On Negros in Vegas

Because I grew up in New England, the first time I entered a pizza shop in Manhattan, I ordered a "meatball grinder." The clerk looked at me as though I was from another planet.

In different parts of the country different words are used to mean different things or may have different connotations, In New England, a sub sandwich is known as a grinder. But ordering that way only causes confusion in Manhattan.

This may come as a surprise to the PC crowd but different uses of words may occur even with regard to the black race. The PC crowd is all in an uproar because Cliven Bundy used the word negro when talking about blacks. They immediately jumped to the conclusion that he was somehow being disrespectful to blacks, but it may just be
that the term is used in parts of Nevada to identify blacks, with no negative connotation intended.

Indeed, Will Griggs links to this video, which discusses Nevada Senator Reid apologizing for using the word negro. Again, could it be that the word negro is in parts of Nevada just an identifier of a person, who is part of the black race, with no negative connotation intended?



And it may go beyond Nevada. The Oxford Dictionary informs:

The 2010 US Census questionnaire was criticized when it retained the racial designation Negro as an option (along with Black and African Am.). The Census Bureau defended its decision, citing the 2000 Census forms, on which more than 56,000 individuals handwrote "Negro" (even though it was already on the form). Apparenly, Negro continues to be the identity strongly preferred by some Americans.

Cynthia Gordy writes in January 2010, in Essence:

 While I agree that "Negro" is behind the times, it isn't so puzzling to me that the option is on the census. People choose different labels for themselves, for all kinds of reasons. My grandfather always referred to himself as "Negro" because, being of his generation, that's the nomenclature he was most comfortable with. I also know a guy who defiantly checks "Other" on certain forms because he doesn't like the term "African-American." I get why seeing the word on the census is uncomfortable for many people, but I also understand the context of the Bureau trying to count as many people as they can.

The late-CBS commentator Andy Rooney had this to say in 2005:

I object every time I hear the words ‘African-American,’ you know? The word ‘Negro’ is a perfectly good word. It’s a strong word and a good word. I don’t see anything wrong with that. Mostly it’s not necessary to identify anyone by skin color. But I don’t care for ‘African-American.’

The US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health has a 1999 paper on its web site titled: Hypertension in the Negro patient

The Urban Dictionary puts an entirely street perspective on the word:

Negro: the coolest way a white man can say "black person" without getting shot

"damn negro u got hops"

As I pointed out earlier, Rand Paul attacked Bundy (SEE: Rand Paul Slams Cliven Bundy) without attempting to understand Bundy's comment in possible contexts. As far as I can tell, Bundy had no intention of slurring black people when he used the word negro or when he discussed slavery in comparison to government interference in black people's lives.

Rand was a total opportunist when he slammed Bundy, attempting to appeal to the politically correct crowd. But, if he is going to slam people, without attempting to understand the context of what they are saying, than Rand has some more statements to issue.