Before losing his world light heavyweight title to Welshman Joe Calzaghe on Saturday night, Bernard Hopkins had assured his fans, "I would never let a white boy beat me. Never." The bold — and what I consider to be ugly — statement raises a question about which editor Lauren Williams and I had a lengthy discussion last week: What if a white person had said something like that?

Let me be clear, I in no way believe the world's whites have, as a whole, suffered in the way the world's blacks have, and, for some reason not easily put into words, I think this grants blacks some leeway as far as what is socially acceptable language. (For instance, "cracker" will never be hurtful in the way "nigger" is.) But, as the saying goes, just because you can doesn't mean you should, and bigotry comes from the same place within everyone, regardless of the sensitivity of the targets. Had Calzaghe stood at a press conference and announced, "I'll never lose to a black boy," the fight very well might have been canceled because of the public outcry for Calzaghe's head. Why wasn't there a similar reaction when Hopkins publicly equated white with weakness (a declaration ultimately proved to be untrue)?

Words are powerful, and it's a shame historical circumstances have rendered some slurs more acidic than others, but that doesn't mean anyone — no matter their background — should go around flippantly mocking people because of the color of their skin. In fact, very often, it's best to shut up and let your actions speak for you. That's a lesson Bernard Hopkins could stand to learn from that world champion "white boy."

This needs to end: "So you didn’t date any black girls?" Not since I've had a curfew have people been so concerned about with whom I spend my time.

I'm not going to rehash my sexual history with the Internet, as it's really not anyone's business, but I will say that most of the women with whom I've had relationships have been white. And here's why:

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From the inbox:

Cord, in 2001 you stated in your essay that you joined a predominately white fraternity and only dated white girls….but you have the audacity to act upset when some of the Black students talk about you negatively. Why didn't you join a black fraternity? Why didn't you date black girls….and no, not just light bright and darn near white black girls….because I know your type tends to project a European ideal on black women. It sounds like you suffer from the same thing you criticize in others. Cord, did you finally come to the realization that you were a black man because you knew you couldn't pass for white?

Ironic use of "audacity," no?

• Someone put a muzzle on the Atlanta NAACP's chapter president. He's one Michael Vick praise away from losing his seat. [WSBTV]

• When rappers sign record deals are they automatically given a pamphlet titled How to Launch Your Own Clothing Line? [BS]

• The Louisville school district is already feeling the heat from their school integration Supreme Court loss. [LCJ]

• Western artists have to cover up and change lyrics when they perform in majority-Muslim, conservative Malaysia. Beyonce's going to need to tape down her dress during her concert there. [ href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/22/arts/AS-A-E-MUS-Malaysia-Sexy-Concerts.php">IHT]

• A white guy in Buffalo wins $150,000 in a reverse workplace discrimination lawsuit. [ND]