"wetback"

Nico Jones, d.j. for Latino 96.3…used the term “wetback” on his show…this was his response to an angry email regarding his choice…”Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed email…its purpose was to diminish the negative stigma that the word carries. U didn’t hear the entire show I take it? My mom was attacked by a racist…and I wanted to make that word one that means NOTHING!!! I wish I had more time to write…but got to get to show.”…i wrote to jdub who’s response was that by using this word you were opening up a dialogue…while i respect his passion…and i tried, i tried hard to make myself see his perspective…at the end of the day all i can say is…open the dialogue using and displaying your intelligence as a latino…don’t lower yourself to the level of the white racist by borrowing his term and then trying to explain it away as the fault of your community for not showing up at the polls…and to you nico, on your response to your listener all i can say is…
horseshit…if you’re going to put out such an inflammatory word…then, take the time to answer clearly, concisely and authentically…all you did here was write just enough so you could say…”yeah, i answer all my emails”…you start out by thanking him and then you turn around and invalidate his anger by questioning whether he heard all you had to say and then, you take the route of victim turned survivor…”My mom was attacked by a racist…and I wanted to make that word one that means NOTHING!!!” what kind of logic is this? i was verbally attacked by a racist too…that word makes me cringe…no amount of repeating it over and over and over, in whatever arena you want will make me think differently…and for you to say you want it to mean NOTHING by using it on your show…please, do you think the people who listen in are stupid? you’re backpeddling and it’s disrespectful…
terms like “nigger”, “wetback”, “spic”, “kink”, etc., etc., etc., are terms created to minimize…they are what racists used to keep the non-white or non-christian down…it’s their way of ignoring that the person(s) they are referring to is an actual human being…you can’t take that kind of ugly and make it funny or take away it’s meaning…this is tough to get…don’t ever forget the hate and disparagement behind those words…you can’t take a word apart from it’s meaning or it’s purpose for being created….those words have their place in history…sadly….all you’re doing is keeping them fresh on the scene…you open wounds and then you pour salt on them…
i won’t tell you how to do your show…but here’s my consejo, for what it’s worth…challenge your listeners to think for themselves…challenge them to get off their butts and get out there and vote…it’s not enough to spark a protest and encourage them to rise up in the streets…we must as a community understand that to effect change, we have to do the whole nine…you are in a priviledged place in that you have a medium to voice your views loud and clear…man, be smart and think outside the box white america has tried to stuff you in…