Political Correctness

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Has Political Correctness gone too far?

Poll ended at 7 Oct 2006 22:20

Yes
9
69%
No
4
31%
 
Total votes: 13

LisaCummins
Posts: 49
Joined: 30 Jul 2006 10:03
Location: Hall Drive

Political Correctness

Post by LisaCummins »

I am getting more and more concerned as each day passes. I wonder if any of you have similar views.
I personally think Political Correctness has gone a bit too far.
Things we say are taken far too seriously these days. I appreciate some things said are wrong but it seems to me people get offended far too easily these days by the slightest remark.
Anyway I'd appreciate your views.
I have left the poll open for 30 days.
Lisa.
GLOBAL THINKER
Posts: 177
Joined: 2 Nov 2004 13:20
Location: SYDENHAM

Post by GLOBAL THINKER »

I personally think Political Correctness has gone a bit too far.
In terms of what Racism, Sexism, Ageism, Social Housing ?????

Did you say something that upset someone?? :wink:
leaf
Posts: 590
Joined: 6 Jul 2006 16:17
Location: Not so far away.

Post by leaf »

no i dont,i think in general it is a good thing to protect people who have been in the past subject to abuse,it is easy to say its gone to far,but if you have ever been a victim of prejudice you might see it differently.

what has driven you to these views lisa,has there been a particular incident?
LisaCummins
Posts: 49
Joined: 30 Jul 2006 10:03
Location: Hall Drive

Political Correctness

Post by LisaCummins »

Hi Global Thinker,

No I have not said anything to upset anyone (yet) but I must admit I do get upset myself when people get easily offended. Blackboard for example is thesedays taboo. I agree people like Bernard Manning took things too far but I think otherwise it has gone OTT.
OK I am white and would never call a black person a (please forgive me) Nigger. That Would be totally unacceptable. But why do I often hear black people calling other black people niggers without any reprisals?

Hi Leaf

Thank you for joining the debate. I read something in another thread about having a Chinky. Everyone knows that refers to a Chinese meal and not directly to a chinese person. Can I say Chinese, or can I say Indian? Should I say Asian? :?
....But I am not just referring to rasism, I am not a rasist. I was brought up in a mixed race household. I heard that Playing Cards are to be re-coloured as there are Black Jacks, Queens and Kings. So now Waddingtons are proposing Blue and red colours within their sets.
leaf
Posts: 590
Joined: 6 Jul 2006 16:17
Location: Not so far away.

Post by leaf »

hello lisa

i dont think that saying chinky is just an affectionate term,you might associate it with a take away,but i recall not so long ago it being used to describe people who are chinese[chinks],as for what to call indian and chinese food,call them indian and chinese food!

as for cards;
i have had a blue and red set for years,where did you hear about this?

as for black people using the N word,this was about reclaiming the word and making it a positive instead of a negative derogatory word used as an insult,there are some camps of black people who are very much against its use by black people in this way,so it isnt something that all black people do.
lemonade
Posts: 144
Joined: 25 Oct 2005 23:01
Location: Croydon

Has PC gone too far

Post by lemonade »

Has political correctness gone too far?
My personal opinion - YES.
Political correctness was invented as a means of controlling people's minds. The theory goes that if you can put enough pressure on people by controlling what they are able to say, then you can eventually control what they're thinking. Good theory! Except it doesn't work in practice. It didn't work under the Soviet System nor under the Nazi system. It doesn't work against anyone under the capitalist system either, but the people using this form of repression know that. As long as they don't control enough people instilling a feeling of helplessness in them, leading to them adopting an attitude of indifference, then they know that they can get away with pretty much anything they want.
Thesedays PC is generally created by "left-wing loonies" who have nothing better to do. I understand that Blackboards are now referred to as Chalkboards. You can't say Gollywog. I didn't know about the playing cards having to be blue instead of black. But a firm in Manchester was ordered to change its name. For over 30 years the firm was trading under the name Coons. They has loads of vans with the name on the sides. If this offends people, then they must have very thin skin.
As long as we do onto others as we would have them do onto us, I really can't see any problem. just be honest with yourself and everybody else. some people like to make life a "Hell on Earth."
My advice, for what it's worth is enjoy and treat each day as if it is a bonus. Let those who enjoy moaning get on with it, but if that is all they think about, please don't do it in my space :wink:
GemStone
Posts: 57
Joined: 12 Feb 2006 13:27
Location: Chulsa Road

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Post by GemStone »

GOOD POST LEMONADE!
I AM WITH YOU ON THIS ONE. :D
I AM ENGLISH BUT I AM TOLD IT WOULD BE WRONG TO FLY A UNION JACK AS IT CAN OFFEND THOSE WITH OTHER ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS. BUT THEN WHY IS IT OK FOR WALES AND SCOTLAND TO FLY THEIRS?
I DO NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH OTHERS FLYING FLAGS OF THEIR NATIONALITY SO WHY SHOULD OTHERS FIND THE UNION JACK OFFENSIVE? :evil:
leaf
Posts: 590
Joined: 6 Jul 2006 16:17
Location: Not so far away.

Post by leaf »

genstone
i dont think other nationalities would find it offensive if you were to fly the union jack,you may have been reading the mail too much :wink:
it has to be said that the negative connotations that the union jack has with a far right party might have contributed to the worry that some local councils have about it being flown.
why not fly the george cross?

as lemonade says it was the loony lefties that started all of that rubbish.

lemonade they dont have blackboards or chalkboards anymore,they have whiteboards that you use a marker pen on or interactive whiteboards[a sort of huge computer screen],so thats an outdated one!
GLOBAL THINKER
Posts: 177
Joined: 2 Nov 2004 13:20
Location: SYDENHAM

Post by GLOBAL THINKER »

But why do I often hear black people calling other black people n*****s without any reprisals?
Lisa, why do you care?? Just because a minority of fools choose to use this word does not mean they have "reclaimed" it and are using it positively. It just means they are idiots with no sense of self. If it upsets you so, tell them you find it offensive. "Without reprisals"? The fact they use this word damages themselves more than anyone could.
some people like to make life a "Hell on Earth."
Lemonade, who exactly are these people?
I AM ENGLISH BUT I AM TOLD IT WOULD BE WRONG TO FLY A UNION JACK AS IT CAN OFFEND THOSE WITH OTHER ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS
Gemstone, you are a grown up, if you want to fly your flag, fly it. This is a tired argument.

Hankering after the "good old days" when you could abuse someone and get away with it are over, and rightly so. If you have a point to make, put it forward in a concise manner and no-one can complain. You don't have to like your neighbour, but the law says you cannot abuse them.
Annie
Posts: 1187
Joined: 13 May 2006 11:08
Location: Sydenham

Post by Annie »

Hankering after the "good old days" when you could abuse someone and get away with it are over, and rightly so. If you have a point to make, put it forward in a concise manner and no-one can complain. You don't have to like your neighbour, but the law says you cannot abuse them.
Global thinker


To a certain degree i agree with you Global but i'm always a little bit worried when freedom of speech is interfeared, with as i think that all it does is to push the word's (and resentment) "underground"they are still used indoors by black and white people,
I used to get called "white honky" and various other names.
to be honest it never really bothered me but i can understand some people being offended by it. I was surprised when on a bus the other day two black girls were talking and were saying that they don't like being called "Black" cos they are brown. Also a black friend of mine years ago said "Why do white people call us coloured? when it's the whites who are all different shades of pink? haha i thought that was brilliant!
thats the attitude to peoples colour that i love we are all the same underneath and if everyone was just proud and accepting of the colour of skin they were born in there would be no need to stop people saying certain things that pertain to a skin colour because it just wouldn't exist.
:lol:
lemonade
Posts: 144
Joined: 25 Oct 2005 23:01
Location: Croydon

.......Well this is a P.C. at it's best. lol!!!

Post by lemonade »

Hello all

How about this book I noticed for sale in some junk mail - free magazine.

POLITICALLY CORRECT BEDTIME STORIES!!!

...In this era of politically correctness the much-loved fairy tales don't hold to close scrutiny. The characters are sexist, rasist, sizeist and extremely prejudiced against witches, giants and goblins.

Fortunately the best known tales have now been re-written so that the Emperor was not naked, but endorsing a lifestyle choice and the Grandmother and cross-dressing wolf in Red Riding Hood live together in mutual respect and co-operation.

...Snow White & The Seven Vertically Challenged Men!!! :lol:
floom
Posts: 106
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 10:49
Location: se26

Post by floom »

Excellent, lemonade.
The PC people are intent on creating an atmosphere of fear and unease. Look at the row over the use of the word "niggardly" because of its first two syllables, when every one knows the origin of the word has nothing to do with skin colour.
The PC people are hoping to browbeat us into a state where we can be ripe for control by their own would-be thought police.
Thomas
Posts: 632
Joined: 22 Feb 2007 13:08
Location: Upper Sydenham

Post by Thomas »

So where's your evidence that anyone has seriously complained about the use of this word? Who are these "PC people"? Is it too much to ask for people to treat others with dignity and respect?
floom
Posts: 106
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 10:49
Location: se26

Post by floom »

Thomas: So where's your evidence that anyone has seriously complained about the use of this word?
http://users.starpower.net/rrosendall/a ... 0127.shtml
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Post by admin »

Floom,

If I can try and bring this thread on-topic.

That link is to a far away place by a people of which we know little. It has no relevance to Sydenham Town. Here I'm responsible for PC (or rather 5 PCs:) and hence the custodian of last resort as to what language may be used here.

The overiding principle is that within the general guidance of no abuse the language used should be appropriate to the other people here. And we do tend to change our language and vocabulary to match who we speaking to. Words I say in a men's changing room, or in discussing an operation I would not use with my mother.

Hence there has been occasion when someone here has objected to the use of a particular word. They have every right to point out to the poster that they don't like it/it will cause a riot or whatever. It really is for you as a group to work it out between you.

I note no one has objected to your use of niggardly. That in itself might be niggardly ;-)

Where I step in is not about the word but about the perceived intention. If it is abuse (which is more than robust criticism) or purely gratuitous then I may ask the poster to review it and if they don't - I will remove it and explain why. You can then take me to task for being too PC.

In nearly 7,000 posts I have had to do this on less than a handful of occasions. And it wasn't for the use of a non-PC word. Some people can be horribly offensive whilst using the politest of words in an insiduous way.

So don't worry about Daily Mail scare stuff. That's until the story is us.

Enjoy the weekend.

Admin
floom
Posts: 106
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 10:49
Location: se26

Post by floom »

admin: it's not me who's abusing language, it's the trouble makers who take a perfectly innocent word, which has been used without offence to anyone for hundreds of years, and deliberately try to make it mean what it doesn't.

This is britian 2007, not Oceania 1984.
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2575
Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Post by admin »

floom wrote:This is britian 2007, not Oceania 1984.
No. It was America 1999, widely ridiculed in the UK at the time and hence off-topic here.

Admin
Greg Whitehead
Posts: 474
Joined: 11 Apr 2005 15:44
Location: SE26 5RL

Post by Greg Whitehead »

As a white-male I'd like to state that I find the liberal, almost flagrant, use of the term honky-tonk deeply offensive and incredibly hurtful. I notice the casual acceptance of this slur proliferates most widely in what may be termed as 'musical circles'.

Should I hear this term used once more on the radio I shall have no option but to complain to the Court of Human Rights in Brussels due to the mental anguish this clearly racist and offensive term causes me.

How's THAT for P.C. gone mad?

:wink:

Edit: I've just gone to the cupboard to find a light snack to munch on and pulled out a packet of Ritz Crackers. When will this torture end??!!
I'm being abused in my own home.




Those blooming left-wing loonies. They need to grow-up.
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