreshing to talk to him about anything--race or not....No awkwardness with any topic. he's color-blind in that way.
No chip on his shoulder...nothing.......
The only down side--he loves Obama despite being a conservative and devout church-going guy.
ignorance is bliss....
He has little knowledge of race relations/history here, MLK jr doesn't mean much to him, and he laughs at anyone getting worked up over the 'N' word....He fails to see why it's a big deal (he brings this up)
just refreshing to talk to him about anything--race or not....No awkwardness with any topic. he's color-blind in that way.
No chip on his shoulder...nothing.......
The only down side--he loves Obama despite being a conservative and devout church-going guy.
ignorance is bliss....
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Also lets break down the what the word cracker comes from...The word cracker comes from in the field when the overseer would crack his whip. The slaves would call him a cracker because he cracked his whip.
There are two different meanings for each word both historically and contextually so I am tired of the crap of trying to equalize each. I have always been upset with African-Americans using the n word in "mainstream" setting because in the past it was used just within in the communities and black people would never use the terminology in front of the masses. It was always a apart of the sup-culture but had respect enough to know when to use it. Do I agree with the usage by anyone...NO but I also find it funny groups of people who really dont have to worry about discrimination much in America harp and get upset because they can't use ONE word.
FWIW- Also when the term redneck came about it was for poor white people who had to work as overseers or people in the field and would get red necks from the sun. It was a way for upper class white people to degrade the lower class.
There are two different meanings for each word both historically and contextually so I am tired of the crap of trying to equalize each. I have always been upset with African-Americans using the n word in "mainstream" setting because in the past it was used just within in the communities and black people would never use the terminology in front of the masses. It was always a apart of the sup-culture but had respect enough to know when to use it. Do I agree with the usage by anyone...NO but I also find it funny groups of people who really dont have to worry about discrimination much in America harp and get upset because they can't use ONE word.
FWIW- Also when the term redneck came about it was for poor white people who had to work as overseers or people in the field and would get red necks from the sun. It was a way for upper class white people to degrade the lower class.
Yeah it is the history that makes the word offensive. To him the word is probably like cracker, a slur with no painful history.
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How long have Cooper and McCoy played together? I have worked with several of my co-workers on a daily basis, spent time with their families and been around as their children have grown up for the last 6 years. I interact with these people on every day and are very good friends with many of them. I have taken care of their children when they need and been there when their parents have passed away. Are you telling me that LeSean McCoy and Riley Cooper have a greater bond than I do with some of my co-workers? I don't buy it. In the NFL, players come and go, it is a fact of life. I think that Riley Cooper said a terrible thing to that security guard, he needs to make amends to that security guard. If the rest of his team doesn't like him, so be it. We have people in our office who I don't care for on a personal level based on some of their actions, but I certainly am not going to let it effect my professional relationship with them. We won't be going out to dinner or on vacation together, but I doubt that Cooper and McCoy were going to do that either.
I don't know any white people that want to use it. Apparently in drunken frustration Riley Cooper used it towards a security guard. I would doubt he uses it on a daily basis, but that is just conjecture on my part.
His context definitely makes it worse.
I still think he would be getting raked over the coals if he had said in a joking, non-angry or demeaning context.
