Thoughts on Racial Topics

Being my usual self today, I decided to spend a bit of my time relaxing on my day off. Sure, I have lots of stuff to do, but I believe in taking a bit of time each day to spend for myself. It keeps me much more sane than I should be. Today I decided to spend that time watching an old film. I really enjoy films before the 80's because they can give me a different view because their films are written and shot from a different perspective than today's movies.

Today it is Superfly that I'm watching. A mostly black film from 1972 that deals with a cocaine dealer wanting out of the "thug life", as the description on Netflix says, and what he does in hopes of achieving that. The thing that strikes me first is usage of the word "Nigger" by any kind of person, white or black. I also noticed this in another film from this time period called "Sugar Hill". 

Side note: Sugar Hill was an awesome movie about a black woman who summons zombies with the help of voodoo and how she uses them to take revenge on those who killed her man. 

Seriously. One bad ass film.

So, to get back to my point, the use of the word "Nigger" wasn't always deemed a negative thing. That makes me wonder two things.  First, is this now changed perception because people began to become more tolerant and wanted to avoid negative stereotyping? And second: If it was not that, does this mean that it wasn't a negative term, so much as a dividing term (much like we still call white people... well, white people)?  If so, why aren't white people offended by dividing terms? No one's ever upset me before by calling me a cracker. In fact, it really makes me laugh. 

So am I the tolerant one, or am I just the insensitive one?