"I hate..." No wait sorry I must stop you there. You can't use "hate" anymore, it's not PC. ¬_¬

[Uncreation]

The more i live in todays society, the more i am beginning to hate political correctness. As far as i see it, it's almost pointless. For example, i sometimes visit a forum, where the use of the word retarded is forbidden and infracted if it is used with the meaning of dumb or stupid. Now that's just, well... retarded. Mentally challenged people are not going to magically get better if people stop using the word retard.
Just as i believe everything should be free game for humor or comedy, that there is nothing that people shouldn't be alowed to laugh at, so do i believe there should be no limits to what words people can use in general, no matter how offensive they may be.

 

[Lieju]

What does this have to do with political correctness?

It's just dislike of hyperbole and negative attitudes, especially if they're not well explained.
It's all about the context.

If a newspaper ran a story called 'Obama hates Russia', unless he actually said he hated the country, and not just expressed dislike of their policies or something, then for example I'd call the usage of the word inappropriate.

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

i will say, the whole N##### thing i agree with. no one using the word is the only way to be rid of it, not haveing certain rules for one group, and a different set of rules for another

 

[Xan Krieger]

Ideally , we wouldn't offend anyone . I'm black and hate being described that way . Especially in the sentence " The black guy .However it's not offensive , it's annoying . There are terms that shouldn't be used , because the word in and of itself has a negative connotation and it's offensive . Like :

****** ( i personally believe black people should stop saying nigga also ).
******
*****
tranny ( not sure , but i think this is offensive )
Dyke ( not sure about this one too)
Retard


And so on and so forth . Because it's aimed at a specific group , who actually take offense at it .

So what do you prefer instead of black? I'm white and am fine with being called white.

OT: I use every word in the book when I'm alone, when I'm around people I use words that the person I'm talking to would use so I fit in better. If it's someone I don't know I hold back on most offensive words, using only damn and shit.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

Well, "political correctness" is one of those terms that is in the eye of the beholder and has different meanings depending on who you are talking to, so finding examples of when it goes too far is subjective, but I certainly know some things that made me roll my eyes and say "seriously?".

-A man got fired for using the word "niggardly" (which has absolutely no racial connotation whatsoever) because some people were offended. Luckily common sense prevailed and he was rehired.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/williams/williams020499.htm

-Many schools in the UK banned teachers from using red ink when correcting students work because red is apparently "confrontational" and "threatening".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/3964683/Marking-in-red-ink-banned-in-case-it-upsets-schoolchildren.html

-A gym at Harvard made itself "women only" for a few hours each week after Muslim women requested it, because being around men in workout clothes would violate their religious beliefs (bear in mind that Harvard considers itself to be a secular school).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/us/21tolerance.html?_r=0

-In California, a student was sent home because he was wearing a shirt with an American flag on it during Cinco de Mayo. What's funny about this is that Cinco de Mayo is barely celebrated in Mexico.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/14/cinco-de-mayo-american-flag-shirts-banned-court-decision_n_1092920.html

There's plenty more, but those are ones I remembered off the top of my head.

 

[Something Amyss]

I hate when people whinge about the bogeyman of "political correctness" whenever they are confronted by situations where tact, diplomacy, or sensitivity might be called for. They somehow conflate taking three seconds to consider the feelings of others and how their behavior is perceived with a violation of their freedoms and rights.

I also hate turnips.

There are two things you can't stand: intolerance and turnips?

Anyway, I mostly agree, but allow me to be more specific.

I've noticed in many threads and discussion that the word "hate" is seen as something that shouldn't be used cause it's too strong.

That's not "political correctness." That's people being anal about word usage. Here's a fun thing: post a thread on here asking if you're "the only one." People will react worse, in all probability.

I can't say retard because I will offend those who have learning difficulties despite the fact I have never heard anyone use that word to insult them with.

Let's be clear, here. You can say retard. It's just you don't like the criticism you get. In effect, you're ranting about the right of free speech not making you immune to criticism. That's absurd.

Also, you've got it backward. The reason retard is an insult is because being mentally handicapped is considered bad. Ergo, you are calling someone something bad. At least understand what you're arguing against.

Calling an Afro-Caribbean person black is now offensive?

What do you mean, "now?" This isn't a new thing. It's been around since longer than either of us. Why act surprised? You might as well say "and people are suddenly using computers?"

Really? Well I'm black an if someone is using that to describe a physical feature then go for it.

You don't speak for everybody else. I'm really, really sorry to break that to you. Now, there is certainly context, and if you're fine with it, that's fine. Hell, I know black people who are fine with their white friends calling them niggers. Or niggas. Or whatever. That doesn't mean that your average black guy will consider it acceptable.

Black people, like most groups, are not a hivemind. Just because it doesn't bother you (someone too young to remember that black was used as a slur, and relatively recently in history, too), doesn't mean it's acceptable to everyone else.

And FFS, you're listed as being from London. It's possible you might miss the social context in which this is an issue.

But, as an American (we do tend to dominate most websites), I've called people black for years with never a single issue. I wonder if this has ever been a major thing for anyone, anywhere.

I will add the whole "******" thing is getting stupid now. Kanye West and Jay-Z can say it all they like but if someone who isn't black uses it, they get offended?

Yeah, it's almost like context makes a difference in our language or something. How about that.

I'd like to add I don't think political correctness is a bad thing because it stops us going back to the Victorian ages way of thinking. Women aren't objects they are human beings, Not liking a person because of their race, culture, and religion is wrong.

And that's a garbage line of reasoning. Sorry, but the reason we're not in a Victorian society has nothing to do with "political correctness." It has to do with fighting for civil rights. And if you think a black dude not wanting to be owned by a white dude on my side of the Atlantic is "political correctness," I have no idea how to respond.

Except maybe with this:

Spoiler

A complaint against Political Correctness is a complaint against a system that allows people to complain. That's it.

Also, a man once said "if you don't like it, then leave it alone."

This thread is the exact opposite of what you were preaching to people just a little while ago.

 

[beamofarael]

Calling an Afro-Caribbean person black is now offensive? Really?

As an Afro-Caribbean person (Haitian), I've never heard of this. However, I have had many black people tell me I'm not black due to being Afro-Caribbean. I've also heard "black" being used to only refer to "African-Americans". Strange world. Most Afro-Caribbeans I've met and known don't mind being called black, although, it also depends on where they come from and where they are living.(i.e. Dominican Republic can be a tricky one). This often has to do with a culture's history than "political correctness".

 

[ninjaRiv]

Urgh... URGH! political correctness is annoying in ever way imaginable. By which I mean, both sides of that fence act like idiots. Not everyone, naturally. But the phrase is sometimes whipped out by both sides when they lack any actual point or valid argument. One thing that makes everything worse is the "I can say this but you can't" thing. Don't... Don't even do that. It's the stupidest thing in the world of stupid. If you impose rules on a word it only becomes more offensive to everyone. HOW DO YOU MAKE A WORD LIKE ****** MORE OFFENSIVE. Apply rules to it, of course. Make it complicated. Be stupid and things get worse. I mean... What? Only fat people can make fat jokes. Only mentally ill people can say things like "crazy." Only dwarves can read the sentences involving dwarves in fantasy books. Only white people can wear white shirts/only black people can wear black shirts. Blah. It's silly. move the fuck on.

Man, everyone is stupid when the idea of becoming offended comes up. Everyone needs to chill the fuck out and just be nice. Not insults, no needless arguments... just be nice.

 

[Arakasi]

I am of the opinion that political correctness is getting out of hand. Hell, it's already gotten out of hand.

What's basically happening is that a word is being used to describe a specific minority, say 'negro'. That word is used until people begin using it as an insult (for whatever reason, probably negative connotations with being that minority) then a new word (or term) is created that is considered inoffensive due to just being a descriptor of the minority as opposed to whatever perceived negative traits that minority has. This, unchecked, would theoretically continue ad infinitum.
The only ways to stop it are:
A) Stop perceiving the minority as being associated with negative traits, then just stop on whatever word or term you're up to. (This is not a bad solution, but it leaves a lot of words as still being 'offensive' and associated with the negative traits) (Edit: It's also probably the most difficult option.)
B) Be circular in your use of words, as to not create too many. (This solution is better than the tract we're currently going on, but not a great solution, this would mean something like us going back to 'negro' now to describe black people, or something similar).
C) Just use one word, and be sensitive to the context in which it is used. (This, in my view, is the best solution. It stops the infinite chain of new words, it makes it so people don't accidentally use the wrong word, and if you're not a total moron you can easily tell the context.)
D) Kill all of either the minority or the majority. (This solution probably isn't feasible. You'll end up with only one person left.)

Ultimately I think our use of language shouldn't be left up to the shitheads, by allowing the insult to become the main definition. Instead we should just ignore them, and continue to use the word in the correct context. My mother still uses the word 'retard' to describe the mentally handicapped, and once I realised that, it became a non-offensive word in that context. The same goes for my grandfather who uses the word 'negro' for black people, once I realised that, it became a non-offensive word in that context.

But hell, what do I know? You may now proceed to call me whatever name you wish, an insensitive prick? Tactless bastard? Whatever.

 

[beamofarael]

A) Stop perceiving the minority as being associated with negative traits, then just stop on whatever word or term you're up to. (This is not a bad solution, but it leaves a lot of words as still being 'offensive' and associated with the negative traits)

I think it's mostly this, and the damage has been done on a deep scale. It would take years for this to change. How does one change something that has been deeply ingrained by a dominant culture. For example, I've met many black people (and Latin America can take it to a whole different cranked to 11 scale) who find the term "African" to be very offensive and synonymous with dirty.

Negro is often used in the south (U.S. along with "colored") and in the Spanish language so it's basically whatever to me, never really found it offensive (now if we're talking about the N-word on the other hand, different story. However, it doesn't mean Huckleberry Finn should be censored or banned. No one said history was pretty.).

 

[Mr. Omega]

There are two things in this world that I can't stand. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures... and the Dutch.

I do think political correctness can be annoying. But most of the time an instance of "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAAAAD" is just some asshole getting butthurt that someone is calling them an asshole. Basically "I can say whatever I want, but you can't call me out on it. Freedom of speech only applies to me!"

And above all else, context is everything. Yes, there is a difference between one person saying something and a different person saying the same thing. It all depends on the context. And 9/10 times, the context of "Person says X to be politically incorrect" can translate to "that person is being an asshole."

 

[Redd the Sock]

I'm starting to lose my patience for the PC crowd these days. It's not that I don't get where they're coming from, but I feel there's a strong need for perspective.

Early on in life I learned a lot of people have it really shitty. My cousin, for example, is paralyzed from the neck down. It's hard not to be sobered at the though of not being able to feed yourself, dress yourself, of bathe yourself among other things you take for granted, but in the grader scheme, just how little agency you'd have in this position for what you can do with your life, and what little you have, needing help to do just about anything. And that doesn't get into the toll caring for such a person can have on their family. Even being called a particularly hateful slur with full malice doesn't quite compare let alone when some of the incidents that have come up in the last year amount to little more than a disrespectful phrase or faux pas.

As a culture, it's like or self worth has become very externalized, and very fragile. We only see worth in ourselves if we're treated well, and any ding to that idea is crippling to the point we're starting to not question if it's worth threatening, or shaming someone into ruin over a few words that hurt our feelings. Life has kicked enough people I know in the teeth for me not to see things in a bigger picture. I have a reasonable healthy and able body. I have food in my belly, a roof over my head, a decent job, and friends and family that are there for me when I need them whereas a lot of people don't. I'm even well enough off to have a lot of tech toys. If the worst thing that's happening to me is being called a rude slur, I'm still a very lucky guy doing fairly well. It can't take anything away from me unless I let it.

Others, well, it seems that we have a growing number of fragile egos out there incapable of counting their blessings instead of their gripes. Politeness becomes a cover for our insecurities about ourselves and our inability to deal with them. THe older I get, the more I have trouble not hearing anything but spoiled brats.

 

[oZode]

Just out of curiosity? Why is it offensive? Does tranny mean something? I always thought it was short for transexual .

Other question ( yes i'm ignorant on this matter ) is homo and lesbo offensive to homsexuals?

It's a slang term often employed in a derogatory fashion. And like "Shemale" it has associations with the porn industry. I highly recommend against using it in the presence of transgendered people you don't know/can't predict the reaction of.

And yeah, "homo" and "lesbo" aren't recommended either. Nor is "Dyke", as per your original post. All are generally viewed as slurs.

You make good point.

I shall you pink in a derogatory fashion every time I reply to you.

Look at this pink! So pink he is! How's life, pink boy?

I believe that tranny is only derogatory if you make it derogatory. From what I can tell with the the meaning of the words change in time. For all we know the word "******" won't have the charge it does in a hundred years due to how used it is. A word can lose its punch; like, saying fuck is so common it lacks to push it did just a couple decades ago.

 

[not_you]

I hate that in the title you referenced PC's as something you hated...

To add to the conversation: All you're doing with this post is just outlining how much of the moral high ground doesn't exist any more...

Sure, you can SAY that it's easy to not offend anyone by using terms as a describer instead of an insult, but no-one will understand it the way you say it...
People only hear things the way they want to...
If someone heard you mentioning "that black guy" all they'll hear is "Racist, racist asshole"
it's natural fact, and complaining about it in a way like this won't change anything about it... Because for the sake of the world I highly doubt every single human being will read this and understand that context is key...

But whatever, sometimes people want to see the world burn...

 

[lacktheknack]

"Hate is a strong word" does not refer to the fact that it's politically incorrect.

It refers to the fact that it actually used to mean something.

It doesn't anymore.

I wish it did. ;_____;

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I'm starting to lose my patience for the PC crowd these days. It's not that I don't get where they're coming from, but I feel there's a strong need for perspective.

Early on in life I learned a lot of people have it really shitty. My cousin, for example, is paralyzed from the neck down. It's hard not to be sobered at the though of not being able to feed yourself, dress yourself, of bathe yourself among other things you take for granted, but in the grader scheme, just how little agency you'd have in this position for what you can do with your life, and what little you have, needing help to do just about anything. And that doesn't get into the toll caring for such a person can have on their family. Even being called a particularly hateful slur with full malice doesn't quite compare let alone when some of the incidents that have come up in the last year amount to little more than a disrespectful phrase or faux pas.

As a culture, it's like or self worth has become very externalized, and very fragile. We only see worth in ourselves if we're treated well, and any ding to that idea is crippling to the point we're starting to not question if it's worth threatening, or shaming someone into ruin over a few words that hurt our feelings. Life has kicked enough people I know in the teeth for me not to see things in a bigger picture. I have a reasonable healthy and able body. I have food in my belly, a roof over my head, a decent job, and friends and family that are there for me when I need them whereas a lot of people don't. I'm even well enough off to have a lot of tech toys. If the worst thing that's happening to me is being called a rude slur, I'm still a very lucky guy doing fairly well. It can't take anything away from me unless I let it.

Others, well, it seems that we have a growing number of fragile egos out there incapable of counting their blessings instead of their gripes. Politeness becomes a cover for our insecurities about ourselves and our inability to deal with them. THe older I get, the more I have trouble not hearing anything but spoiled brats.

A) Appeal to Worse Problems: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AppealToWorseProblems
B) Like many people who've lived past the age of 30, I've encountered my share of tragedy and adversity. It actually made me a more compassionate, patient person, as opposed to a less compassionate, less patient person.
C) Politeness has nothing to do with "insecurity". Quite the opposite.
D) You hear a lot of spoiled brats? I hear a lot of assholes desperately rationalizing their desire to continue being assholes, insisting no one can ever censure them for it, and having a sad little tantrum about "the perils of political correctness" every time someone does.

BONUS POINTS - Censure does not mean censor, and anyone who thinks it does will have a pineapple thrown at them.