Political Correctness

[NeverMind]

Political Correctness is ridiculous and unnecessary
Not only that, it has also reached the point where it is just silly.

Invalid (a long obsolete term) became disabled, then became handicapped, then became disabled again, then became people with disabilities (the emphasis being on "people"), then became differently abled, then became physically challenged (the current term).
In the United States, blacks became Negroes, then became blacks again, then became Afro-Americans, then became people of color, then became African-Americans (the current term).
Eskimo was changed to Inuit.
Chairman was renamed chairperson (or president or some other terms).
The elderly became senior citizens. Old person became older person.
Indians became Native Americans.


Please give me examples of retarded and rampant use of PC

[sonrisa]

My problem with Native American is that it's misleading. Anybody who is born here is a native American, regardless of their ethnic/cultural origins. I am a native American, even tho I don't have a drop of Indian blood in me. But "Indian" is a misnomer- whites were/are too lazy to recognize/differentiate the many nations on this continent- Lakota, Shawnee, Cherokee, Aleut, Wyandot, to name but a few- & lumped their peoples together as "Indians". Also, some of those names are derogatory, Eskimo, for instance, is a derogatory Algonquin word loosely meaning cannibal. Those people call themselves "Inuit". Likewise "Iroquois" is a derogatory Algonquin word likening the Haudunasee (what the people of the 6 Nations collectively call themselves) to snakes. These words are no different than calling a black person the N-word.

Different cultures mean different sensibilities. For instance, the mascot thing with many Indians (for lack of a better term) who are offended by sports teams such as the Washington Redskins (also the Univ of Miami Redskins) KC Chiefs, etc... I have some Irish ancestry, but I am not offended by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish or the Boston Celtics, neither are others of Irish descent, infact some are damn proud of those team names! Likewise, I don't know of any Dutch folx offended by the NY Knicks, or any Scandinavians offended by the Minnesota Vikings. Obviously. there is a difference of culture here. The white culture has been basically saying, "get over it", but perhaps there should be an attempt to understand the other culture instead, & find out why what is a non-issue to whites, is so offensive to Indians.

A really stupid example of pc is when a little 1st grader boy kisses a 1st grader girl- & the school suspends the kid for sexual harassment!! Aw c'mon!! :shakehead:

[DoWalker]

Agreed. I think the root of the problem is that we as a society are trying to substitute external motivation (rules, laws) for internal motivation (morals.) We should be respectful to other people, but instead of simply dealing with this, we make up an infinite set of rules on how not to offend. Silly.

[NeverMind]

Well i was more going for homless people being called "dmoestically challenged" and the like
but this is better

I would not be offended if someone called me a cracker, a honkey, etc.
Why do some people get offended?
It seems like, to some extent, minority groups seem like a little club of sorts.
The African-Americans can call each other "the N word" all they want
But If I used that word, I would most likely be f-d up and beaten.

[DoWalker]

Why do some people get offended?
It seems like, to some extent, minority groups seem like a little club of sorts.
The African-Americans can call each other "the N word" all they want
But If I used that word, I would most likely be f-d up and beaten.

The issue is respect. The word you're referring to was historically used to degrade and show profound disrespect to. When AAs use it with each other, they own the word. If you use it, it would again imply disrespect.

Any insult can be used harmlessly if you have a close relationship with the individual. If you have a very close friend who is black, he might let you call him "nigga." I would make sure no one else is around, though. :)

[sonrisa]

(NeverMind,Jan 27 2005, 04:30 PM)
Well i was more going for homeless people being called "domestically challenged" and the like
but this is better



I thought domestically challenged means having a messy house. As far as I know, NM, homeless people are still known as homeless people.

(NeverMind)
it seems like, to some extent, minority groups seem like a little club of sorts


well to a some extent they are due to their race, ethnicity, cultural heritage, whatever binds them together. Also how they they are treated by those not part of their little club. They share similar experiences, know how it feels, etc.... there's no problem with that. The problem is when folx within these clubs get to thinking their club has a monopoly on predjudice & being discriminated against. You have friction between some blacks & some Jews becuz of that. The Jews have pogroms & the Holocaust & some of them think the discrimation other groups experience is nothing compared to that. The blacks have slavery & Jim Crow & some of them think the dicrimination other groups experience is nothing compared to that. I remember some years ago when some black person wrote a letter to the editor claiming it was impossible for blacks, as an oppressed minority, to be racist. Well let me tell you, when some black dude, calls you a white bitch for no apparant reason, it not only sounds racist, but smacks of chauvinism as well. Predjudice & bigotry can be practiced by anybody & toward anybody. We each need to look past the race, gender, culture, etc... of another person & deal with each person as the individual s/he is.

[NeverMind]

But it seems like it is much more acceptable when the miroity groups practice prejudiced. If a white CEO or sports coach was heard saying 'the N word' he would be fired and shamed most likely. If a black man drops the f-bomb, racial slurs, chauvenist words, it seems we just let it slide. I think there needs to be an equal and universal code of acceptance and tolerance.

[DoWalker]

If a white CEO or sports coach was heard saying 'the N word' he would be fired and shamed most likely. If a black man drops the f-bomb, racial slurs, chauvenist words, it seems we just let it slide. I think there needs to be an equal and universal code of acceptance and tolerance.

Are you comparing apples to apples? A white CEO or coach to a black CEO or coach? If so, please give us an example of favoritism being shown to a black CEO or coach for saying something racist or chauvenistic.

[IHaveIssues]

" Domestically challenged " ? Oh really... how many people and organizations call homeless people "Domestically challenged"?

Everyone I know call them "homeless", or "bums", or "drug addicts". Is there some influential population of PC opinion leaders that somehow have no effect on my town?

I agree some advocacy groups go a little overboard, but dont completely dismiss their whole agenda as PC. Thats is you deciding not to think. B)

[pnklphnts]

But it seems like it is much more acceptable when the miroity groups practice prejudiced. If a white CEO or sports coach was heard saying 'the N word' he would be fired and shamed most likely. If a black man drops the f-bomb, racial slurs, chauvenist words, it seems we just let it slide. I think there needs to be an equal and universal code of acceptance and tolerance.
If a white CEO or black CEO dropped the f-bomb they would suffer pretty much the same consiquences. The n-word is only popular amoung less educated people anyways, so i dought a corprate head would be using it. When a black person uses the n-word, its obvious that it is not ment to be offensive, its just simply slang for home boy. But if a white person uses it, it is not so clear. Because we invented it and used it as a racial slur for so long, historiclly speaking wed probably be using it as a racial slur. Theres a diffrence between the two, and theres a reason only black people use it.

As far as black people being able to use racial slurs against other races more, its because they were/are opressed, and, again, when they say it it is less likley to be intened to be harmful. Us cracka's have a tendency to be racist cause we are all around in the US, which makes people of color strange, an abnormality.

Races identify with eachother like "a club" because they face the same problems. Just like poor people identify with poor people, educated identfy with educated, etc.

Yes, political correctness can be taken to far. No, black people do not have special "prvilages". Its all about intent.