The Thug Image

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What exactly is the definition of a thug? Although the term varies in meaning by individual, we can all agree that its connotation is negative. Anyone is liable to be a thug; however, this term is mostly used amongst the African American race. Many people argue that racism is behind the derogatory use of the word towards African Americans. Others also argue that African Americans place the title amongst themselves. Both sides can make great arguments. The true question is will either argument be fair and just. The term thug should be a unbiased term only used to describe thieves.
Where is the word thug derived from? According to dictionary.com, the word thug means,“One of a former group of professional robbers and murderers in India who strangled their victims.”
The show Indiana Jones gives a bit of insight into the term thug. There was a cult of Indian bandits called the, “Thuggee” that would travel around purposely deceiving people and eventually robbing and killing them. According to Guinness Book of World Records, the Thuggee were responsible for over 2 million deaths of unsuspecting travelers. The relation to the term now and then is very similar, but is also very different as well. The Thuggee were very disguised and clever with their tactics, whereas, the Thugs of the modern day are obvious and deliberate in their actions. The only real and true correlation of the two is violence and death. The term has switched roles completely.
Recently the term thug has been used quite often. In January of 2014, after a hard fought game, NFL player, Richard Sherman had a very intense postgame interview. Following the interview the social media world was sent into fury. Popular social networking websites such as Twitter and Instagram...

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What exactly is a thug? Does the term still mean a deceiver or thief or does it take on a whole new meaning? A common thread with the term now is the African American race. Many argue that the term thug is the new “N” word. In a world full of opinions, who can be right? I believe the word should be done away with. If it is to still be in existence, it should be a nonbiased term in its usage.

Works Cited

Bandini, Paolo. "Richard Sherman: Stanford, Seattle and Post-game Controversies."
Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 28 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"Ice Cube Exposed." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"Thug." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"Thugs." - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"What MISTERROOSEVELT Is Saying." : The Suprising Origins of the Word "Thug" N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

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