According to the dictionary, the noun "thug" can be defined as: "a cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer." However, anymore, it seems as if the term is used only in reference to a certain demographic - African-Americans. Seriously, when's the last time you heard a white guy referred to as a thug? Take your time...
This especially seems to be the case with regard to far right-wingers. Check out such a site. all of the comments below the article, and try counting the number of times commentators refer to an African-American as a thug. Then go through and count the number of times they call a person of a different race (especially whites) a thug.
Just over the past year, I've heard the following comments:
- "Richard Sherman is a thug!"
- "Barack Obama is a thug!"
- "Basketball is full of thugs!"
- "Trayvon Martin was a thug!"
- "Most rappers are thugs!"
Never have I heard any of the following statements:
- "You know who was a major thug? George W. Bush."
- "Robert Downey, Jr. was a thug back in the day."
- "I can't stand those '80s rock-star thugs!"
- "Phillip Rivers is kind of a thug."
- "The sport with the most thugs is definitely golf!"
It seems that since 99% of people know not to use the n-word, many have instead attempted to hide their prejudices against African-Americans by referring to some (or many) as thugs. They may be getting away with it for the most part, but an increasing number of people are catching onto their little scheme, including Jamelle Bouie of The Daily Beast, who wrote the following:
"...these constant declarations of Obama's 'thuggery' are a dog-whistle - an attempt to make the president a dangerous 'other' without resorting to the kind of language that earns wide public condemnation. It allows the speaker to indulge in racial taboos without ever crossing the line.
It's a nifty trick, and one that we should expect to see for the remainder of Obama's presidency, and whenever a famous African-American - like [Richard] Sherman - crosses some invisible line of perceived misconduct."
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/27/richard-sherman-is-right-thug-is-the-new-n-world.html
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thug?s=t
This especially seems to be the case with regard to far right-wingers. Check out such a site. all of the comments below the article, and try counting the number of times commentators refer to an African-American as a thug. Then go through and count the number of times they call a person of a different race (especially whites) a thug.
Just over the past year, I've heard the following comments:
- "Richard Sherman is a thug!"
- "Barack Obama is a thug!"
- "Basketball is full of thugs!"
- "Trayvon Martin was a thug!"
- "Most rappers are thugs!"
Never have I heard any of the following statements:
- "You know who was a major thug? George W. Bush."
- "Robert Downey, Jr. was a thug back in the day."
- "I can't stand those '80s rock-star thugs!"
- "Phillip Rivers is kind of a thug."
- "The sport with the most thugs is definitely golf!"
It seems that since 99% of people know not to use the n-word, many have instead attempted to hide their prejudices against African-Americans by referring to some (or many) as thugs. They may be getting away with it for the most part, but an increasing number of people are catching onto their little scheme, including Jamelle Bouie of The Daily Beast, who wrote the following:
"...these constant declarations of Obama's 'thuggery' are a dog-whistle - an attempt to make the president a dangerous 'other' without resorting to the kind of language that earns wide public condemnation. It allows the speaker to indulge in racial taboos without ever crossing the line.
It's a nifty trick, and one that we should expect to see for the remainder of Obama's presidency, and whenever a famous African-American - like [Richard] Sherman - crosses some invisible line of perceived misconduct."
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/27/richard-sherman-is-right-thug-is-the-new-n-world.html
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thug?s=t
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