After reading the FCC v.
Pacifica case, I came across this story about how NYC is banning the use of the “N” word. By no means do I support the use of the word; however, I think this still demonstrates an attempt by government to regulate speech.
In FCC v.
Pacifica, the court looked at the content and the context of the “speech” to determine whether it deserves First Amendment protection. The court looked to see if the speech carries any type of social or political value. I believe this word has social and political value due to its negative connotation and history as a racial slur against African Americans. However, I think the connotation of the word changes depending on the circumstances or the context in which it is used. I believe the “N” word carries a different meaning when used in among the Hip Hop music community. It appears the proponents of the campaign seek to ban the use of the word among rap artists. I believe the strongest argument for the hip hop music community would be the context factor. When used under these circumstances, it is not to demean or offend but rather reflects a meaning established and accepted by the hip hop culture.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-02-28T231559Z_01_N28254477_RTRUKOC_0_US-NEWYORK-WORD.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage2
