OT: Political Correctness

[Rick]

The following is the winning entry from an annual contest at Texas A & M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term. This year's term was "Political Correctness".

The winner wrote:

"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

[AlteredDNA]

I'm pretty sure that's RossValoryRocks' tagline...

[Rick]

I'm pretty sure that's RossValoryRocks' tagline...

You know, I think you may be correct. I thought I'd seen that somewhere. Got it in an email from my dad.

[Rip Rokken]

Political correctness proves that slavery is still alive and well in America. We are only free when we can truly say whatever we really think.

[Calbear94]

Political correctness proves that slavery is still alive and well in America. We are only free when we can truly say whatever we really think.

Political correctness is just a reminder to be sensitive towards the feelings of others. I believe that most people are good and decent. PC is an important part of modern education that causes us to think about how our actions and words may be interpreted by others. Overall, I think it is a good thing although I do not feel that people should be crucified for a slip-up.

[AlteredDNA]

Political correctness proves that slavery is still alive and well in America. We are only free when we can truly say whatever we really think.

Political correctness is just a reminder to be sensitive towards the feelings of others. I believe that most people are good and decent. PC is an important part of modern education that causes us to think about how our actions and words may be interpreted by others. Overall, I think it is a good thing although I do not feel that people should be crucified for a slip-up.

Could not disagree more with PC being a good thing, and in fact it has become the tool by which people ARE crucified for a slip-up.

[Barb]

In a completely politically correct move, Obama has quit his church:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

[ebake02]

I think PC is bullshit that was started a very small group of insecure liberals who are incapable of handling the truth. Those of us who can't stand PC will like this:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDqu7kNX5zI

[The_Noble_Cause]

Not surprisingly, the sense of oh-woe-is-me victimization, so crucial to modern Conservatism's frail existence, is on full display here.
Political correctness, when meted out accordingly, with due consideration to place and time, is really no different than the most basic social etiquette we pay to others in our daily lives.
Those of you that wish to throw generations of social progress away and prance and hoot like red assed baboons are free to do so - just try not to drag the rest of Western civilization into the abattoir gut pit with you.

You may now resume bashing Muslims, Mexicans, Gays and Obama's religion, all under the false fig leaf of casting off the heavy yoke of "liberal political correctness."

[DrFU]

Sounds like an urban myth to me...

We do plenty of weird stuff here like make maroon carrots and try to clone people's pet dogs, but I have never heard of this contest.

[Rip Rokken]

Political correctness proves that slavery is still alive and well in America. We are only free when we can truly say whatever we really think.

Political correctness is just a reminder to be sensitive towards the feelings of others. I believe that most people are good and decent. PC is an important part of modern education that causes us to think about how our actions and words may be interpreted by others. Overall, I think it is a good thing although I do not feel that people should be crucified for a slip-up.

Ok, I should say first that I'm all about being sensitive to others... absolutely, and I practice this daily. I'm one of the most sensitive dudes I know, actually. That being said, in an effort to teach people how to be sensitive to others, Political Correctness makes several mistakes:

1) Makes people thin-skinned and hypersensitive to offense by words -- does away with the old adage, "Stick and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". Teaching people exactly the opposite, that we should be hurt by words.

2) Promotes the unsaid notion that we are better off if we are shielded from hurtful situations (by those with power, of course).

3) Falsely magnifies the scale of true discrimination by calling it out where it doesn't exist -- defining a lexicon of "proper terms" to replace several words that no one really had a problem with before.

4) Forcing a liberal social and political ideology on society by squelching free speech and stigmatizing people who don't fall in line... people who prefer to think and act independently.

If Political Correctness ever had noble origins, they've been lost by people who have used P.C. to empower themselves and keep others dependent. That's the way it works with people who only care about power -- they only benefit when everyone else around them remains weak, dependent, and uneducated. It does not benefit them one iota for anyone to become independent, educated, develop character, or "grow a pair". That's what P.C. these days is really all about...

When we can't call terrorists "terrorists" on TV anymore for fear of offending terrorists, something has gone very, very wrong...

People are terrified these days of being labeled or branded a racists, bigot, homophobe, whatever, if they don't talk and act exactly as they should. But inside, they know it's B.S. and they hunger for free speech -- why do you think shows like South Park or movies like Team America were so popular? Because people are dying to say what they really think and eat it up when they see other people do it for them.

Tell ya a story... Back in high school, I had a friend who sat next to me in Biology class. He was a black guy (or am I supposed to say "African American", even though I only saw him as an American like myself?), and he was one of the funniest guys I knew. He was kind of a troublemaker, but we got to be good friends and hang out -- he even came over to my place occasionally after school. Anyway, he used to bug me all the time to "flip for a quarter" -- a little gambling thing, so one time I was up on him about $2 and like any smart gambler, I decided to stop. He kept telling me I had to give him a chance to win his money back, and I said "No, dude... I'm done for today." So he got mad, and what did he start calling me? A "racist-ass bitch"... started saying it over and over and over again, and I just ignored him. I believe I forgave him later and we still hung out until he pulled the same crap on me again one time....

Now you tell me if he wasn't just using that label to manipulate me, and if he hadn't been trained to think that way by someone else? That's exactly what's happening in our society with the P.C. movement. I will always be highly sensitive to others, but incredibly politically incorrect...

[conversationpc]

Not surprisingly, the sense of oh-woe-is-me victimization, so crucial to modern Conservatism's frail existence, is on full display here.
Political correctness, when meted out accordingly, with due consideration to place and time, is really no different than the most basic social etiquette we pay to others in our daily lives.
Those of you that wish to throw generations of social progress away and prance and hoot like red assed baboons are free to do so - just try not to drag the rest of Western civilization into the abattoir gut pit with you.

You may now resume bashing Muslims, Mexicans, Gays and Obama's religion, all under the false fig leaf of casting off the heavy yoke of "liberal political correctness."

The irony here is so hilarious, I can barely type straight.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Ok, I should say first that I'm all about being sensitive to others... absolutely, and I practice this daily......I will always be highly sensitive to others, but incredibly politically incorrect...

That's a distinction without difference.
You either shoot straight from the hip all the time, or you're going through life selectively wearing a PC muzzle - whether you choose to admit it or not.

[conversationpc]

Ok, I should say first that I'm all about being sensitive to others... absolutely, and I practice this daily......I will always be highly sensitive to others, but incredibly politically incorrect...

That's a distinction without difference.
You either shoot straight from the hip all the time, or you're going through life selectively wearing a PC muzzle - whether you choose to admit it or not.

Wrong. There are times to shoot from the hip. Straight talk is definitely sometimes needed. However, there are also appropriate times to choose words that are "softly spoken" as the common phrase goes. That's far different than what most people refer to as political correctness.

[AlteredDNA]

Ok, I should say first that I'm all about being sensitive to others... absolutely, and I practice this daily......I will always be highly sensitive to others, but incredibly politically incorrect...

That's a distinction without difference.
You either shoot straight from the hip all the time, or you're going through life selectively wearing a PC muzzle - whether you choose to admit it or not.

Depends on how you define "politically correct".

Shooting straight from the hip doesn't mean speaking out loud every thought that comes to mind. Thus, restraint is it's own form of sensitivity.

However, to demonize, or worse, criminalize, someone's speech on some subjective grounds that it "offends" someone is the "political correctness" that we red assed baboons take offense to.

[conversationpc]

However, to demonize, or worse, criminalize, someone's speech on some subjective grounds that it "offends" someone is the "political correctness" that we red assed baboons take offense to.

[Rip Rokken]

Ok, I should say first that I'm all about being sensitive to others... absolutely, and I practice this daily......I will always be highly sensitive to others, but incredibly politically incorrect...

That's a distinction without difference.
You either shoot straight from the hip all the time, or you're going through life selectively wearing a PC muzzle - whether you choose to admit it or not.

Wrong. There are times to shoot from the hip. Straight talk is definitely sometimes needed. However, there are also appropriate times to choose words that are "softly spoken" as the common phrase goes. That's far different than what most people refer to as political correctness.

CPC is exactly right... Look, some people are just "blunt" or "frank" all the time, meaning whatever they think just comes out of their mouth. They are rude, actually.... I believe in being honest, but also being conscious of the feelings of others. Even the Bible talks about "seasoning our words with salt" to make them easier to take. There is nothing P.C. about sparing people's feelings or being sensitive. P.C. is a false form of this, hypocritically forced on people by those who practice discrimination themselves by putting forth the notion that minorities and such are weak and need to be protected from verbal offense... how insulting...

[conversationpc]

CPC is exactly right... Look, some people are just "blunt" or "frank" all the time, meaning whatever they think just comes out of their mouth. They are rude, actually.... I believe in being honest, but also being conscious of the feelings of others. Even the Bible talks about "seasoning our words with salt" to make them easier to take. There is nothing P.C. about sparing people's feelings or being sensitive. P.C. is a false form of this, hypocritically forced on people by those who practice discrimination themselves by putting forth the notion that minorities and such are weak and need to be protected from verbal offense... how insulting...

My point exactly, though much better framed.

[Barb]

Not surprisingly, the sense of oh-woe-is-me victimization, so crucial to modern Conservatism's frail existence, is on full display here.
Political correctness, when meted out accordingly, with due consideration to place and time, is really no different than the most basic social etiquette we pay to others in our daily lives.
Those of you that wish to throw generations of social progress away and prance and hoot like red assed baboons are free to do so - just try not to drag the rest of Western civilization into the abattoir gut pit with you.

You may now resume bashing Muslims, Mexicans, Gays and Obama's religion, all under the false fig leaf of casting off the heavy yoke of "liberal political correctness."

Are you going to presume to tell me that Obama quit his church for any other reason other than political correctness?

[conversationpc]

Not surprisingly, the sense of oh-woe-is-me victimization, so crucial to modern Conservatism's frail existence, is on full display here.
Political correctness, when meted out accordingly, with due consideration to place and time, is really no different than the most basic social etiquette we pay to others in our daily lives.
Those of you that wish to throw generations of social progress away and prance and hoot like red assed baboons are free to do so - just try not to drag the rest of Western civilization into the abattoir gut pit with you.

You may now resume bashing Muslims, Mexicans, Gays and Obama's religion, all under the false fig leaf of casting off the heavy yoke of "liberal political correctness."

Are you going to presume to tell me that Obama quit his church for any other reason other than political correctness?

Nah! It's "This church thing is going to keep me out of the White House"-correct.

[The_Noble_Cause]

That's far different than what most people refer to as political correctness.

That’s just it. There is no set definition.

It’s just another in a long string of propped up imaginary liberal boogeyman waiting to take something away from your treasured Norman Rockwellian way of life.
In this case, your right to say whatever you want, whenever you want, irrespective of whom or where.

From the way some of you prattle on, you would be tempted to think the Supreme Court was engaging in leftist pussyified political correctness when it deemed the shouting of “Fire!” in a crowded movie theatre unprotected by the First Amendment.

Like a Rorschach pattern, political correctness is open to interpretation, and those with a pre-set agenda will likely see into it only what they wish to.
From my vantage point, what you call “soft speaking” or being “sensitive” is just another form of the very thing you harangue against. Sorry.

[Rip Rokken]

Those of you that wish to throw generations of social progress away and prance and hoot like red assed baboons are free to do so - just try not to drag the rest of Western civilization into the abattoir gut pit with you.

I think we should throw much of our so-called "social progress" out the window. Here are the good things that have happened -- women and minorites were granted equal rights, given the right to vote, and basically put legally on the same playing field as us red-assed baboons. That's great, and the way it should be...

On the other hand, today we are becoming a nation of spineless cowards, afraid to think and say what we really feel, while those who need to be called down for bad behavior get a free pass, because to challenge them would not be "P.C.". P.C. is not just about changing the words we are supposed to use -- it's a blanket which protects bad behavior.

[conversationpc]

It’s just another in a long string of propped up imaginary liberal boogeyman waiting to take something away from your treasured Norman Rockwellian way of life.

Oh, it's no boogeyman. In my opinion, it's a modern day variant of racism, dressed up in a prettier suit. Bill O'Reilly has been consistently on the side of this form of oppression.

[AlteredDNA]

That's far different than what most people refer to as political correctness.

That’s just it. There is no set definition.

It’s just another in a long string of propped up imaginary liberal boogeyman waiting to take something away from your treasured Norman Rockwellian way of life.
In this case, your right to say whatever you want, whenever you want, irrespective of whom or where.

From the way some of you prattle on, you would be tempted to think the Supreme Court was engaging in leftist pussyified political correctness when it deemed the shouting of “Fire!” in a crowded movie theatre unprotected by the First Amendment.

Like a Rorschach pattern, political correctness is open to interpretation, and those with a pre-set agenda will likely see into it only what they wish to.
From my vantage point, what you call “soft speaking” or being “sensitive” is just another form of the very thing you harangue against. Sorry.

I don't think Don Imus - to cite one example - would agree with you here (and I'm no fan of Imus).

Please re-read the posts. It's the, by your own words no set definition that still somehow ends up demonizing and criminalizing (i.e. punishing) someone, merely because they spoke some words.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Bill O'Reilly has been consistently on the side of this form of oppression.

He has no other choice.
Overblowing the gathering storm of “political correctness” on our front porch has become a convenient out-of-jail free card for every McCarthyite blow-dried blowhard who happens to let their true self slip.
O'Reilly clung desperately to this percieved PC chimera throughout his Harlem restaurant scandal.
Downplaying and denying the true issue in the process -the shockingly lilly-white ignorance of his own remarks.

[Rip Rokken]

Downplaying and denying the true issue in the process -the shockingly lilly-white ignorance of his own remarks.

Now I'm truly offended! I'm not white -- I'm pigmentially challenged! And you are calling white folk ignorant? Doesn't P.C. cover us, too?

[The_Noble_Cause]

I don't think Don Imus - to cite one example - would agree with you here (and I'm no fan of Imus).
Please re-read the posts. It's the, by your own words no set definition that still somehow ends up demonizing and criminalizing (i.e. punishing) someone, merely because they spoke some words.

It wasn't just a case of words spoken.
Sharpton himself stated that he created a stir because he didn't think Imus's racist comments were appropriate for the public airwaves.
Again, where and when, place and time.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Downplaying and denying the true issue in the process -the shockingly lilly-white ignorance of his own remarks.

Now I'm truly offended! I'm not white -- I'm pigmentially challenged! And you are calling white folk ignorant? Doesn't P.C. cover us, too?

I'm white.
Like blacks co-opting the epithet "nigger," and using it for positive re-inforcement, I can speak about my own race any way I please.
Like most Limbaugh fans, you sound like you have a real chip on your shoulder.

[AlteredDNA]

I don't think Don Imus - to cite one example - would agree with you here (and I'm no fan of Imus).
Please re-read the posts. It's the, by your own words no set definition that still somehow ends up demonizing and criminalizing (i.e. punishing) someone, merely because they spoke some words.

It wasn't just a case of words spoken.
Sharpton himself stated that he created a stir because he didn't think Imus's racist comments were appropriate for the public airwaves.
Again, where and when, place and time.

That's quite a stretch. Hope you didn't pull something.

Tell me this - who was the most harmed by the whole "Imus / NHH" situation, and who benefited the most?

Lastly, are you seriously putting up Al Sharpton as the great arbiter in the PC debate?

[AlteredDNA]

Downplaying and denying the true issue in the process -the shockingly lilly-white ignorance of his own remarks.

Now I'm truly offended! I'm not white -- I'm pigmentially challenged! And you are calling white folk ignorant? Doesn't P.C. cover us, too?

I'm white.
Like blacks co-opting the epithet "nigger," and using it for positive re-inforcement, I can speak about my own race any way I please.
Like most Limbaugh fans, you sound like you have a real chip on your shoulder.

I would argue that Senior Rokken has the least amount of chips on his shoulder than most everyone else here.