I would suggest that if white people 'took' the N word and started using it 'as their own'. There would be understandable outrage from the black community.
Of course there would be right now, but maybe in a more enlightened society of the future where black people were not having to defend their rights to be part of the human race from bigots, the word will take on a new and more positive meaning. In fact this is the process that is going on now in the use of the word by Black People to Black People. Just as the Spurs fans have changed the word Yid by adopting it for themselves.
In a more enlightened society, football fans from any club would not have to use racially motivated chants to engender a sense of camaraderie. As it is though in todays society, it's still a problem and Spurs as a club should tackle this issue proactively, rather than getting defensive about it, or worse still trying to ignore that it's even a problem.
Regardless of it's pronunciation, it is a racially motivated word, with negative connotations. I think it's extremely arrogant and insensitive to claim that a group of football fans can 'claim' the word from the Jewish community and change it to suit their own needs. Indeed even your players, ex players and your Chairman - who is himself Jewish - are coming out to condemn it's use
PISKIE if you are going to use quotes without revealing your source then I cannot take them seriously. You have just disagreed with the Oxford Dictionary which is a world recognised authority and declined to quote your reference. Now you quote Levy with no context!
I guess at the moment then, for Spurs fans to ignore the obvious racial motivation behind this word, we will have to consider you 'unenlightened'. Maybe in time, your club and your fans will be forced to address the issue that you clearly want to bury your heads in the sand over.
Your lack of reply is noted. Ignoring the points I made, in order to make an argument which has IMO been rubbished is a non argument. I am happy with my position and feel you have been unable to support yours.
You're free to believe what you want, but I don't share your view - and the fact remains that Spurs fans are using a racially derogatory word, albeit in the belief that they are championing the cause of Jews, when in fact they have no right to 'claim' it from any religious group to suit their own needs. It's a misappropriation, which causes offence to some quarters of the Jewish community. Your refusal to acknowledge that and your refusal to acknowledge that your own players are calling for you to stop using it is the problem that Spurs face. Your assumption that it's not offensive is the argument that should be rubbished
Yeah, on second thoughts I'd better knock this reply on the head in case it comes across as more offensive than intended...
I find this to be a joke to be honest. The use of a term is not in and by itself derogatory...context is involved. Referring to "the black guy" in the corner is a reasonable way to make clear who you are referring to. That is very different to "that ****ing black ****" which is (in my opinion) using race in an abusive way. You can swap the word black for white/asian etc. Spurs fans singing "Yid Army" - "Yiddio yiddio" etc is NOT aimed at anyone ... it is used as a badge. It is very different to the "spurs are on their way to Auschwitz" and "hissing" sounds thrown at us. There is a valid discussion to be had about whether or not using "YID" is a good thing or not but to be honest I find the argument that spurs fans are causing a problem truly ignorant as we only did this AFTER receiving anti Semitic abuse. Piskie is wumming on the wrong subject - and makes himself look like a twat. As for some of the people behind this campaign...like David Baddiel...funny how he with Frank Skinner on Fantasy Fottball in the mid 1990's was happy to make a joke about Ronnie Rosential not passing to Yurgen Klinnsman which had the punch line of "the war was a long time ago"...hypocritical twat springs to mind. By all means have an on going discussion via the website, fan sites, the match programme, open letters and spurs magazines to discuss if it's time for us to stop using the term "YID" ... but do not accuse us of abusing anyone with it cos we don't. For the record I can see why it maybe time to stop but in truth I think this is not dealing with racism in football or wider society
It is Spurs' defence that they do not mean offense: However it is not a chant amongst themselves as they openly chant it at games, where it is likely that Jewish people will hear it and be offended by it. Indeed writers from the Jewish community have already said that it is offensive to Jews and Spurs' own players have pleaded with fans not to use it. In my opinion and I would suggest that of the law too, that it is no defence to simply say 'I didn't mean it' If that were the case I could go around shouting 'N****' around black people and claim that I wasn't using it in a pejorative term, but to empower them.
