Warning #1: Heavily opinionated blog post ahead. This is my blog and I am allowed to express my opinion here. I am in no way forcing you to read it or agree with it.
Warning #2: Unlike my last two posts, this one has nothing to do with sweet treats! Sorry about that!
The other day I mentioned people who whine about political correctness.
I mean those people who bitch & moan like "Oh, now I have to watch what I say or the PC police will be after me."
In my opinion, the whole point of "political correctness" is to prevent people's feelings being hurt - inadvertently or otherwise. For example, perhaps you didn't know that a certain word or phrase was upsetting to someone from another culture. Political correctness seeks to provide people with terms they can use that are not upsetting.
I say "seeks to" because we all know there was a point where some of it became a bit crazy, like calling a short person "vertically challenged" (I'm short, and I have absolutely no problem with anyone calling me short. I don't find it offensive or belittling, and I'd be surprised to find anyone did). However, most of the really outlandish stuff was just people playing with the concept and poking a bit of fun at it.
But the reality is that there are a lot of words for a lot of things, and many words and phrases have history and layers of meaning that give them the power to hurt people even when spoken without the intent to hurt.
So to someone who complains about having to watch what they say because of political correctness, I would say - So you would rather hurt and upset people? Really? You hold your ability to tell your dumb bigoted jokes or whatever above the feelings of other people? Honestly, is what is being taken away from you so much more valuable than what it gives to others?
I mean I just don't get it. If I had been using some word or phrase that was upsetting to a whole bunch of people, I would rather know and have an alternative given me so I could stop upsetting them. Like saying "Native American" rather than "American Indian" because duh, they have nothing to do with India and that name comes from the fact that Columbus was a dumbass.
Everyone knows what it's like to be offended and upset and have their feelings hurt. So why are there people that are so desperate to hold onto their ability to blithely do it to others?
numer darowizny: SRTF/067/SWD .
1 month ago
15 comments:
haha you don't find being called short, belittling.
love it.
My mother-in-law uses the MOST politically incorrect terms to describe anyone of a different nationality/ethnicity/whatever.
The other day she couldn't figure out what to call the little Korean boy in my son's class, so she pulled her eyes into a slant to get her point across.
I'll admit...I called her out on it, right then and there.
Her excuse was that, "Well, I just don't know these things. I never lived in a big city and learned what to say."
Yeah.
I wanted to say, but you live on earth, don't you?
So...I guess what I'm sort of saying is that I think some people claim they use those terms because they don't know better. It's their go-to phrase. And no, I'm not excusing it.
i couldn't agree more. That said, what I look for is the intent behind the words rather than the words. With Skyler, I know that when somebody approaches him, and asks about him, they may use the word crippled or something else, and not know they could have chosen a better term. They aren't familiar with the correct language, and are being genuinely kind, so it is all good.
Yeah, SkylersDad has it right, I think. Few people I have ever talked with are malevolent about things like this.
Vertically challenged girl, huh? :)
In theory, I agree with you. But what bugs me are pundits and watchdog organizations that make it their job to seek out things to be offended by. It makes me want to say those words just to piss them off for trying to advance their agenda through shame tactics.
I'm short but vertically challenged? What the hell? I mean, I can reach the top shelf of the cupboard if I tip-toe, so it's a slight challenge I suppose. If someone called me vertically challenged it sounds like they think I have trouble getting up to toilet level!
Basically there has to be a balance I guess.
Over Thanksgiving, I was watching a women's basketball game where the Haskell Indians were playing the St. Ambrose Bees. And that's when I stopped feeling bad about occasionally using the phrase, "Indian". (http://www.haskell.edu/index.html is Haskell Indian Nations University). If it doesn't bother them, I'm not going to flog myself too much for using it.
(And this comment used to have a big "Fighting Illini" vs. "Fighting Irish" rant and how one was offensive but all the people who could legitimately be offended were dead, and how the other wasn't even though they use a pugilistic (and probably drunk) leprechaun as their mascot.)
Exactly! I would want to know if what I was saying was offending people too.
For example, when I was a teenager I used to throw the word RETARDED around all the time to describe things and people I didn't like. A woman I worked with nicely pulled me aside one day and pointed out that that was actually quite an offensive word, which I'd never really thought about before. I felt terrible. I had never meant to offend anyone.
I'm seeing the same thing happen now with my daughter's friends. Lately they label everything they dislike as GAY. I HATE HEARING THAT. Grrrr. So I have already talked to my daughter about using that word as an insult and here's hoping she never does.
Me, Amped - Haha, that was entirely unintentional... er, I mean, yes thank you, I AM very witty!
Sass - Ugh. Good on you for calling her out!
Skyler's Dad - Yes, intent *is* important, but you'd still rather not hear words you find hurtful, right?
Eric - I mean I'm not saying Anna Russell would kick me but yeah... I won't be joining any basketball teams soon.
; )
WWW - Well yes, people are annoying when they're desperate to be offended. I can't argue with that.
Mo - Exactly. That uncommon thing called common sense?
Scope - I guess it depends who you talk to - that's the other thing, not everyone in a group is going to feel the same way about all the words people use for them. Because, oh yeah, people are individuals!
Cora - Ooh, *balls fists* I HATE when people use gay as an insult. It doesn't even mean anything! It's like saying "Oh man, that's so blue-eyed!"
Yeah, complaining about "The PC Brigade" is like starting a sentence with "No offense but...". You're pretty much going to say something offensive, and you're an arse for realising it and not caring.
I find it interesting how words change... like, when someone says "don't be a Nazi", I don't think they mean don't be a member of the WWII German army. Or if someone says "retarded" I don't think of someone with a disability.
Is "disability" OK to say? Or is it "differently abled" now? I'm serious, I actually don't know.
But I hear what you're saying. Words are open to interpretation and what one person hears will almost certainly be different from what someone else hears.
TIR - Or "I'm not racist, but...". Inevitably followed by something horrifyingly racist.
Racquel - I always say I'm a Grammar Nazi... I think enough time has passed and also everyone knows about the Soup Nazi, and a Jewish comedian opened THAT door so it must be okay right? Plus, it still belittles & ridicules the word Nazi in a Hogan's Heroes kinda way. Retarded I'm not so sure about although I do say it as an insult to things, I still feel kind of bad about it.
I don't know the answer about disabled, I think it's okay since it's on those stickers on the bus.
I think it's all gone too far. As you said, there's nothing wrong with describing someone as "short" and the fact people can't say "black" to describe a person of African origin is ludicrous as it's perfectly ok to say someone is "white". They're not racist terms they're just descriptive. They're not degrading words.
I'm pretty much only PC to a point. I'm not racist or sexist or homophobic and I'd never insult anyone on purpose, but I have no problem using the occasional "retarded" or the like. Sometimes it's the best word for the job.
I think the best TV show who make good use of derogatory terms and make it both satirical and hilarious, is "Extras". If you're ever unclear where the line is between funny and offensive, it demonstrates it beautifully I think.
Yeah, Maddox made a good point on this a while ago with calling black people African Americans. What if you're British, Australian, Indian, Dutch etc? You're skin's still black isn't it? I think it all comes down to the fact that us whiteys don't have any racist words that offend us. We make 'em all up!
I would rather not stroll through life offending people. I'm sure I've probably done it though, but not on purpose.
I would hope that someone tells me when I've said something...but at the same time...I'd rather they not freak out and get mad. I'm not doing it on purpose, so there was no disrespect meant.
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