The following post contains racial epithets, they are only used to qualify questions and illustrate points. They are not my personal sentiments. I don’t use these words in my every day life, but some do, and its my intention to determine why its acceptable.

Everyone needs something to protect.

Dogs protect their property. We lock our doors. We buy gates, alarm systems and fences. And we purchase insurance just in case our own methods of protection fail us, we’ll have a back-up plan. We protect ourselves against each other and acts of nature. We buy guns and keep the kitchen knives on the counter in a big wooden block, so they’re close at hand.

But how do we protect our children against racism, discrimination and epithets?

Isn’t it self explanatory? The way I see it is: racism, racial epithets and discrimination = wrong. period. But this is just what I think, as it turns out, things may not be so black and white.

Perhaps I have these ideals because I appear lily white and have never lived anywhere but a blue state. I also own and wear Birkenstocks....’nuff said.

It has come to my attention that some ethnicity's may feel that using racial epithets is a-okay if you are of the race you’re presently dissing. Call me crazy, but I have always thought that in order to use an epithet and actually get away with it, you needed to be 1 of 2 things: ghetto or Chris Rock.

How far does racism extend? Because it seems like it knows no boundaries. My brothers girlfriend is Chinese, but my brothers friend has a girlfriend who is Vietnamese and she doesn’t like the Chinese girl, based on ethnicity. The Chinese don’t cotton to the Japanese since they plowed through their country in the 1930’s, and now I find its acceptable for all Asians to toss around the term “Chink”, with impunity and regardless of their nationality?

It goes without saying that some black men call each other “Nigga’s”, its part of the whole ghetto thang and that's their deal. I do know however, that if someone who isn’t black makes reference to that, there's a whole lotta trouble commin’ down the pike. and rightfully so.

The minute I hear an epithet fall out of someone's mouth, I don’t care *who* they are, my opinion of them changes. I immediately think of them as crass and ignorant, unless they actually *are* Chris Rock. There is no good reason why an intelligent person should stoop to throwing out ignorant slurs. If you’re hangin’ in the hood and your drug deal’s just gone bad, throwing out epithet after epithet is generally warranted, otherwise, shut your mouth.

I thought it was practically the duty of minorities to ensure that they were not slurred, not to *actually slur each other.* Am I wrong? What's going on? I need to know these things because I am the mother of a Chinese daughter and if someday she comes home waving gang signs and spouting “Chink” here and there, should I be concerned or give her her props?

When we encounter racism or slurs isn’t it our civic duty to stand up and say “hey that's not ok”?, especially when we have adopted children who’s ethnicity is being defiled? Standing up for your children is one of the cornerstones of parenting, in my opinion.

Laying to rest centuries old labels and monikers is especially important for multiracial families. There are families who will only adopt from Eastern Block countries because the children will be white and there is less chance of strangers knowing they are adopted or commenting on ethnicity. That is just s.a.d. Its sad that they feel that way and its even sadder that they *have* to feel that way in the year 2006, in the United States.

Even if an ethnic slur is not directed at you or your child, hearing it or reading it and saying nothing is allowing it to continue. It's been said before:

“The evils that befall the world are not nearly so often the product of bad people as they are the result of good people who remain silent when they should speak out.”

How do you feel? Speak out.