Is "posse" a racially charged word?

[PhoSita]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

[Moranis]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

True, but you can read the quotes from Lebron on that subject.  It was clear Lebron took offense to the word posse, which has been used in a derogatory manner for quite awhile.  Not necessarily a racist manner, but certainly derogatory. 

[snively]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

Of course it was disrespectful (not posse, but the whole point he was making) - that's what 70 year olds do to 30 year olds and always have and always will.

What it isn't is racist. And LBJ pretending that it is seems like a way to dodge the criticism and turn this into a completely unrelated social justice issue.

[RIPRED]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

True, but you can read the quotes from Lebron on that subject.  It was clear Lebron took offense to the word posse, which has been used in a derogatory manner for quite awhile.  Not necessarily a racist manner, but certainly derogatory.

Tom Brady's posse is upset that people think posse is a derogatory word:

[Rosco917]

Labron thinks of himself as much more than a mire basketball god. He see's his collection of hanger-on's as
Associates in business and contemplation.

This is why LBJ gets on my nerves.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

Oh, we KNOW why... because he lacks understanding of what the word posse means and its usage.

[Clench123]

Grab 'em by the posse!

[green_bballers13]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

Oh, we KNOW why... because he lacks understanding of what the word posse means and its usage.

This should almost be grouped with freedom of speech thread. If Lebron is angry that Jackson said that, why do people feel the need to tell him that he shouldn't be offended? Seems like that is an effort to restrict LBJ's right to express his opinions. People are allowed to have differences of opinion!

If Lebron is offended, why is it your role to tell him he shouldn't be?

[TrueFan]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

True, but you can read the quotes from Lebron on that subject.  It was clear Lebron took offense to the word posse, which has been used in a derogatory manner for quite awhile.  Not necessarily a racist manner, but certainly derogatory.

Tom Brady's posse is upset that people think posse is a derogatory word:

I'm pretty sure it was used often in the 90s amongst African Americans. White people probably started using it to be cool. I guess we never got the memo it's not cool to say anymore.

[D Dub]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

Oh, we KNOW why... because he lacks understanding of what the word posse means and its usage.

This should almost be grouped with freedom of speech thread. If Lebron is angry that Jackson said that, why do people feel the need to tell him that he shouldn't be offended? Seems like that is an effort to restrict LBJ's right to express his opinions. People are allowed to have differences of opinion!

If Lebron is offended, why is it your role to tell him he shouldn't be?

I think you answered your own question.  Freedom of speech goes both ways. 

He can express his dismay over the use of a word, and we can express our opinions that he's an idiot for going on a tirade about a word he had to look up to figure out if it offended him or not. 

[Moranis]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

Oh, we KNOW why... because he lacks understanding of what the word posse means and its usage.

This should almost be grouped with freedom of speech thread. If Lebron is angry that Jackson said that, why do people feel the need to tell him that he shouldn't be offended? Seems like that is an effort to restrict LBJ's right to express his opinions. People are allowed to have differences of opinion!

If Lebron is offended, why is it your role to tell him he shouldn't be?

I think you answered your own question.  Freedom of speech goes both ways. 

He can express his dismay over the use of a word, and we can express our opinions that he's an idiot for going on a tirade about a word he had to look up to figure out if it offended him or not.

see now that is just nonsense.  You assume Lebron didn't know what posse meant and had to look it up.  That is pretty offensive in and of itself.  And no matter what the actual definition of posse is, it has been used quite frequently in a derogatory manner and it was clear from Phil's entire statement he meant it as a jab.  Lebron had every right to be p---ed and should have been.  Phil was talking out of his bum and was wrong.

[D Dub]

Here's the thing - Nobody in this thread is an authority on why LeBron found Phil Jackson's words disrespectful.

Oh, we KNOW why... because he lacks understanding of what the word posse means and its usage.

This should almost be grouped with freedom of speech thread. If Lebron is angry that Jackson said that, why do people feel the need to tell him that he shouldn't be offended? Seems like that is an effort to restrict LBJ's right to express his opinions. People are allowed to have differences of opinion!

If Lebron is offended, why is it your role to tell him he shouldn't be?

I think you answered your own question.  Freedom of speech goes both ways. 

He can express his dismay over the use of a word, and we can express our opinions that he's an idiot for going on a tirade about a word he had to look up to figure out if it offended him or not.

see now that is just nonsense.  You assume Lebron didn't know what posse meant and had to look it up.  That is pretty offensive in and of itself.  And no matter what the actual definition of posse is, it has been used quite frequently in a derogatory manner and it was clear from Phil's entire statement he meant it as a jab.  Lebron had every right to be p---ed and should have been.  Phil was talking out of his bum and was wrong.

well, he did talk about reading the definition of the word in that espn article. 
and it's a matter of public record that he doesn't have a college education --- is it really that much of a reach?

so sensitive everyone these days. 

[PaulAllen]

The Young Guns were a posse

[incoherent]

LeEdited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. strikes again. Im glad the entire internet is backlashing towards him and only ESPN will Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.foot around it.

[LooseCannon]

It is reasonable to see how a black man might be offended by use of the word posse" in this context, but it's not as if most white people are pressed to understand this in their everyday life.  Phil Jackson was either willfully malicious in his comments or he was ignorant of how black people feel while working in an industry full of black men.  How ignorant do you think he is?

This is a prime example of white privilege.  Phil Jackson can survive without needing to care about how a black man might take his words.  A black man doesn't have the same margin for error and has to be much more aware of the concerns of white folks.

Everyone also needs to learn the difference between denotation and connotation.  Denotation is the literal definition of a word.  Connotation refers to the associated meanings of a word that go beyond the dictionary definition of the word.  Anyone who points to that literal, dictionary definition as all that is needed to understand the meaning of Phil Jackson's words doesn't understand how language works.

There are many words and phrases out there with seemingly harmless denotation, but have a negative racialized connotation when spoken by a white person to a non-white person.  If you are white, you may not understand this because you haven't been on the receiving end of these words while also observing things like tone and body language that make clear the contempt and disrespect behind some of those words.  If you are white, you may have used these words and been unaware that you have been expressing subconscious feelings and emotions while using them.