A Port Jervis children's sporting coach took his fight against the ?N? word to the Common Council during a meeting Monday.

"I want to be able to call the cops and say, 'listen, [I?ve] just been called the "N" word,'" Soull Pringle said. "It's a fighting word. There's no doubt about that."

Pringle also wrote a poem expressing his angst over the word, commonly used among black youths who seem to be unaware of its historically painful roots. Additionally, the coach has designed T-shirts with anti-N word messages.

Pringle is pushing for use of the word to be deemed a crime, punishable by a fine.Mayor Gary Lopriore agrees that at least having the discussion is important. "When it's done in a fit of anger ? and then incites further anger by the recipient ? then it's a serious problem," Lopriore said.

If the Common Council proceeds with drafting a law, the matter would be up for public discussion.