political correctness
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:25 pm
I'm going to post this, which I posted years ago on the other board, and never get into any specific arguments again. But this kind of expresses my philosophy.
I don't like "political correctness". In my line of work -- editing social studies textbooks -- I have to deal with it every day. However, the term "PC" itself has become way overused. So let me give you my take on what is and is not PC.
* Finding racism everywhere you look is PC.
* Objecting to true racism is NOT PC.
* Denying that racism exists is a f**king lie.
* Being offended by innocent remarks is PC. **[see footnote]
* Being offended by grossly insensitive remarks or remarks that were intended to offend is NOT PC.
* Making insensitive remarks with the intent to offend -- then trotting out the PC accusation when people have the nerve to be offended – is reprehensible.
* Blaming every ill of the world on white Europeans, while giving a free pass to every other culture for their atrocities, is PC.
* Acknowledging the real wrongs that were done by white Europeans (and others) is NOT PC.
* Denying that white Europeans ever did anything wrong is the worst kind of apologism.
* Trying to deny people the right to express offensive opinions is PC.
* Asserting my right to challenge people's offensive opinions is NOT PC.
* Assuming you have the right to air offensive opinions unchallenged is a complete perversion of the idea of "freedom of speech."
The currency of the term "political correctness" has opened up an interesting and necessary dialogue. Unfortunately, it has also given bigots a nice new cloak to hide behind.
And, given the choice of being branded PC or allowing really offensive remarks to go by unchallenged, I'll take the PC label.
** By the way, it isn't only minorities who can read slurs into innocent statements. You wouldn't believe some of the things the right has honed in on in our textbooks. One reviewer in Texas claimed that one of our books was anti-capitalist because we said that 19th century business leaders "acquired" smaller companies, rather than saying they "bought" them. The reviewer said that the word "acquired" was a code word for "stole." Tell that to the Mergers and Acquisitions departments of many corporations....
I don't like "political correctness". In my line of work -- editing social studies textbooks -- I have to deal with it every day. However, the term "PC" itself has become way overused. So let me give you my take on what is and is not PC.
* Finding racism everywhere you look is PC.
* Objecting to true racism is NOT PC.
* Denying that racism exists is a f**king lie.
* Being offended by innocent remarks is PC. **[see footnote]
* Being offended by grossly insensitive remarks or remarks that were intended to offend is NOT PC.
* Making insensitive remarks with the intent to offend -- then trotting out the PC accusation when people have the nerve to be offended – is reprehensible.
* Blaming every ill of the world on white Europeans, while giving a free pass to every other culture for their atrocities, is PC.
* Acknowledging the real wrongs that were done by white Europeans (and others) is NOT PC.
* Denying that white Europeans ever did anything wrong is the worst kind of apologism.
* Trying to deny people the right to express offensive opinions is PC.
* Asserting my right to challenge people's offensive opinions is NOT PC.
* Assuming you have the right to air offensive opinions unchallenged is a complete perversion of the idea of "freedom of speech."
The currency of the term "political correctness" has opened up an interesting and necessary dialogue. Unfortunately, it has also given bigots a nice new cloak to hide behind.
And, given the choice of being branded PC or allowing really offensive remarks to go by unchallenged, I'll take the PC label.
** By the way, it isn't only minorities who can read slurs into innocent statements. You wouldn't believe some of the things the right has honed in on in our textbooks. One reviewer in Texas claimed that one of our books was anti-capitalist because we said that 19th century business leaders "acquired" smaller companies, rather than saying they "bought" them. The reviewer said that the word "acquired" was a code word for "stole." Tell that to the Mergers and Acquisitions departments of many corporations....