Why is the n-word offensive?

How come when I say the and word thats in a song when I walk by some black people they get all jumpy and stuff?

was that a serious question? because back in the day, when black people were owned by white people, they would call them, n* but I dont approve of african american people running around calling their fellow people the n- word, because it is being hypocritical.

It's one thing for a black man to use it and a totally different thing for a white man to use it. . . So it's best to just drop it from your list of usable words. . .

because that's what the whites used to call them when they were racist back then it's like calling a white person a cracker or white trash,you just shouldn't say it period!

You should avoid ever using this word which is so degrading since back in the slavery days. I don't like people calling me Maria. That isn't even as offensive. Just calling someone something that doesn't represent them would be considered offensive. I wonder why you decided to ask such a question. It's obvious it's offensive.

Hundreds of years ago it just meant 'black'. Now, as everyone is saying, it's been so loaded with hatred, insult and degredation that its original meaning is lost. It's a word that needs to drop out of our language. There are a lot of alternative, non-offensive words available instead.

Because its encompassed with a history of oppression, slavery, rape, murder, etc...

I dated a blk guy and he said it meant a dirty person someone looked down upon and when white people use it it degrades them as humans.

Seriously?
UGH. Because N*gga means a black dumb person.
When a black person sayss whats up my n*gga , its really saying hello [ nobody should really use it ]
But when a white person says n*gga their using it in a bad way, even when they dont mean too.

like melissain said, it degrades them as humans.

Actually, I read an article in an newspaper about the proper usage of the n-word by nonblack people one time. It said that some black people let nonblack people call them the n-word because they know the person is not racist.