The Bumper Sticker said “What”?

KELVIN CARTER | STAFF WRITER

Bumper stickers are usually interesting to read on the back of cars. Usually they are used to support a cause, represent a school, or to campaign for a candidate. Not only are bumper stickers an option to use; they also can be the best way to express one’s self. Recently there has been a picture online of a bumper sticker that is against the re-election of President Obama. Although it’s main purpose its to vote against Obama, this sticker alone could cause a racial uproar.

The new slogan for people who are not voting for Obama for another four years in office is, “Don’t Re-Nig in 2012”. While this sticker is suppose to persuade people to vote a certain way it also insults a specific race. For most spades player we know the meaning of reneging, to play a card that is not in the right suit, when one is capable of playing the right suit. Applying the card game to this sticker it can be interpreted to mean be cautious of voting for the wrong individual when it’s not the right suit, or race, on the playing field.

Regardless of how one may interpret the sticker the main issue is that this sticker is offensive. The actual terminology for Spades is reneging. When you look at the bumper sticker the word has been changed to add the letters NIG, short for the “n-word.”

When referring to our president this sticker is calling him that derogatory name. This word does not apply to a president who was capable of obtaining a degree from an Ivy League school. How can an ignorant person be voted in office and be capable of accomplishing economical goals during his term? If one was to call our current President inferior, or ignorant then you are calling the nation ignorant for voting this man into office.

As a black individual, I worry about seeing these stickers on a car ahead of me or behind me. To know that someone would present this derogatory bumper sticker in the streets makes me worry about what other brave things an individual would be willing to post on their car; or what kinds of actions this individual with the bumper sticker is willing to commit. I wouldn’t support a sticker that embraces ignorance by using the words “Re-Nig”.