The “n-word”: Far too many people of all races say it. Many young African Americans in Baltimore neighborhoods regularly use a derivation of the word as a term of affection.

But forget about discussing why people use the term. People avoid the topic. They shouldn’t.

Racism is named as the reason blacks fill our prison population in Baltimore. Racism is named as the reason many African Americans cannot get a ride in a cab in the city. And racism is named as the reason so many cold cases involving black victims remain unsolved.

None of these issues can be addressed if we keep running away from the topic or if it is only discussed as part of a blame game and not as part of a constructive debate about how to overcome Baltimore’s problems.

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Former MSNBC Radio shock jock Don Imus’ firing for racist remarks about the Rutger’s women’s basketball team highlighted racial tension between whites and blacks. Infamous hypocrite Rev. Al Sharpton told Imus he would accept his apology to the basketball team and the black community so long as he lost his job first. Yet, only after pressure from the media did Sharpton say rap artists should be held to the same standards as Imus and decline to attend a major gala to honor record executive Antonio “LA” Reid he had helped to plan.

Divisive leaders like Sharpton do nothing to solve the drug, gang and gun problems plaguing Baltimore City.

Bill Cosby famously criticized exactly the type of blame-someone-else mentality advocated by Sharpton — a mentality that requires no accountability for the problems the black community faces.

African-American journalist Cynthia Tucker pointed out in a 2004 column that “in 2002, black men were likely perpetrators in more than 40 percent of the homicides in which a suspect was identified. They also accounted for nearly 40 percent of the nation’s homicide victims (proving that black men represent the greatest threat to one another). That’s a staggering statistic for a group that represents less than 6 percent of the population.”

While bigotry cannot be ignored, issues such as the number of young men who impregnate women and become dead-beat dads, the gang-influenced “role models” portrayed in the rap community, and the sexist, racist lyrics in their songs, as well as music videos promulgating guns and violence, must be addressed.

And all people, regardless of their race, should not fear being called racists for wanting to have a broad-based, open forum to discuss these issues. This is a call to Baltimore’s religious leaders, white, black and Hispanic community leaders, and elected officials to put together a summit on race where TV cameras are turned off, and all parties agree to discuss race openly and freely in an effort to work together to solve race-related problems.

Through dialogue we can really make a difference and address the perception that people don’t care about change. But nothing can be achieved if everyone is too afraid to talk about racism.

Tom Moore hosts “The AES Tom Moore Show” from 10 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays on AM 680 WCBM.His Web site is www.tommooreradio.com.