Jury Questionnaire

I am not trivializing or trying to diminish Raeana Roberson’s outrage upon seeing a choice between African American and Negro on a jury questionnaire.  Unless someone can prove that there was malicious intent, or intentionally using the word in a negative context it was probably just an oversight.  But I do understand where Ms. Roberson is coming from on the issue.   I get it, I’m an uppity Negress.  Just a click on any number of links will take me to numerous historical slave auction and fugitive slave notices with details about sales or escaped Negroes, I really do get it.  But Negro is not the “N” word in all its derogatory grandeur.  It is the other N word.   Letters or a visit to the governing authority over content and printing these forms should suffice, but blowing this up all over the Internet?  Really?.  I’m sure they will change it now but Negro is a legitimate word.  Old yes, obsolete maybe, but it is being used (less and less as older generations die).  You would think that Ms. Roberson had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder the with all those painful memories that she never experienced. 

I have relatives who still use this word and I know some older white people who use this word.  They are all older but mean no harm in their use of the word.  And unless this is someone’s idea of a sick, racist slight, the questionnaire or jury poll is not using Negro in an offensive manner.  A lot of younger people did not have to endure what some of us, our parents and ancestors had to deal with on the daily and want to complain like they themselves experienced it.  Most of the people in my own generation would not know how to keep our mouths shut so we could get home to our families safely and soundly.  We would tell some racist off in a second.

We didn’t have to use colored facilities, or be refused service at a lunch counter.  With a few exceptions, most of us couldn’t handle blatant racism like those before us did.  Was it fair?  Absolutely not!  But they are the ones who sacrificed so much for the opportunities many of our young folks throw away today.  Go complain to the folks at the United Negro College Fund and tell them that they are being offensive using the other N word.  My point is that we have so many issues facing us as a community and we get up in arms over this?  We need to get past this one folks.  Again, not to belittle or demean Ms. Roberson perspective as it is legitimate, but I would have looked at that  and most definitely kept it moving.  This is a non-issue for me.

Where is the outrage for those who don’t like to use options like Black or “African American”?  I don’t see Biracial or Multiracial listed as options.  Where is the outrage for that oversight?  No laws are being broken here, just a little political correctness is all.  Although, I have a strong feeling that some new forms are being printed up in a hurry.

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