BS: Political Correctness

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness
From: Gern
Date: 18 Sep 00 - 12:14 PM

Good topic for discussion! I, for one, may be among the last to defend what is disparaged as PC. It seems to me that this term is most often foisted by those who are too absorbed in their own opinions and outlooks to consider the feelings of others. How foolish they make us look when we try to show some sensitivity. They exaggerate stories about PC excesses (I do NOT believe that blackboard story cited above, for example) and voice their hysteria over supposed conspiracies wishing to censor our society into some semblance of common courtesy. "Who writes the rules?" The "rules" of tolerance and consideration have already been etched upon your stony hearts! Despite the Limbaugh/Buchanan backlash against diversity and common courtesy, I intend to do my best to be considerate of the feelings of others, and hope to receive similar treatment. No "Liberal" conspiracy compels me toward this attitude; and no conservative's smug defense of intolerance will make me change.

Subject: Political Correctness
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Sep 00 - 11:57 AM

Good few interesting threads recently - Gypsy and Nigger (or Wop, Spick, Spade, Dago, Polack, Mick - choose your own ethnic insult) are non PC at the moment. When, however, will the terms traveller and black become so? While I heartily agree that no-one has the right to subject anyone to terms which cause both offence and upset, who is it who writes the rules? We seem to have gone through our worst excesses of militant PC-ism(banning Enid Blyton books was one of the worse I came across!) but it still lurks there. I have recently seen a local council trying to ban the terms BC and AD as they are offensive to non-christians. A blackboard must still be refered to as a chalkboard in some areas and heaven help anyone talking about a chairman - even if the person in the chair IS male! Being too PC can have a very negative effect and end up becoming self-defeating.

As our english teacher used to say - discuss....

Dave (English/Welsh/Polish/Russian with a hint of Irish) the Gnome

BTW - there are only 2 things I hate. Racial predjudice and the French;-)