The ban reflects a growing unease about using the "N-word" |
The city council of New York has voted to ban the use of the word "nigger".
The resolution to ban the so-called "N-word" is largely symbolic as it carries no weight in law and those who use the word would face no punishment.
But it reflects a growing unease that the racial slur is now part of everyday conversation and that the taboo against its usage has been swept away.
The word is in common usage among sections of the younger generation in the United States. ... for America's so-called hip-hop generation using the word among themselves is about self-empowerment.
Its usage is habitual and seems culturally fixed and to stop it is likely to take a change in their attitudes rather than an edict from elected officials.
Addendum
The Beeb followed up on the news story with a feature.