the word: I notice you didn't answer my questions. I guess they were beyond your pay grade.

This is just like with Jennifer Lopez saying " I tell them niggas to mind their business but they don't hear me though", her song with Jan Rule: I'm real. Big ass comotion from that. Or Fat Joe with him saying " nigga I'm from New York" neither one of them is black, but are of minority race. No one makes a fuss cuz FJ said it. JLo said it now Gwen said it, give it a rest. People of different races say nigga all the time, the word is becoming more comfortable in usage amongst everyone. Its our term of "endearment" now its every races term of endearment

To write: "Black people sit around all day" and use the word is to ignore any sense of context. Adults should be able to recognize that context is very important in any situation, including this one.

the word: Which parts of history should we ignore? All of it, or just the "bad" parts? The Declaration of Independence was also a "long long time ago." Should we forget it now?

I am black, and I for one think people are blowing this out of proportion. Black people sit around all day and call each other niggas and its even the damn title of the song. She is Beyonce's bff and DID NOT mean anything mean by it. If blacks are so offended by the word(I'm not because I use cracker ALL the time). We should stop calling each other it. Plus, they are more important issues going on, this is no big deal