PC

POSTED BY: Wulfenstar
UPDATED: Monday, June 30, 2008 15:11
VIEWED: 5631
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WULFENSTAR

Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:33 PM

“The two pillars of 'political correctness' are:

a) willful ignorance

b) a steadfast refusal to face the truth”
-George MacDonald

“Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred”
-Jacques Barzun

Have at it....

The truth of things should never be hidden in order to promote "unity". Truth should be honestly and openly faced. Only then, can healing and strengthening begin.
-Wulfenstar

RIGHTEOUS9

Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:10 PM

arguable...

political correctness has a definite down-side.

It can obscure honesty and prevent real problems from being recognized and adressed.

I'd rather know who has backwards views on race, gender, etc. because at least I know where that person really stands, and we can proceed on disclosed terms.

But certain language can have a chlling effect on learning or feeling safe so there is a reason why there are guidelines to be followed. I don't think that you'd disagree that if a few white kids were following around a black kid at school and calling him nigger, that that would be a problem...

or take the obvious harrassment out of it...if every time they ran into him they referred to him with one stereotype or another or told him derogatory black jokes,etc...

there would be an obvious problem, and people of authority should step in to mitigate that sort of behavior, because it would truly have a negative impact on that child's psyche. Same goes for television personalities...anybody that reaches a vast audience. In this case I'm not suggesting laws, but I don't have a problem with public pressure forcing a station's hand.

Sometimes that public pressure is out of line, sometimes those networks should hold their ground, and hope people rally to their side eventually...

but money talks and that often isn't in the cards. So definitely, there is a concern here.

Ultimately I don't like any kind of enforced censorship, but I can see a need for there to be some responsible choices made about how to let your entertainers speak on television, and how to let your teachers teach, etc,

but the public has to be just as ready to defend those who are inappropriately targeted, as they are to put pressure on the personalities they were offended by.

We have enough of the pull but not enough of the push in this regard.

.......

CITIZEN

Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:18 PM

Political Correctness was the extreme that was thrown up to balance the wilfully racist sexist bigotry of the people who are often to be found moaning about it. Why can't we just use some common sense? Well it turns out people are too stupid and ignorant to do that, that's why the world needs the mad extreme of political correctness to balance the other mad extreme of the self styled 'plain talkers' who are actually racist ignorant bigots.

Welcome to crazy town.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

FLETCH2

Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:38 PM

I use a Mac.

SERGEANTX

Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:59 PM

There's nothing at all wrong with public condemnation of bigotry and other such ugliness. But political correctness is something else.

I heard a quote a while ago that I thought summed it up nicely - political correctness is the social climate that encourages people to be more concerned with what they should think than with what they do think.

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

RIGHTEOUS9

Thursday, June 19, 2008 11:02 PM

how do you divorce the two though? at what point do you cross the line from condemning hurtful language and ideas into the realm of pc policing...

the problem is there is no strict way to define the difference.

SERGEANTX

Thursday, June 19, 2008 11:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Righteous9:

how do you divorce the two though? at what point do you cross the line from condemning hurtful language and ideas into the realm of pc policing...

the problem is there is no strict way to define the difference.

Well, I think we're looking on the wrong end. Political correctness isn't so much imposed top-down. It's a matter of individuals and whether they have the courage to think for themselves, and honor those thoughts even when they might be unpopular.

There are definitely those eager to lead a campaign of "intolerance of intolerance" (Stamp out intolerance now!). But they require people willing to be led in such a way.

I see this whole issue as directly related to the demise of our democratic process. People have let themselves become so malleable and so responsive to media conditioning that they're more comfortable letting someone else think for them. Or maybe it was always like that and democracy is just an unattainable ideal. I dunno.

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

SIGNYM

Friday, June 20, 2008 12:53 AM

Quote:
The two pillars of 'political correctness' are:
a) willful ignorance
b) a steadfast refusal to face the truth”

Sounds more like a neocon to me!

So, what is "political correctness" anyway? IMHO it's the opposite of being a troll.

There are a million ways to say the truth. My experience has being respectful usually get a better listen than being a troll. So, if you want to be heard then you'll be respectful. But if you just want to insult people you'll find a way to do that too.

Not that I always follow my won advice, just my $0.02.
---------------------------------
Let's party like it's 1929.

HERO

Friday, June 20, 2008 1:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Fletch2:
I use a Mac.

We all need one...in November.

H

WHODIED

Friday, June 20, 2008 2:50 PM

PC is an informal civil code meant to discourage hostility between various cultural factions within a society, that instead prevents open discourse and thus resolution.

--WhoDied

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