Political correctness

[Psycho Cat Industries]

Simply put,this political correctness really is just another ploy as always for power.If you can claim offense in this modern day and age then you have gained power.With this you can twist things to any greedy way you want.Just look at the "race clause".It is pretty easy to tell that we aren't some different species or the like and people have long since accepted that.Now,there are actual racist in the world today but the term itself has been used so often that it has lost meaning.Really,the modern view of racism is just again,another form of give me what I want.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Like everything else political correctness is fine when applied sensibly. Some terms are needlessly offensive, and shouldn't be used.

But then it goes to ludicrous lengths, and discredits the entire notion. Alternatively, it's easy to complain about something when it is benefitting people that aren't you.

 

[Worgen]

political correctness is really about being able to walk down the street and not be called a "faggy white boy" every step of the way, replace any word in there with any other insult that is directed at a specific racial or sexual or even age based group

and how many damn times are we gonna have this stupid thread show up? and every fucken time they mention baabaa black sheep... well at least the last few times

 

[kickyourass]

Let me put it this way, I like the IDEA of political correctness, but in practice it's probably one of the most idiotic things ever imagined by human beings. I mean FORCING teachers call blackboards, chalkboards instead of blackboards because it's the "PC" thing to do is stupid on nearly every possible level. I call them chalkboards because not once in my life have I ever seen anything except CHALK used on one and almost all of them have actually been GREEN not black.

 

[MassiveGeek]

Fuck political correctness.

Half the stuff they change doesn't even offend anyone in the first place, and even if it did, so fucking what if you're offended? You're adults. Deal with it. We teach our toddlers "Sticks and stones may break my bones, by words can never hurt me," why is this suddenly no longer applicable and we need to make ridiculous rules about what we can and cannot call people?

Agreed, people need to grow some spine. If you're that freaking offended by something, and just can't possibly get the hell over it, then confront the person/people that offended you straight on instead of whining like a butthurt ***** over it and ruining it for everybody else.

And I don't think PC is having a positive effect on the situation either, it's just making everything a huge fucking deal and how exactly is that going to help? Instead of approching things like sex, ethnicity and sexuality like it's a fucking minefield, treat it like it should be treated; as a fact of life, and get over yourselves.

It's not a big deal, so stop making it one.

 

[Saint of M]

Political correctness changes over time, depending on what is morally acceptable to do or call people.

Example:

Before the 1960's, people called severally retarded, moderately retarded, and mildly retarded people Imbecile, Idiot, and Moron respectably. Then the60's came around, and that was all replaced with the then politically correct term of Retarded, which comes from Retard or to slow, hinder, put in a stumbling block (ample descriptions of severe learning disabilities). Then the 90's happen, and we have learning disabled.

 

[JezebelinHell]

I prefer Native American... not because it offends me otherwise but because when I say I'm Indian the first response is, "Indian? you mean from India?"

I understand the confusion caused by the use of Indian but I don't think my first choice would have been Native American. It still makes me cringe and I never say "I am 1/4 Native American". It has never sounded right to me. So, I don't even like the PC term they fixed that one with.

 

[FamoFunk]

Your This isn't true. My mother had a real problem with this a while back, because she teaches Primary School teachers, who of course all came to her when the Daily Mail originally broke the story. The Daily Mail not exactly being renowned for its stellar journalism. The Times picked up on the Mail's story and printed it as fact but there is not a single grain of truth to it, children are not being taught 'baa baa rainbow sheep', nor are their teachers being instructed to teach them a new 'politically correct' version.

So while the rest of your story, fine, this is fear mongering from the Mail.

I hate the Daily Fail, hence no source from them.

Please can you provide a source for what you said about your Mum, I'm sure if it's true it would of been reported somewhere.

 

[similar.squirrel]

The phenomenon is just a massive backlash to the centuries of bigotry that preceded. It should settle down eventually. Let them have their fun, as they say.

 

[Jedoro]

I personally find calling black people "African American" is more ignorant than saying black because not all black people came from Africa.

And because not all African Americans are black.

OT: Political correctness is stupid. Call someone what they are, anything else can be thrown into "slander." Call me brown, I won't give a damn because it's my skin color. People need thicker skin nowadays.

 

[JAY_RAD]

Some rules in political correctness are right because some words are generally frowned upon and can really insult someone especially when the word or saying is emotionly endearing to said person. Otherwise, they should leave the English language alone because pestering people with this petty crap is just going to make everyones tolerence go down, and down, and down.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Your snip

I hate the Daily Fail, hence no source from them.

Please can you provide a source for what you said about your Mum, I'm sure if it's true it would of been reported somewhere.

The story as originally reported by the Daily Mail, from which the Times took it as fact.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-379114/Baa-baa-rainbow-sheep.html

Question resolved on Yahoo answers
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090205071959AATdHEg

Source from link on Yahoo answers, including the full story, all the versions they now sing and the real reasons for the change. From the BBC Education section specifically.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4782856.stm

A discussion forum for Foundation Stage teachers, this was where my mother first picked up the information required when asked about it by her students.
http://www.foundation-stage.info/forums/index.php?showtopic=14939

A wikipedia article on the phenomenon, which includes this story specifically, and a whole host more links debunking the claim, and showing where it came from in the Daily Mail as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loony_left#Baa_Baa_White_Sheep

Quote from the appropriate section of the Wikipedia article.
'The "Baa Baa White Sheep" story was a wholesale fabrication'

Enough? I do have more.

 

[JezebelinHell]

I'm highly against political correctness, if only because it insults peoples' intelligence, and assumes that they're unhappy with current terminologies. Anybody who really makes that much of a fuss over a firefighter being called a fireman should have their priorities reevaluated.

Let me guess... White male, age 18-35, and likely from the States?

It's easy to argue against political correctness when you're in the group that society favours above all others.

Although I agree that on the list of the world's problems gendered words probably aren't at the top, I believe political correctness as a whole that is something that is important, especially in professional environments, as it makes a person choose their words carefully and regard others as equals.

I haven't seen a single time where calling somebody an African American makes them seem more equal than calling them black. I agree that an air of professionalism does need to be maintained, it just doesn't need to spill out into traditions and the media that haven't been complained about by sane people.

Heck, even with gender related PC titles all you are doing is calling more attention to the fact that as a woman I am different and need to be coddled because otherwise I cannot cope in a "man's world".
It is only offensive if you give it the power to be offensive. Otherwise they are just words that need to be interpreted with context and tone.

 

[Screamarie]

Someone may have already mentioned this but I learned very recently in a linguistics class that Politically Correct speak actually started as a joke! And then it was taken seriously and then it became a storm of stupidity.

I honestly think that it's more offensive to call someone "something"-American because it's setting you apart. You're some kind of hybrid or wannabe American, not the real thing.

As for people that get offended because I don't say the right word well...you can kiss my ass cause I don't care. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings and I certainly wouldn't do something to offend on purpose but...I'm white and people are allowed to call me whitey, white trash, cracker, honkey, redneck so on and so on without anyone ever getting in trouble. No one has to call me German-American and I wouldn't want them to.

Instead of setting everybody apart by color maybe we should just be AMERICANS!

 

[FamoFunk]

Your snip

I hate the Daily Fail, hence no source from them.

Please can you provide a source for what you said about your Mum, I'm sure if it's true it would of been reported somewhere.

The story as originally reported by the Daily Mail, from which the Times took it as fact.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-379114/Baa-baa-rainbow-sheep.html

Question resolved on Yahoo answers
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090205071959AATdHEg

Source from link on Yahoo answers, including the full story, all the versions they now sing and the real reasons for the change. From the BBC Education section specifically.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4782856.stm

A discussion forum for Foundation Stage teachers, this was where my mother first picked up the information required when asked about it by her students.
http://www.foundation-stage.info/forums/index.php?showtopic=14939

A wikipedia article on the phenomenon, which includes this story specifically, and a whole host more links debunking the claim, and showing where it came from in the Daily Mail as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loony_left#Baa_Baa_White_Sheep

Quote from the appropriate section of the Wikipedia article.
'The "Baa Baa White Sheep" story was a wholesale fabrication'

Enough? I do have more.

Nope, looks like enough
Thank you anyway, will check them out now!

DM

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

I'm highly against political correctness, if only because it insults peoples' intelligence, and assumes that they're unhappy with current terminologies. Anybody who really makes that much of a fuss over a firefighter being called a fireman should have their priorities reevaluated.

Let me guess... White male, age 18-35, and likely from the States?

It's easy to argue against political correctness when you're in the group that society favours above all others.

Although I agree that on the list of the world's problems gendered words probably aren't at the top, I believe political correctness as a whole that is something that is important, especially in professional environments, as it makes a person choose their words carefully and regard others as equals.

I haven't seen a single time where calling somebody an African American makes them seem more equal than calling them black. I agree that an air of professionalism does need to be maintained, it just doesn't need to spill out into traditions and the media that haven't been complained about by sane people.

Heck, even with gender related PC titles all you are doing is calling more attention to the fact that as a woman I am different and need to be coddled because otherwise I cannot cope in a "man's world".
It is only offensive if you give it the power to be offensive. Otherwise they are just words that need to be interpreted with context and tone.

Exactly. I honestly make an effort to use a gender neutral title instead of man or woman, but that's only because it's more encompassing terminology. I don't see how it spares anybody's feelings to do so, or keeps them from being offended.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

Political correctness has always been a monumental achievement in repression and stupidity.

Here here!

If I want to call a guy an asshole, i'll say it, not "you dear sir are a buttox cavity".

 

[nolongerhere]

Your This isn't true. My mother had a real problem with this a while back, because she teaches Primary School teachers, who of course all came to her when the Daily Mail originally broke the story. The Daily Mail not exactly being renowned for its stellar journalism. The Times picked up on the Mail's story and printed it as fact but there is not a single grain of truth to it, children are not being taught 'baa baa rainbow sheep', nor are their teachers being instructed to teach them a new 'politically correct' version.

So while the rest of your story, fine, this is fear mongering from the Mail.

I hate the Daily Fail, hence no source from them.

Please can you provide a source for what you said about your Mum, I'm sure if it's true it would of been reported somewhere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baa_baa_black_sheep#Modern_controversies

Two private nurseries in Oxford did change the words, though not to rainbow. It's never been council or government policy of any kind, it was just blown out of proportion.

Edit: Ninjas. Damn.

 

[Blaster395]

Its better to just call them People or Humans instead of labeling them either African-American or Black or any other term for any ethnic group.