Gaffer Tape said: I'm certainly not in favor of anyone saying hate speech that offends anybody, but I just can't wrap my head around this particular word.

if the word that you refer to here is the n-word, go watch Roots and get back to me. It is a word that slave masters used to refer to their black slaves. It is very offensive to black people. I think they have a right to request that the word never be used again.

Gaffer Tape said:

But my main beef is that, if it's so terrible a word to use, why are those insulted with it okay with using it in regards to one another?

First off, I am not ok with anyone using it. But their defense of that would be that because of the history of slavery and discrimination, white people have lost the right to use the n-word. I don't agree with that logic, but that is the argument I've heard given. I have also heard many black people say that no one, including other black people should use the n-word. They are bothered when rappers and other black people use the n-word.

I mean, it's a bit of a leap between "terrible offensive hate word" and "modern slang."

But, yeah, it's really the oversensitivity that gets me, particularly in regards to niggardly. I honestly can't believe there's ever been a real controversy over that. Anyone with the least bit of sense should look at that and immediately laugh it out of court. But the sad thing is, that word is going to die. Why? Because white people are genuinely afraid of getting fired/beaten up/called a racist.

to be honest, until that incident with David Howard, I hadn't ever heard of the word niggardly. To use such an unusual word, knowing how similar it sounds and is spelled to the n-word, and not immediately explain the difference between the two words is asking for trouble. David Howard(unless he is real stupid) had to know that what he said was going to be misinterpreted. What does it say about him that he didn't make himself more clear or choose another word?