British Man Cleared of Racial Abuse Charges: Says Use of N-Word Was 'Term of Endearment'

 

 

guardian- A court has cleared a man who shouted the word "nigger" at a black man of racial abuse, after he claimed he was a rap music fan who used the term as an endearment.

Christopher Jones was found by North Staffordshire magistrates to have used the term widely seen as one of racist abuse, but not to have used it in a hostile way.
He told magistrates he used the term regularly on the streets around his home in Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent.
Jones was charged by police and in court pleaded not guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour which was racially aggravated.
After his acquittal, Jones said he had more black friends than white ones and added: "I can be sat with a black friend and I will say 'What up, nigger?' and it's a term of endearment."
Jones told his local newspaper, the Sentinel: "I am not a racist, it was used as slang. For me it is a term of endearment, not something racist.
"I like hip-hop and it is a word that is used all the time in music."
Jones, whose Facebook page describes him as a "chief tokin futha mucka", was arrested in September after a row outside his home where the term was used, and during the incident his wife was injured. It was alleged he used the term while detained by the police.
In court, his lawyer, Rob Holt, said: "He is from an estate where the phrase is frequently used.
"This word has crept into the English language and is used on a regular basis.
"His use of the word is popular culture."
Peter Herbert, a part-time judge and chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, said: "Staffordshire is not known for its multiculturalism or hip-hop culture.
"The 'N' word is generally unacceptable in the UK, including in rap music circles and on the streets. It is much more common in the United States."

Nice try Christopher Jones you chief tokin futha mucka you. You almost had me when you said you had more black friends than white ones in court. But there is one slight problem with your story. Nobody says "What up, nigger?" Everybody knows that the correct way to say it is "What up, nigga?" with an "A" at the end. The only people that leave the "R" on the end are absolutely without a doubt, racists. And don't say correct pronunciation was lost in translation. You're from England dude, where they invented the English language, so you can't use that as an excuse. Also, the incident occurred during a dust up outside of your home. It doesn't sound like the black gentleman in question was a friend of yours. Just because you have black friends that are cool with you calling them the n-word (and just a heads up, if you ever cross the pond, that shit doesn't fly in the states. The writer of the article should remember that too.), doesn't mean screaming "nigger" at a guy in a fight should be considered a term of endearment. I demand a retrial!

PS- How was this a crime? See this is why we can't get rid of guns in this country. The police would run out of things to arrest people for, and silly laws like this would become the norm.


Dispatches from the War on Christmas: CA senior apartment complex bans Christmas tree.

Newhall, CA- Residents in a Newhall senior apartment complex are protesting an order from management to remove their beloved Christmas tree from the community room because, they were told, it's a religious symbol. On Wednesday, two dozen residents in the 75-resident complex gathered in the lobby to place a neon green sign that read: "Please Save Our Tree."
On Tuesday, Tarzana-based JB Partners Group Inc. sent a memo to staff at The Willows senior apartment building demanding they take down Christmas trees and menorahs in communal areas.
"We're all angry. We want that tree," said Fern Scheel, who has lived at the complex for nearly two years. "Where's our freedom? This is ridiculous." Max Greenis who has lived at the complex for a year with his wife, Bonnie, said he's considering withholding his rent in protest of what he calls an abomination of the holiday tradition.
"I've got grandkids and they come here and now they'll ask, `Grandpa, where's the Christmas tree?' Then I'll have to explain that someone said we couldn't have one. What kind of message is that sending to the kids?" Greenis asked. After the protest - really more of a gathering over coffee and doughnuts to angrily air their concerns - some residents got so riled that they began taking the tree apart themselves. Some even took parts of the artificial tree back to their apartments in defiance. "For some folks this is the only Christmas tree they'll have all season," resident Robert Troudeau said. "There are people overseas fighting for our freedoms and dying and we're here fighting over things like this. It's a shame."

The folks over at JP Partners really fucked up this time. You think the Occupy Wall street protesters were a tough bunch to get rid of, imagine two dozen senior citizens with nothing better to do but protest the forced removal of a shitty Christmas tree in the common area of an apartment complex. That is absolutely beyond insane. Unless JB Partners can somehow cut off the supply lines of coffee and donuts that are keeping these brave men and women in the fighting spirit, I could definitely see this protest continuing well into the new year, or at least until Jeopardy starts.

PS- Max Greenis can drop the sob story. I'm sure his grandkids will have much more important questions to ask when they come and visit like, "When are we leaving?"

PPS- I have no problem with Robert Troudeau bringing the troops into this. This is, after all, a war on Christmas.