Nigger, Please: CNN's Don Lemon Wants Reporters To Say It

Black anchor is fine with N-word being used

People on the internet (including us) have been giving CNN a hard time over the last couple of days about their sudden infatuation with the word "nigger."

Over the last couple of weeks, two of their white correspondents opted not to say "n-word" but instead say the actual word (with the -ER) when quoting two suspected hate criminals. But, Don Lemon who works for CNN and has used the word on-air himself, doesn't see a problem with it.

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"I hate saying ‘the n-word,'" Lemon tells the Huffington Post. "I think it takes the value out of what that word really means. Especially when we’re reporting it. And I don’t care what color the reporter is. I think someone should say, that person called someone ‘nigger,’ instead of saying ‘the n-word,’ because I think it sanitizes it...in the reporting of a story, you should say the word.” 

However, Lemon is not cool with your favorite rapper just saying the word all willy nilly.

Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters of The View agree.

"Do not eliminate it," Goldberg said when the topic came up. "It's part of our history." 

"If I were quoting somebody else, and it's intrinsic to what the person was saying, then you have to be able to say it," added Walters.

As the NAACP and other organizations are busy fighting other battles, don't expect them to touch this one, this time. But, if reporters are going to be allowed to say "nigger" will they also be allowed to say every other slur and cussword under the sun as well? Should they?

To be fair, CNN has allowed people, like Glenn Beck at that, to use the word "faggot" on the same grounds. GLAAD gave them hell for it, but at least it appears that CNN doesn't favor one slur over the other.

[Also Read: Is The N-Word Making A Comeback?]