Nought

"'Noughts . . . Even the word was negative. Nothing. Nil. Zero. Nonentities. It wasn’t a name we’d chosen for ourselves. It was a name we’d been given. But why?'"Callum McGregor 's dislike of the term nought

A nought was a person who was white and treated second-class citizen in the world of the ruling Cross. Noughts are not treated as equals, they are normally poorer than crosses, they have different laws and there are places where they aren't allowed.

Noughts are often called blankers by crosses and sometimes other noughts, it is used as an offensive term which is similar to referring to black people as the "n" word in the real world The word blanker implies that noughts are a  waste of space. Even the term nought can be offensive as nought can mean nothing implying that noughts are also nothing.

Nought Rights Moment
Noughts and Crosses did not have the same rights and were discriminated against. Noughts could be be discriminated in the law, education, employment and housing.

Noughts could be punished more severely for crimes, were given worse jobs and were never in positions of power, for example, if a Nought was killed or attacked then it would matter less to the police than if it was a Cross. Until the start of the first book, noughts and cross went to separate school but it was more difficult for a nought to be accepted into a cross school. Noughts are often poor and live in tiny households. But once in a while, a nought made it into life and was allowed to be successful but it was more difficult to be successful if you were across. Crosses on the other hand nearly always lived in huge houses and were allowed better jobs.

There were many peaceful protests for nought rights and, but one group, called the Liberation Militia, were terroists, killing and maiming innocents in a desperate attempt to force the government to make noughts and crosses equal. This caused some Crosses to from the stereotype that all Noughts are terrorists. The L.M. claimed that they wanted Noughts to have equal rights but many members believed that all crosses should die or at least in nought superiority. These hard core members refused to believe that any Crosses were supportive of Nought rights and distrusted them all. Some L.M believed in equality like Callum McGregor.

Towards the end of Double Cross the equal rights bill is passed, finally treating the two races the same and giving them equal chances in life.

In Crossfire, it is shown that, although Noughts are treated with almost equality, they are still discriminated against, and a lot of Crosses still dislike them. The first Nought prime minister is elected, and then immediately tried for murder.