Polictical Correctness

[afro-elf]

I think there was a thread about this earlier but I could not find it.

What are your thoughts on it?

[Insidious Rex]

Well its horribly annoying when its taken too far which it often is nowadays. Especially on some college campuses. But the general idea is probably a good one. Not to be an inconsiderate bigoted bore to people. But it always should be taken with a grain of salt. And people need to have a sense of humor not enough people have a sense of humor nowadays. I mean being PC is all well and good but give me a good blonde joke any day.

[Aralyn]

HEY I'M BLONDE!!! But i still like blonde jokes.

how about this one . .

why are blonde jokes so short? So brunettes can understand them!

Anyhow about political correctness. I think people take it a little bit too serious sometimes. I cant think of any good examples right now but it's funny cause they will be so sreious about one word then another word will get by.

[Evenstar1400]

i like dumb blond jokes too!

now about political correctness..... there are always these jokes about americans..... like that one in Reign of Fire: "the only thing worse than dragons are americans." and stuff like that. i mean whats so bad about being american? why does everyone pick on us? is it just because of the way our government is set up or because of our rights or our fastfood resteraunts or the land we live on?

[Aralyn]

Evenstar Maybe its cause we're so good looking and thier jealous?

JK but i think we pretend to not notice the jokes about other nationalities sometimes.

[Insidious Rex]

well every nation gets teased and joked about over something. look at the polish. did you guys know before blonde jokes there were polish jokes? and they were pretty cruel. the poles were the blondes before things got PC (sorry Aralyn ) But then the PC wave hit and every degrading joke about a different nationality or race turned into blonde jokes.

But people give us (Americans) crap because they see us as bossy, pushy, type A, dominating, our way or the highway, over consuming, loud, borish, super competitive, ego driven, culturaly superior, oil eating, flag waving hypocrits. among other things.... We are the rich kid in the class who gets whatever they want and fusses when too much attention gets taken away from us. But more then that we are a 30 foot tall kid so its hard to ignore us when we get mad or when we throw a tantrum. But hey you gotta love us. Its ok to be the top dog because the bottom line is a lot of countries would love to be us. Which is probably another reason they hate us... oh well. but maybe im not being politically correct here.

[Khamûl]

Please don't let this turn into a discussion of anti-americanism. That has been done before and it didn't work too well.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Yes, let's not get into that...

Anyway, I agree. Being politically correct is well and good, but it can be taken rather too far.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Khamûl
Please don't let this turn into a discussion of anti-americanism. That has been done before and it didn't work too well.

yes thats why i made that ever so clever return at the end to the PC theme to close the metaphorical circle i was attempting to make apparently unsuccesfully.

[Elvellyn]

To a degree, being politically correct is good, but alot of that is just plain common decency. I don't like today's concept of political correctness. Oh no, I can't say "Merry Christmas" I might offend someone! Thats too extreme.

[sun-star]

Political correctness (i.e. being polite and considerate to other people) is obviously a good idea. However, like the rest of you, I agree it can be taken too far. What annoys me is when people get offended on behalf of the group who are supposed to be offended, but actually don't mind. I can't imagine many people do really get offended by "Merry Christmas", because I'm sure they are adult enough to handle the fact that not everyone thinks the same as them. The people who refuse to say it out of political correctness don't give them enough credit.

[jerseydevil]

Political Correctness is crap. "Having" to say African American instead of black is ridiculous. There is no racism in saying someone is black - yet it's perfectly okay to say white. Indian has turned into "Native American" when even on the reserve they say Indian. The hyphenation of Americans is ridiculous. I just never realised that it has been an American problem before. As Roosevelt said...

"There is no place for the hyphen in our citizenship... We are a nation, not a hodge-podge of foreign nationalities. We are a people, and not a polyglot boarding house."
"In this country we have no place for hyphenated Americans."
Theodore Roosevelt

All hyphenation does is divide Americans.

Being polite to people is not political correctness. Being polite is having manners. PC is not being able to have chirstmas decorations in schools (non-religious), changing Halloween to "Fall Festival", not being able to profile suspected terrorists.

PC has gone so far that instead of enforcement agencies being able to make intelligent decisions they have to walk on egg shells so as to not offend someone at the airport security booths. Instead of looking for Arab men aged 18 - 35, they stop little old white ladies from Padukah Kentucky. When was the last time a 6 year old child blew up a plane or a little old lady?

The other problem with PC was made very clear when California wanted to teach ebonics in schools. Ebonics? Why not teach Bostonian, or southern then? Let's all go to class to learn - "Look yonder ov'r thar harison." Sorry Khamul Ebonics is NOT going to get someone a good job. Teaching PROPER english - even if they don't speak it outside the classroom - is the only way people in inner cities will get a good job, go onto college and get out of the poverty of the inner cities. Bowing down to Political Correctness and saying that we have to teach improper English because they dont' speak properly in the outside world is just wrong. We might as well just teach 2+3 = 4, Or better yet - just teach students that whatever they think is right is right.

That brings me to another point. The fact that today, which has been going on since the hippies became parents - is that no one loses. Everyone is a winner. That's bull. The real world doesn't work like that. Everyone getting trophies regardless of who won - does NOT prepare students for the hard facts of life. Tests without grades - gives students and parents no way of telling how well a student did. Eliminating dodge ball or tag becuase someone's feelings might be hurt is ridiculous.

That's my 3-cents.

[Hasty Ent]

I believe that political correctness is a necessary step towards achieving a more balanced society. The fact is, we are emerging from an era where racism and sexism were state supported (anyone remember 'whites only' drinking fountains?). Granted, it can and has gone too far in some cases, but that is simply the pendulum swinging back too far. I believe it will balance out in time, but people are impatient.

As for religious and ethnic holidays, I am very offended when a government agency spends my tax dollars on a Christmas creche. I have always believed in the separation of Church and State, but that is only given lip service, lately, and I am sadly reconciled to that fact. When I was a student (a long time ago) and was required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, I would not utter "under God". I have far too much respect for those who do practice the Christian wisdom tradition to make knee jerk "Merry Christmas" greetings, and I try not to be a hypocrite.

Greater sensitivity is a good thing. We all need to think more before we speak, and should always remember that language is how we identify the world.

[Elvellyn]

Just so you now, Christmas has been a secular holiday in the US since President Grant signed it into law in the 1860s.

I agree with Jersey about hyphenated Americans. Hey, I was born in America- Doesn't that make me a Native American? (And ther ain't nuthin wrong with tawkin Southern)

[markedel]

I think political correctness can descend into absurdity and window dressing. Bit it can (and does) increas consciousness about divirsity and makes tolerance a more tangible thing, so in that sense it's positive.

Some times sitting in my lectures I do wonder though...

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
Indian has turned into "Native American" when even on the reserve they say Indian.

Last time I checked INDIANS were people from INDIA. The peoples that lived in this land were mistakenly called Indians by the first "discoverers" of America because they actually thought they were in India. And of course the term stuck cause the settlers became the rulers and didnt care much about learning the names of each tribe. So all we have left to call them is Native American. Unless you want to make something else up. Although I would think many indians are keen on being called say Cherokee or Sioux or Black Foot rather then either Indian or Native American. Wouldnt you think?

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Actually, they thought they were in the Indies, not in India.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
Actually, they thought they were in the Indies, not in India.

I thought Columbus was attempting to find a spice trade route short cut to India?

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Insidious Rex
Last time I checked INDIANS were people from INDIA. The peoples that lived in this land were mistakenly called Indians by the first "discoverers" of America because they actually thought they were in India. And of course the term stuck cause the settlers became the rulers and didnt care much about learning the names of each tribe. So all we have left to call them is Native American. Unless you want to make something else up. Although I would think many indians are keen on being called say Cherokee or Sioux or Black Foot rather then either Indian or Native American. Wouldnt you think?

I am aware of how they got the name. But no - the majority don't care if they're called Mohawk, Cree, Cherokee or Lenapi or if they're just referred to as Indian. My friend is Indian, part of the Mohawk tribe/Turtle clan. I never know what anyone up at the reserve is unless we talk about genealogy and the politics and government of the reserve. Then they'll discuss what tribe they are - otherwise they all refer to themselves as Indian.

[Coney]

Take political correctness and shove it up your &*^^%%&* elongated *&^^%%&&* hairy ^*^&(& fat ((&*(&^.

Seriously, there is a fine line between joking, sarcasm, wit and insult.

Trouble is, no one knows where that line is anymore

(look at the "cartoons" posted in the Iraq thread...IMO they are not politically correct, yet they appear in national/international newspapers......yet some personal comments are meant as endearments, thinking calling a gay person a queen, that can me misconstrued as wrong... there is no defining line).