Alligator Online

Friday is the newsroom's day off work.

You see, we don't print a paper on Saturday.

But the Editorial Board hears that more than 50 students marched to our offices in protest of Tuesday's cartoon and its use of the word "nigga."

Several UF administrators joined the effort.

We weren't there, but we get the point.

And we agree that "nigga" is a word that shouldn't be floating around in our society. We agree the word should never appear in a news story. We agree that it does not represent all African Americans, by any stretch of the imagination.

But we're not going to apologize.

Instead, we want the administration, which has taken such a strong stance on the situation, to take a look at its own policies.

UF President Bernie Machen calls on us to print an apology because the cartoon "poison(s) the ongoing struggle to overcome the racial barriers that divide our country."

If we're reading this right, Machen wants us to retract any political commentary that propagates the use of, in his words, "damaging stereotypes."

Fair enough. We understand and respect that position, even if we disagree on whether the cartoon accomplished that.

So now we want Machen and administrators to follow through with their grand ambition.

In less than three weeks, Wayne Brady will grace the stage as the main performer for Gator Growl. He will be paid $65,000.

Not familiar with his work? Brady is a black comedian who uses "nigga" repeatedly in his stand-up.

And the administration approved his appearance at a pep rally that is arguably the most well-known event at UF.

Will UF officials protest an artist they are bringing here themselves? An artist who uses "nigga" in the same context as our cartoonist?

If Machen was willing to prohibit all alcohol advertisements in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center because they encouraged drinking, he should be willing to pull Brady because he's propagating the same "damaging stereotypes."

But he can't stop there. Brady is part of a trend.

Charlie Murphy should have never stepped on campus. "Nigga" flows from his mouth like the Mississippi River.

Kanye West himself will perform at the O'Connell Center soon. His lyrics are riddled with the word.

We want administrators to prove they don't want this kind of racist commentary within the university. Instead, they seem to be encouraging it. How irresponsible.

We have received many letters from students who resent the way these black performers use racist words. This doesn't represent their culture or their feelings on the issue. The entire black community does not use the word "nigga."

But a part of the community definitely does.

In fact, the first letter we received on the issue was from Black Student Union Treasurer Jeremy Watson. It turns out he is one of those who spreads it throughout society.

He is part of a Facebook group called N*ggas that Pledge.

We doubt he is racist. But if we spread it, then so does he.

Protesting the Alligator for printing a cartoon that depicts an existing cultural norm does not rid the world of that flaw.

We are the opinion section of a newspaper. We comment on societal norms and politics by pushing the envelope.

So to UF administrators: We're glad you have taken this opportunity to open up a discussion on the danger of the casual use of "nigga" in Gainesville and in the nation.

It means we've done our job.

Now run with the idea and actually take a stance.

Rather than focusing on a depiction of society, why don't you actually go out and protest the real thing?