Word Games

"It's our word now." -- Rapper Ice Cube, after chastising TV talk show host Bill Maher for using the N word.
   
   In a unanimous ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal trademark law that banned the use of offensive labels.
   Such terms are still in use, but the law forbade the users from getting a trademark for them. The case was brought by an Asian-American rock group calling themselves The Slants. In the past, the Washington Redskins football team tried to get a trademark for their name, but opposition from Native Americans and the law prevented it.
   The court's ruling was based on the freedom of speech grounds guaranteed by the First Amendment.
   It seems that when others use a word with derogatory intent, it's a bad thing. But when those in the target group use it themselves, it's OK.

   Historically, many minority groups have been the target of words with negative, racial, ethnic or other derogatory connotations, and even now many people will not use them. However, many who had been targets of those term have embraced them, and used them to identify themselves. As a result, the terms lost their nastiness and have come into general use.
   One example is the set of terms used to refer to Irish-Americans, including mick and paddy. In fact, the term "paddy wagon" was invented to identify the truck police used to haul away Irish-Americans involved in violent urban activities in the 19th Century.
   Eventually, the Irish themselves embraced the terms, and the words lost their negative aspects.
   Later, other terms were coined to refer to other minority groups, including the K word for Jewish Americans, as well as words beginning with W and D for Italian Americans. In wartime, there was an N word for Japanese and a K word for Germans.
   In time, these words faded from general use and have not been heard for years.
   
   Now we see other minority groups embracing previously racist terms and using them proudly. Inevitably, one case reached the Supreme Court, brought by The Slants, who wanted to trademark the name but federal law prevented it. SCOTUS upheld the band's appeal.
   One immediate effect will likely be a move by the professional football team in Washington to trademark their name, enabling them to prevent other souvenir makers and sellers to market stuff with the Redskins label.
   Socially, however, there remain many terms that are not acceptable to members of minority groups, even as they may use such words themselves.
   All words have connotations as well as denotations. They have direct, specific definitions, as well as other attitudes associated with them.
   Consequently, as Bill Maher learned the hard way, some words can be used by members of a group but not by others.
   Or, as the rapper Ice Cube put it, "It's our word now. You can't use it."