What are your thoughts on..

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OK, so there is this song by Patti Smith, which I've countless times have either read or heard people say that they find the song to be racist and offensive. I find it very sad that people look at the song that way, because in my head that's not the message of the song. Many people i think focus on specific words, like the word "n****r", and then when they have taken notice of these, they stop properly listening to the lyrics, but by doing that they also miss out on the true moral of the song. I'll let you have a listen to the song first (The lyrics under the video):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1o68h4Usqs[/youtube]

What i see Patti Smith doing in this song, is actually pointing her finger at how our society often times treat people poorly because they in some way are different. Those who have been treated differently / are held outside of society" are most times actually better better people than those inside of society. I feel she's trying to say that she would rather be with those pushed "outside of society" than the rest, since she feels at home with them, she find love there and have much greater respect for them, because the other people instead show hate, and she rather not surround herself with such negative people. And i also think the reason she uses the n****r word the way she does and with that depth and power is to sort of underline to those people whom treat people that horribly and use that word, "Hey horrible person! this is how sh***y you sound, like your the freakin boss of power. But you know what the more you use that word, and the more your treat people the way you do, the more they rise above you, the more i love them. And I'd chose them over you any day - because in them i see goodness, but in you i see hateful words and lack of the ability to see people for whom they really are."

Maybe it's just easier for me to not get offended by it because, that word doesn't lay so close to my heart as for others.. But i truly do believe that the song was meant to be racist in anyway. If it was I'd lost the respect I've got for Patti.

What are your thoughts on this song?

I agree with you.

Its not a racist song (actually anti-racist).

Its what you said- using the word 'n****r' to mean 'outsider', or someone who is marginalized.

You explained it in a more simple way than i did - Good someone look at it the same way i do

sorry am not able to listen to any sound due to profound hyperacusis and am not sure what the lyrics are supposed to translate to.
in general,its political correctness that has infected many a close minded person,this is why some will just hang on the word 'n****r'.

people have also become very hypocritical with their acceptance of language,for example they may go absolutely mental at the use of n****r even when it is in a rap video and two guys are using it in a cultural/street way,yet in so many posts of theirs they call people they dont like/people who have done something silly; ret*ds or fags which are more demeaning,dehumanizing,ignorant,completely inconsiderate of the connotations they bring upon us as well as being vile to those of us who have intelectual disability,and to gay people.

am regulary arguing the point on forums with member bases that do this,they think anyone who is hurt by ret*d or fag are just looking to be offended , clearly we have to many people with first world problems who are lucky enough to not come from a group that is widely discriminated against nor has deep prejudice and hate targeted at it every day across the world,they woud soon enough feel the connotations and hate bite them on the arse if they were one of us.

its generaly not black people who complain about the word 'n****r',again it is how political correctness has shaped peoples thoughts, the same people secretly resent black people and say crap such as 'theyre always using the race card and getting offended over race words' ,people from any discriminated against group tend to be fatigued by and hyper vigilant to such BS,its a pity those who havent grown up like this coudnt experience exactly the same treatment from society,and see exactly why black people; and any other protected/minority group get offended.