BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 05:36 PM

Any primate climbing a tree is going to do it in a monkey-like fashion.   We are built that way. Squirrels have their way of climbing trees, and so do cats, but apes (naked or otherwise) do it in a way that is similar to the way our cousins the monkeys do it.
............................

"Ooh, you cheeky monkey" said one the mother to her baby at the next table to mine in a café today. I honestly don't think she was meaning to insult the baby.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 04:52 PM

I think it was Ron Olesko who said:

I think a lot of people would agree that there is very little difference. The comment makes an referral to a sterotype [sic] and there is no doubt about who the comment was directed to.

Au contraire, mon frere! The comment makes no particular reference to the stereotype. Unless you refer to a stereotype that the arboreal primates man is related to like to climb and play in trees.

It only can be connected to a racial stereotype by the preconceptions in the minds of some hearers or readers. The woman's expression about "playing in the tree like monkeys" refers only to the idea referred to in the previous paragraph. It's the playing that is like monkeys.

Incidentally, I'll just mention:
monkeywrench
monkeybars
monkeying around
greasemonkey
monkey see, monkey do
and a number of other "monkey" expressions have nothing to do with a racial stereotype.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Emma B
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 04:48 PM

enigma -

Latin aenigma, from Greek ainigma, from ainissesthai, ainig-, to speak in riddles, from ainos, fable.

denigrate -

Latin dçnigrâre, dçnigrât-, to blacken, defame : dç-, de- + niger, nigr-, black.

well one out of two origins 'Guest'!

back to the dictionary?

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: sapper82
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 04:06 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Donuel - PM
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 01:47 PM

A DC City assembly man was forced to resign when he used the word NIGGARDLY to describe a puny budget.

It was said by a black assmbly woman that while she did not know the exact meaning of the word, he should have known better.


Wrong Donuel, SHE ought to have known better. For someone to have to resign because of someone else's ignorance is wrong.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 03:38 PM

Out here, magnolia trees are very rare. We have maybe six in a valley of over 100,000 people. So, they are precious and fragile, even the big ones, which look stunted to me, after seeing such big ones in New England. A child would never be allowed to climb in one of them. There are plenty of cottonwoods, willows and other types for them to climb in. If I had a magnolia in my yard or knew of one in my neighbour's yard, I would definitely let kids know it was not a climbing tree.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 03:14 PM

My dear man,

if only you'd engage your brain before you write.

1. you have no idea whether I am posting under my real name or not. Likewise, your name is of little or no significance to me.

2. I am a single parent with a 4 year old who is constantly buzzing with energy

3. Unlike you, I look after mine 24/7

4. You weren't criticized here for the way you handle your grandchildren, you were questioned on the way you react to another adult.

5. interesting how quickly you came out with the "don't tell me how to look after my kids" line, whether it was remotely relevant or not.

Thank you for illustrating my point so beautifully.

You clearly don't take criticism very well from anybody.

There there ... must be hard for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 02:39 PM

I'm sorry too Closet! Keep trying.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: closet-folkie
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 02:23 PM

"I believe it was said innocently and without malice, but an explanation and an apology would be appropriate."
An apology for saying something innocently and without malice? I don't even know how to process that. Sorry...

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 02:14 PM

Wolfgang - instead of wondering what would happen if you told an African-American that his children were climbing on a tree with monkey-like speed, perhaps you should wonder if you were an African Amiercan and someone from Germany told you that you were climbing on a tree like a monkey how you might feel?

Obviously there is no possible way you could answer that question, nor could any of us who are not African-American. The opposite is equally true. Analogies do not work in this case.   

It is not to say that you would be wrong for saying it, or that the woman in question was wrong either. That is far from the point. The issue comes down to communications - or the willingness to do so. In this case, it appears that all parties did the right thing and talked it out. THAT should be the lesson here, not knee jerk reactions to partial truths in a story that is more complicated than it appears.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Wolfgang
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:59 PM

It took me some time to find out why a comparison to a monkey can be seen as a racial remark.

In German, we have lots of comparisons using the word monkey/ape (both "Affe". We say "with a monkey-like speed", "sitting like a monkey on a whetstone" (for someone sitting uneasily), use "monkey's swing" for a hairstyle and say "horny as a monkey" when something is truly awesome. We could say "This tune is horny as a monkey (affengeil)" and it would be a big praise.

If an African American with a basic understanding of German would come to Germany I wonder what would happen if I told him his children were "climbing on a tree with a monkey-like speed". He might not hear the big praise of his offspring motor skills that was meant.

I often long for that part of the past times captured in Ebbie's post.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:58 PM

:-)

Out on a limb! and swinging from it!

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:51 PM

ahh.. you are branching out!!

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: CarolC
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:44 PM

Hey big monkey! ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:42 PM

I like being called a monkey. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:38 PM

At least you did not call him a monkey

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: CarolC
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:37 PM

Stilly River Sage, my experience with you here in the Mudcat has been, pretty consistantly, that you think you have a right to tell everyone else what to do. I've even had experiences of you posting as an anonymous guest in order to order me around (I know it was you because you admitted it later on). I can see why you would identify with the lady in that story. Nevertheless, you were not in any way in my thoughts when I posted what I did, nor did I say it just to argue. I said what I said because that's what I think, and I have as much right to post opinions here as you do. People who post opinions don't do it just to defy you. They do it because they have as much right to express their opinions as you do. You're not an authority figure here and nobody is obligated to treat you as one.

You're a very bossy person, and you seem to think you have a right to be. I would suggest that you make an effort get over yourself. One more piece of advice... don't take me on as a project. You will regret it if you do.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:24 PM

SRS,

That is a personal attack, the second one. Have you appointed yourself to be the Mudcat mind reading argument police? If you have something constructive to say, on topic preferably, I'd like to read it. If you just have more attacks. I will be disappointed.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:17 PM

You guys just want to argue. If I say "yes" you'll automatically say "no."

Looks like things are back to usual at Mudcat with our dizzy duo.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:07 PM

A small Magnolia tree can still be a pretty big tree. The normal magnolia trees around hear are three or four times taller than the houses.

I don't think that we can know everything about the incident, but I gathered from the article that the police did not charge her for calling the kids monkeys. Her crime was disorderly conduct. She, by her own admission, went directly to the kids and ordered them to get out of the tree right in front of their parents. That is a pretty disrespectful thing to do even without the monkey comment which amounted to rubbing salt in the wound.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: CarolC
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 12:28 PM

If the tree was small, it seems to me she wouldn't have said that the kids could have hurt themselves by climbing in it. This lady's story contradicts itself all over the place. My guess is that she is a busy body who needs to be in everyone else's business and her neighbors finally had enough of it.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 12:20 PM

"She referred to the activity as "climbing like monkeys" or something close to that. A great difference there. "

I think a lot of people would agree that there is very little difference. The comment makes an referral to a sterotype and there is no doubt about who the comment was directed to.

The tone and circumstances do play a great deal, and none of us really know what happened.

As Janice said, there does seem to be an attempt to marginalize issues like this. No wonder we have problems in the world.

How many times have we used the phrase "Dutch Treat" or "welsh on a bet"? It has become part of our language, and no one thinks that is is insulting to a nationality and a stereotype on their thriftyness. Yet, if someone used the term "Jew them down" when having a financial discussion, wouldn't we be right to be outraged? Who is the judge and jury to determine what sterotypes we are allowed to use and which ones are not appropriate?

Regardless of the circumstances, I think there is a legitimate reason to NOT use a term like "monkey" in such a situation. I believe it was said innocently and without malice, but an explanation and an apology would be appropriate. IF we continue to remain defiant and dig our heels in the sand to maintain a position, we never communicate and nothing gets resolved. It sounds, from the latest articles, that the neighbors did the right thing and solved an issue.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 11:29 AM

Some of us neanderthals have the balls to post under our real names.

It must be right convenient for critics to hide behind a nom de jeu.

Especially those who think they know better than I how to deal with grandsons buzzing with energy.

Uncle Dave has the rights of it.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: GUEST,john f weldon
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 11:16 AM

Slightly irrelevant, but a few years ago, in France, I was hanging out with some French guys in a bar. Everyone was speaking English, on the assumption that I couldn't speak French. When the waiter arrived, I gave my order in French. Everyone's jaw dropped, and there was a stunned silence. Finally a French guy said, "It's as if a monkey suddenly spoke!"

I laughed along with the rest, which proves two things...

1) You can't insult a Canuck, our egos are far too secure.

2) It's hard to take insults from Frenchmen seriously, since they're so consistently rude it becomes meaningless.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 10:56 AM

yes - but in my opinion because they can never be accurately defined so the are never really useful.

I use them nowadays to denote the naive practice of trying to impose a definitive prescription of what constitutes correct and/or incorrect.

Consequently they are politically meaningless.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Janice in NJ
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 10:51 AM

Doesn't anyone feel uneasy about the terms "politically correct" and "political correctness"? Aren't they just code words used to belittle, marginalize, and dismiss anything of meaning to ethnic and racial minorities, the LGBT community, feminists, the disabled, and political liberals?

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 10:45 AM

I think there's been a number of careless semi-summaries and misquotes and baseless assumptions in this thread.

Yet, the feeling of being called a monkey probably DID have a bad impact on the child

From the article, I don't understand that she called the child a monkey. She referred to the activity as "climbing like monkeys" or something close to that. A great difference there.

There appears to be a disagreement about the tone of the original incident, some Catters taking one side of the incident description (without actual knowledge) and others taking the other side. The neighbors seemingly said she yelled; she said she calmly made her statements. None of us knows which is true.

We don't really know whose tree it was, but some of the posts assume it belongs to the neighbors.

I think there are some further instances, but I don't want to take the time to search the thread to find them; those will do for the purpose.

Yes, we can each infer that this happened or that did; that the tone must have been this or that; but it's important to try to keep our thinking (and our criticism) straight by remembering that these are inferences and assumptions.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Ebbie
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 10:30 AM

I am one of those interfering Nosy Noras.

I often exercise my dog in a small church park with one -count them -one tree. The city grooms the park but it is actually owned by the Russsian Orthodox church abutting. There are homes with several small children on the other side of the street.

One morning the little tree, about the size of a smallish lilac tree, had a major stem broken off near the base of the tree.

A couple of days later there were two youngsters amidst the branches swinging. Living in such proximity I'm sure they felt that this was *their* park.

I told them that this was not the kind of tree meant for climbing and pointed out the broken branch. They were reluctant to get out of the tree and said something about their 'daddy'.

I said, Yes, go ask your daddy. Tell him about the broken branch. He'll tell you that this is not a tree for climbing.

I have no idea whether their father agreed with me but I haven't seen them in it since. However, it's been winter. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 10:12 AM

Something to bear in mind is that the tree in question is described as being small, unlike the ones in the pictures provided by CarolC

How small? If it were in danger of being seriously damaged then there may have been a case for interference. A small tree should not be considered fair game if that fair gamne involves destroying it.

I think it sounds like a case of a simple political gaffe, in that she is a person attached to politics so she should be more aware of the dangers of using otherwise perfectly innocent language.

There is a possibility that the children may have been effectively vandalizing the tree.

There is a possibility that the parents were just being typical defensive idiots - like the ones who tell you "don't tell me how to bring up my child" when you have just told them what you think about seeing them slap their child in the face.

Some people know the rules and play them in an evil way, like the kids in British schools who know that their teachers have no real authority due their parents telling them so and encouraging them not to take any "sh*t".

So there is a strong chance that an intelligent civic minded person is in trouble because of the refusal of parents to take responsibility of their kids when they are behaving inappropriately.

As McGrath has experienced earlier in this thread, there are those who derive great pride and enjoyment from opportunities to indulge their neanderthal side.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Midchuck
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 10:08 AM

Does anyone have a right to say whatever crosses their mind?

Well, yes, if you take the First Amendment at face value. Just like anyone has a right to own a tactical nuclear weapon if you take the Second at face value.

What about basic manners?

They've gone to hell and gone, obviously. But that's a different issue from peoples' constitutional rights. The idea of the U. S. Government was that if people had inalienable rights under the Constitution, they'd be mature enough to use those rights in a responsible manner. Most people are, or the whole country would collapse into total chaos. We don't really have an effective program for dealing with the minority who aren't.

Or so it seems to me.

Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 08:49 AM

This reminds me of a few years back when amateur dramatics became the norm for soccer players in the English league. You only had to look at a player, and they were writhing on the floor holding whatever part of their anatomy came handiest. And the referees were falling for it in droves and awarding penalties and free kicks.

But the pendulum has swung, and nowadays I have seen people yellow- or even red-carded for such uncalled for dramatics. Perhaps the same will happen eventually with the over-the-top pseudo-sensitivities that some people claim in the name of PC. If it could be proven that the mother bore old grudges and found this an easy way to settle old scores, then she would deserve to be prosecuted herself.

It may yet come to pass.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 06:31 AM

That was the impression I got...

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 06:20 AM

I wouldn't have posted if I didn't feel inordinately proud of myself, McGrath.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 06:15 AM

How very proud of yourself you must feel, Bryn. A role model for us all.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 05:16 AM

God made trees for kids to climb. If some get killed in the process, they go straight to Heaven to be with Jesus. If they get maimed, they can be a Good Example of Patient Resignation to us all.

If they weren't peeing and crapping on the good folks on the ground, they weren't behaving like monkeys. Also if they were not attempting to steal food off each other, pick fleas or mate.

If it was someone else's tree, as it must have been because all trees are God's creations, that other person should have removed them safely, because in case of an accident they could have lain on the ground screaming until compensation set in. You must not have an unsafe tree on your property, nor unsafe ground beneath it. Life is all about risk, but someone else must take it.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 04:41 AM

Had I been the parent, here - and I'll admit freely that I have probably only half the story - my attitude would have been the sama as the one I took when an identical thing happened in my back garden, last year.

My eldest grandson was climbing the elm. The neighbour shouted at him to get down. The grandson slung her a deaf 'un (i.e. he ignored her, which is what I'd have done in his place).

Two minutes later the doorbell goes, and there is Nosey Norah, arms and emotions akimbo.

'Do you know there is a child in that tree ?' she says.

'Ooh aye', replies Bryn 'he has my full authority to be there. Now fuck off.'

She did.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: M.Ted
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 01:29 AM

It is easier than ever to get information on nearly any issue, Ron--but it will never be as easy as simply reacting to the previous post--

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 12:03 AM

I'm not commenting on this subject until we've heard the tree's point of view.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 11:57 PM

Thanks M.Ted.   As is the case with most Mudcat "discussions", most people like to have a knee jerk reaction and never bother checking any facts.   If anyone else chose to do a search, they would have found that the woman and the neighbor had a dispute - she also complained about their "loud music" and their use of city-issued garbage cans.   It seems there was more of a "payback" at work here, and I would bet anything that if this woman choses to fight the ticket, she would win.

There may also be OTHER political motivations at work here. The woman did have some folks who did not care for the stances she took on behalf of immigrants.   You can look it up yourself.

There is NOTHING wrong about telling children to get out of a tree if they are in danger of hurting themselves OR the tree.   There is nothing wrong with being a bit more sensitive about how our words can hurt each other. While I could not possibly know the true story, I would also bet the woman was being honest when she said had no racial motivations when she said it - it was a simple slip. Yet, the feeling of being called a monkey probably DID have a bad impact on the child - and the mother - and there is nothing wrong with bringing it out into the open.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 08:31 PM

speaking of niggardly - many many years ago I remember reading about an incident where the person not knowing what a word meant lead to death/injury. An older man was telling a woman she looked beautiful (pulchritudinous), she & her husband thought he was calling her a prostitute & the man shot him!

the Dilbert thread from 2003 contained a similar confusion- educator & child abuser.

words!

sandra (who used to climb on monkey bars in the playground & also climbed trees)

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 08:23 PM

Kids are supposed to be in trees? Trees need kids in them? None of a watcher's business to stop children doing wrong (damaging a tree, risking harm to themselves)?

Cuckoo!

Cuckoo!

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 08:04 PM

Well, these monkeys in a tree do look not that dissimilar to the children in a tree in Carol's link. And both the monkeys and the children look as if they are where they belong.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 07:56 PM

"I calmly said the tree is not there for them to be climbing in there like monkeys." If that's true, there's nothing in it to offend and nothing to apologise for. Monkeys do climb trees, and it's perfectly reasonable to use the term for children clambering around in the branches.

Of course there could have been more to it than that, for all we know. When we focus in on particular cases like this and start arguing back and forth about them I think we make a mistake, because we are arguing from ignorance. We'd do better to use them as a chance to explore the principles involved - in this case, what responsibility do we have for our neighbours children, or for the environment (eg trees in the street), and what kind of restrictions should we impose on our use of language.

So far as offending people is concerned, I think the right thing to do is to try to avoid offending people who don't deserve it, even when we think they are over-sensitive. And at the same time we should try to avoid taking offense unless we are sure offence is intended, even when we think that what is said is open to an offensive interpretation.

And if anyone ever tells our children off we should take a good look at whether they have good reason to do so before indignantly defending them. That's one of the implications of "It takes a village to raise a child".

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: M.Ted
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 07:20 PM

In case anyone cares--Neighbors Bury the Hatchet

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: CarolC
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 07:08 PM

This is how a yard tree is supposed to look...

http://www.alcdv.com/kidtree.jpg

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 06:31 PM

>>

From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 06:20 PM

You don't have enough information to say these kids were on their own tree, and you don't have enough information to know that these were responsible parents, but we were told that they were liable to break the tree. <<

Did anyone here say the kids were in their own tree? The article says that the tree was next door. The point being that she was yelling at somebody else's kids in somebody else's tree. If she was an official member of the tree police, I doubt that she would have got the ticket.

Please not that, the article is careful to say that she got the ticket for scaring the kid. Not for telling his parents that he was a monkey.

Tempest in a teapot really.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 06:20 PM

You don't have enough information to say these kids were on their own tree, and you don't have enough information to know that these were responsible parents, but we were told that they were liable to break the tree.

Maybe they were in a yard that didn't belong to them either, that was what I was getting at.

The usual suspects are in a mood to argue, so this thread is a gonner.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 06:15 PM

I wrote a post here, but when I tried to send it up came a notice saying the thread was closed, so I scrapped it. Now the thread's open again - I wish whoever's pulling the levers could make up their minds...

Not that it seemed like a thread that particularly called for closure.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 04:48 PM

How about we send some Mormon splinter group to Canada and put them in charge of the seal hunt. They can kill the males, fuck the females, and start a new species...... a sort of sea monkey. Then we send this woman up to protest the whole thing while Hillary takes over ramming her with a Coast Guard Cutter and unknown but dastardly elements of US foreign policy plant squib charges on the ice.

Hey....Wortha' try and would end a lot of threads around here..............


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: CarolC
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 04:44 PM

So the idea is, you see some little kids and you are worried they might fall? Nothing to do with you , it's not your tree and they aren't your kids. Keep schtum - blame the parents when they break their necks, don't blame yourself...

No, the idea is that if you see kids climbing in trees, you leave them alone because that's where they belong. I spent most of my childhood up in trees. Nobody ever told me to get out of them. And I did fall out of one... once, and broke my arm and got right back up in the trees as soon as the cast came off. My son spent most of his childhood up in trees as well, only he never fell out of them.

Subject: RE: BS: Political Correctness Gone Too Far
From: kendall
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 04:34 PM

So, what's wrong with watching your mouth? Does anyone have a right to say whatever crosses their mind? What about basic manners?

Former President Theodor Roosevelt once called the Japanese "Little yellow monkeys". Would anyone think he was just being playful?

Times change, people change, some grow up and become civilized. The rest bitch about rules.