A week ago, Michael Richards, aka Kramer of “Seinfeld” fame, went into a rage at a Los Angeles comedy club when two African Americans allegedly heckled him, telling him that he was not funny. Richards stopped his act and went into a cascading rant of racial insults.

The N-word flowed enough to gratify a Klansman’s soul. Richards concluded his rant with an excursion down memory lane, reminding the audience that 50 years ago he could have turned the chatty blacks upside down and stuck a fork in them. Later, after what many believe was pressure from Jerry Seinfeld, Richards apologized on the David Letterman show.

Normally, a racial incident among the rich and famous, accompanied by the N-word, generates heated conversations. Everyone recalls that the O.J. Simpson trial careened off course when F. Lee Bailey grilled the infamous finder of the bloody glove, Mark Furman, about the N-word. Later, audiotapes revealed Fuhrman had said the N-word thousands of times.

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Nevertheless, many black rappers shout the N-word to the heavens in their rap lyrics. Without a doubt, the word is a staple in most rap songs. Furthermore, Chris Rock, in a highly touted stand-up act stated that he “hated n****** but loved black people.” Millions of blacks roared with laughter and lauded Rock for his insightfulness.

While black folks clearly make the distinction between the two versions of the word, it is also apparent that for whites who regularly use the N-word, the two terms are interchangeable. Critics argued that Chris Rock’s performance gave whites a license to use the word incessantly.

Nonetheless, a key question that has emerged centers on what many believe is a double standard. Specifically, why it is morally wrong for whites to say the N-word, but it is perfectly acceptable for black people to use it on a daily basis?

Black analysts have argued that historically the word was a term meant to debase and demean African Americans, but now, blacks have reclaimed the word, transformed it, and have claimed ownership. Theoretically, it is a term that is permissible for use within the group, but outsiders cannot use the word (even though outsiders do).

I would argue that there are two main issues at play in terms of the usage of the N-word. First, the meaning of the N-word within the black and white communities is radically different. In short, when black people say n***a and white people say n***er, they have two entirely different connotations.

Various people use the two words on a daily basis, albeit with different motives. There is “my n***a” in referring to a close friend. There is “n***a please,” used when someone is telling you an obvious fabrication. There has also been Niggaz With Attitude, the rap group better known as NWA.

Then, there is n***er, which is probably the last word James Byrd heard while being drug by a pickup truck in Jasper, Texas.

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Moreover, when Michael Richards referred to the two African-American hecklers, he was not planning on dining with them at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffle House after the show. Last year, I received an anonymous e-mail from a cowardly reader who said I was nothing but a n***** and that I would always be one. I knew I was not his or her “n***a.”

It is clear that the furor surrounding the N-word will not end, and the controversies about it will rage. However, as I sat at my keyboard and I contemplated the N-word debate and the pain the word causes, I concluded that it’s an ugly insult, no matter how one slices it.

Adolphson has a master’s degree in history and is working on a woman’s studies certificate.