Political Correctness...

[4588686]

I see what I did there.

It's almost like political correctness is an amorphous concept which is always utilized in a partisan way. So if someone is an obnoxiously aggressive atheist then they aren't refusing to be PC they're just genuinely being offensive. Whereas if somebody care more about the multiplicity of identity, particularly as it relates to race, then they aren't being respectful of someone's identity, they're being sissy PCers. It's almost like this whole charge of the other side being PC is a stupid, vapid, and often hypocritical, charge.

[Socrates]

I avoid political correctness like the plague it is.

[Socrates]

[quote name='ParadiseFound' timestamp='1317199299' post='2311549']
I completely reject the ideas of political correctness. It's generally a sly trick used by lefties to stifle debate.
[/quote]
Once again, I'm in full agreement with the atheist dutchman. And there are those who deny the existence of miracles.


PC also seems to have a lot with trying to force any acknowledgment of our Christian heritage from the public sphere.

[MissyP89]

I do prefer police officer and chairperson to policeman and chairman. If I were either of those things, to include "man" would just sound weird.

If a black person prefers the term African American, I'll gladly use that. Ditto for calling transgendered people the gender they ask to be called. I find that in these cases, it's just about respect.

Then again, I work for the Evil Liberal Media. We started this whole PC thing to bring down the foundations of society.

[Socrates]

[quote name='BG45' timestamp='1317213945' post='2311611']

That would still be too religious for my mom's elementary school. They're not allowed to sing any carols, including Frosty, or decorate with anything that could be construed as religious or fantastic, including: angels, trees, snowmen, reindeer, santa, menorahs, etc. The Christmas Party is now a Winter Party, can't call it a holiday of any sort because that means holy day. This all came about because one Jewish parent complained about the word Christmas a few years ago and the administration overreacted more than a tad...all the parent wanted was Hannukah mentioned also.
[/quote]
Ah yes, [i][b]snowmen[/b][/i], those ever-problematic and controversial religious figures!

But it's so beautiful that in today's sensitive, multi-culti pc society, Christians, Jews, Mohammedans, atheists, Wiccans, Scientologists and Satanists can all gather together to celebrate . . . cold weather, short days, and frozen precipitation (so long as it's not sculpted into offensive humanoid forms with corn-cob pipes and button noses and all).


PS - Since we're being all pc and all, should that be "snowpersons"? "Snowmen/womyn"? But then we must remember to be inclusive of transsexual and transgender Persons of Snow . . .oh nevermind, all this political correctness is making my head explode.

[Era Might]

"Political correctness," as I understand it, means being like a modern politician: not saying anything offensive or daring to take a stand that would burn a bridge. Political correctness is usually associated with liberals but conservatives are fanatical about correctness, just about different things. Imagine a conservative American politician saying "Karl Marx had some valid criticisms of capitalism." His career would be over as a conservative American politician. It isn't "politically correct" for a conservative American politician to speak of Karl Marx in any positive light. There's a W.H. Auden poem I like and that this thread makes me think of. Political correctness is, more generally, about being "normal" (i.e., how our society defines "normal"). Anyone with any really radical ideas is not being politically correct and has no real chance in politics (or in society for that matter). The agendas are set for both parties...and politicians are expected to suit their message to that agenda.

"The Unknown Citizen" by W.H. Auden:

He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be
One against whom there was no official complaint,
And all the reports on his conduct agree
That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a
saint,
For in everything he did he served the Greater Community.
Except for the War till the day he retired
He worked in a factory and never got fired,
But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc.
Yet he wasn't a scab or odd in his views,
For his Union reports that he paid his dues,
(Our report on his Union shows it was sound)
And our Social Psychology workers found
That he was popular with his mates and liked a drink.
The Press are convinced that he bought a paper every day
And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.
Policies taken out in his name prove that he was fully insured,
And his Health-card shows he was once in hospital but left it cured.
Both Producers Research and High-Grade Living declare
He was fully sensible to the advantages of the Instalment Plan
And had everything necessary to the Modern Man,
A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire.
Our researchers into Public Opinion are content
That he held the proper opinions for the time of year;
When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he went.
He was married and added five children to the population,
Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his
generation.
And our teachers report that he never interfered with their
education.
Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd:
Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.

Edited September 28, 2011 by Era Might

[ardillacid]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1317251014' post='2311920']I see what I did there.

It's almost like political correctness is an amorphous concept which is always utilized in a partisan way. So if someone is an obnoxiously aggressive atheist then they aren't refusing to be PC they're just genuinely being offensive. Whereas if somebody care more about the multiplicity of identity, particularly as it relates to race, then they aren't being respectful of someone's identity, they're being sissy PCers. It's almost like this whole charge of the other side being PC is a stupid, vapid, and often hypocritical, charge.[/quote]you don't think there is a difference between being courteous and PC?

[BG45]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1317253157' post='2311933']
Ah yes, [i][b]snowmen[/b][/i], those ever-problematic and controversial religious figures!
But it's so beautiful that in today's sensitive, multi-culti pc society, Christians, Jews, Mohammedans, atheists, Wiccans, Scientologists and Satanists can all gather together to celebrate . . . cold weather, short days, and frozen precipitation (so long as it's not sculpted into offensive humanoid forms with corn-cob pipes and button noses and all).
PS - Since we're being all pc and all, should that be "snowpersons"? "Snowmen/womyn"? But then we must remember to be inclusive of transsexual and transgender Persons of Snow . . .oh nevermind, all this political correctness is making my head explode.
[/quote]
Oh you're right, Snowpersons! But yeah, apparently they count as a fantasy element that could be construed as an endorsement of religious beliefs somehow under the school's administrative policies. Oh also, stars. Of any sort. They can be interpreted as religious symbols like the Star of Bethlehem.

[Socrates]

[quote name='BG45' timestamp='1317255404' post='2311953']
Oh you're right, Snowpersons! But yeah, apparently they count as a fantasy element that could be construed as an endorsement of religious beliefs somehow under the school's administrative policies. Oh also, stars. Of any sort. They can be interpreted as religious symbols like the Star of Bethlehem.
[/quote]
Fantasy element? I can assure you that snowmen (snowpersons?) are not fantasy, but quite real (despite what popular belief may be in the state of Florida). I've built the darned things myself as a kid! (Though I don't recall them having any particular religious significance.)

Oh the madness!

[homeschoolmom]

Another benefit of homeschooling.

[Luigi]

My folksy way of dancing around the politically incorrect -man ending, without adopting the clumsily incorrect -lady/-woman ending, is to convert everyone into folks. Therefore, I speak of policefolk, firefolk, mailfolk, chairfolk, and so forth.

[ParadiseFound]

I think English needs a word that refers to both men and women that isn't 'person' (it's too clumsy). Latin had one, didn't it...?

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='ParadiseFound' timestamp='1317291339' post='2312139']
I think English needs a word that refers to both men and women that isn't 'person' (it's too clumsy). Latin had one, didn't it...?
[/quote]
We have one. It's man.

[missionseeker]

[quote name='MissyP89' timestamp='1317252917' post='2311932']
I do prefer police officer and chairperson to policeman and chairman. If I were either of those things, to include "man" would just sound weird.

If a black person prefers the term African American, I'll gladly use that. Ditto for calling transgendered people the gender they ask to be called. I find that in these cases, it's just about respect.

Then again, I work for the Evil Liberal Media. We started this whole PC thing to bring down the foundations of society.
[/quote]


So sometimes someone will ask me about the "big African-American dude" that I work with. I just look at them point blank and say "I don't work with any African- Americans" They look at me really confused for a second and are like "but there's a big black guy right there" "oh him? He's Haitian" And everyone also assumes that I work with a lot of Mexicans. I don't - I work with about 3 mexicans. I work with about 8 Cubans. And an Argentinian. At my work, we have white people, brown people, and black people.And almost everyone loves each other. And no one really gives a beaver dam about the color of anyone's skin. Or even if you can speak the same language. This has lead me to believe that PCness is overrated.


That is all.

[Groo the Wanderer]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1317251014' post='2311920']

Whereas if somebody care more about the multiplicity of identity, particularly as it relates to race, then they aren't being respectful of someone's identity, they're being sissy PCers.
[/quote]


yeah pretty much. also none of those dumb hyphenated labels are really accurate. Take me for instance:
I could say I am white, but my skin is not white.
I could say I am Caucasian, but I am not from the mountains in western Russia, nor are any of my ancestors that I know of.
I could say I am Anglo, but that's only 1/8 correct as I do have an ancestor from England, but then again how do I know he wasn't of Saxon descent?
I could say I am Hispanic, but what does that mean and how is it different from Latino or Chicano?
I could say I am Puerto Rican, but I was born in Nevada and nobody says they are Nevadan. Besides I moved to Texas when I was seven so Texan would be more accurate.
But then again Texan isn't a racial label, so it gets us off track.
I could say I am Franco-American, but that's only 1/4 correct and I like Chef Boyardee better anyway.
I could say I am Scot-American, but I have never been to Scotland in the fall or any other time. I would look wicked in a kilt though.
I could say I am Puerto RIcan again, but that isn;t really a race since Puerto Rico was peopled by Blacks, Spaniards, Indians, and Whites (all of which are inaccurate labels except Spaniards).
So based on that I could say I am Black, but that could only be part right and my skin isn't black either.
Also based on that I could say I am Indian, but again I have never been to India, but I do love curry and Mother Theresa, who was Macedonian.
All in all, to be as accurate as possible, you PC types would have to call me a Franco-Puerto-Anglo-Scoto-Teximerican.
Anything less is to deny me my identity. Right?
But then I have been disenfranchised because that is not an option on the scan-tron forms in school or on the census.


whatever. Why can't we drop the whole stupid race thing, check the box that says HUMAN and move on?


PS - as for African-American....pfft. That's the MOST inaccurate label I have ever seen. I have met exactly ONE true African-American in my life. He speaks with a weird accent, has blond hair and blue eyes. He emigrated from South Africa and is now a US citizen. And my PC company gives him grief if he classifies himself as African-American because he isn't black. herp-derp.

Edited September 29, 2011 by Groo the Wanderer