photo by Artists for Humanity

Old slurs are the new slang

How many times do we hear comments like “Hey slut” or “Watsup nigga” as we are walking through the halls at school? Does it even bother us anymore to hear these words used? It’s been ground into us that these terms and racial slurs are wrong, but teens use the words carelessly, daily, even affectionately when they talk to each other. We’ve used the slang so much we’ve forgotten their original definitions or created our own. Words that began as insults have turned into casual greetings. When did these words become OK to use in everyday speech?

When we were younger, the most popular insults kids said to each other were “Stupid Head,” “Smelly Face,” and “Butt Head.” Now that we are in high school, insults have become considerably worse, and attacks more personal, yet they don’t offend people half as much as being called ‘stupid head’ did.

Words that have negative connotations are now being used casually. Dictionary.com defines a slut as ‘an immoral or dissolute woman; a prostitute.’ How did it become casually acceptable to say ‘Hey girl who sells her body for money, watsup?’ Has the meaning of these words changed or are we using them ignorantly and without thought?

Nas’ new CD “Nigger” is another example of this common use of once offensive language. Since when is it OK for a derogatory term formerly used by slave masters to refer to slaves, or people who were considered ignorant, to be plastered across hundreds of thousands of CDs? The N-bomb has most likely been the most controversial word to date. While many African-Americans casually and consistently use the word, it is still considered to be a racial slur. Says Boston Arts Academy student Erica Telisnor, 15: “I think that when people use the N word it’s very derogatory and insulting.”

However, other teens don’t consider the n word nearly as offensive. Darien Bishop, 16, says: “It’s OK to use it in a social context, the one I use isn’t offensive. It has to be used by the right people.” On the other hand, Mikey Mollyneaux, 16, says, “My friends who say it aren’t offended.” Others, like Katie Woo Rainer, 15, don’t think the word should be used at all. “I think it’s wrong and people shouldn’t be able to use it,” she says. Many teens also believe using the word is ‘taking it back,’ or making it our own.

It is my strong opinion that derogatory terms and insults, such as the ones mentioned above, should be just that, derogatory, and shouldn’t be used to refer to friends and companions. Words that have such poisonous origins shouldn’t be used at all, and especially not casually.

Teen mom aims for college

As a single mother coming out of a domestic violence situation, I would like to provide a better future for my 2-year-old son, Abraham. I do not want to worry about where we are going to live or how we are going to survive. I want to do something I am passionate about, something that makes a difference in the world and the lives of others, and most important, something that will make a difference in my son’s life. This is the reason I am aiming to go to college. I want to be a good role model for Abraham. I do not just want to tell him to be a successful person. I want to show him, by doing it myself.

I grew up in Venezuela surrounded by poverty. I remember how difficult it was to survive. I watched my mother struggle to take care of her family and I saw how hard it was because she had no education. It broke her heart when my brothers stopped going to school in order to help make ends meet at home. I will not allow the same thing to happen to me. Or to Abraham.

I am proud to be the first one from my family to graduate from high school and go onto college and I know my family will be very proud to see me achieve my academic goals and a college degree.

I am passionate about education. Knowledge brings wisdom and a sense of responsibility into a person’s life. The more educated a person is, the more aware a person becomes of issues in the world. Going to college is a way to learn what issues affect our society and what we can do to help. This is why attending college is vital for me.