Maloney apologizes for using N word

(CNN) – New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat, apologized Monday for using the N word in a recent interview while recounting a phone call she had received.

"I apologize for having repeated a word I find disgusting," Maloney said in a statement. "It's no excuse but I was so caught up in relaying the story exactly as it was told to me that, in doing so, I repeated a word that should never be repeated."

Maloney, who is challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for the 2010 Democratic Senate nomination in New York, used the full racial slur in an interview with the Web site City Hall while taking aim at Gillibrand's record.

"I got a call from someone from Puerto Rico, said [Gillibrand] went to Puerto Rico and came out for English-only [education]. And he said, 'It was like saying n—r to a Puerto Rican,'" Maloney said. "I don't know-I don't know if that's true or not. I just called. I'm just throwing that out. All of her-well, what does she stand for?"

Earlier Monday, the Rev. Al Sharpton — a supporter of Gillibrand's bid — sharply criticized Maloney for using the word.

"The quote by Congresswoman Maloney if accurate is alarming and disturbing at best," he said in a statement. "No public official even in quoting someone else should loosely use such an offensive term and should certainly challenge someone using the term to him or her."

The controversy comes the same day Maloney is set to hold a big-ticket fundraiser that includes an appearance from former President Bill Clinton. Clinton has also attended a fundraiser for Gillibrand.

Is it just me or have spotlight-seeking clowns like Al Sharpton set the cause of race relations back far more than they have advanced them?  Here is yet another example of the good Reverend acting in his unofficial capacity of the answer to a question nobody asked.  There was no need for him as self-appointed protector of feelings to comment on this as being such "alarming and disturbing at best".  Are we all a bunch of 5 year-olds?  How can an honest, intelligent and meaningful conversation about racial issues EVER take place if everyone is tiptoeing around all the time and held up for public disdain at the mere repeating of a word?

It's a disgusting word with disgusting, venemous and hateful overtones that conjurs painful memories of a  horrible, embarrassing past...when directed at or about someone.  When it is referred to, it is part of a dialogue...in this case about a parallel to how offensive something was.  But that dialogue can never be honest and the barriers can never be broken down where no one is willing or able to discuss things without getting attacked as a racist.

Maybe it is just me, but it is very confusing.  If anyone has some insight, please share because we obviously need some clarification on the rules.

My own feeling is that it is a word that should be relegated to the depths of history.  I understand the argument that use of the word within the black community is empowering as it takes ownership of a painful epithet and transforms its meaning to one of comraderie and, therefore, turns a negative into a positive.  At least I think that's the goal.  But can continuing the lifespan of a word that can never shake its past really have that effect...even if you change the ending from 'er' to 'a'?  Can it have that effect when its very use in this way further expands the gulf between races?  How can you expect to bring people together when  we become proprietary about the very language we all speak?

I don't know.  Frankly, I don't know why anyone would want to use a word so polluted with hatred and pain, (even if it is masquerading as a term of endearment or kinship).  Unless perhaps, it is in an academic discussion about this very subject.

Is the sentence, "The word 'n_____' a disgusting word with disgusting, venemous and hateful overtones that conjurs painful memories of a  horrible, embarrassing past." offensive?

Only if it is uttered by a public official, as per Sharpton?

What about if it was uttered by Eric Holder Jr.?

Is it only Caucasian, Native, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Aboriginie, Inuit, Hispanic (etc) public officials who are to be chastised in such a case?

Everyone?

Saying 'The "N" word' sounds so childish, yet even saying the word to refer to the word feels gross (as did typing it above).  Unfortunately, it is one of those words that permeates popular culture and, at the same time, that everyone is terrified of.

There are a lot of words that have been dropped from the English language over the centuries...I vote we add one more.  Voluntarily.

If not, maybe we can figure out some clarity on the whos and whens contexts that render it benign and those that are universally offensive.

*note: I had originally include the word in its entirety, but I find it so foul I cannot even reference it for the purpose of discussion.