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Irishknight -> RE: Political Correctness ? (4/22/2009 7:26:41 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: MadameMarque
So maybe it's a matter of definitions. To me, this is precisely the concern of good faith political correctness. If you are aware that some words for a certain race are considered hateful and some are not, and you avoid the racial slurs and use the neutral words, you are being "Politically Correct." Maybe it's the word "political," that makes everyone equate being PC with being hypocritical and disingenuous. Because people in this thread keep talking about politically correct as synonymous with "fake," and politically incorrect as synonymous with genuine and candid.
Take this example: Let's say, as continues to happen over time, a certain group of people who often experience discrimination, decide as a group that they prefer to be referred to by a certain term. I don't know why that term, exactly; I don't have to know. I don't lead their lives, I don't know their issues. If that's what they prefer, and you just let me know, and don't beat me over the head for not knowing, why wouldn't I respect that? I guess the anti-PC thing to do would be to proudly refuse to indulge their wishes. As if I know better than they whether it makes any difference how people refer to them. But that would be disrespectful and make me kind of a jerk, wouldn't it - if *not* being PC is more important to me than their feelings and experience.
I prefer to not use any terms other than "man," "woman," ""lady," or "gentleman" when referring to other people. I will occassionally fall back on asshat, fuktard, moron, douchebag, and a few others when they fit the situation. I don't care if you prefer to be called "Martian American" or "Viking American." You still fit in the category of human at our initial meeting and will be treated as such until YOU give me reason to treat you otherwise. I don't have to use anyone's "special words" to treat them like a human. Amazingly enough, being treated as a human being has never offended anyone that I have met. In fact, it has earned me the honor from many I know as being "colorless."
Political correctness involves changing your way of speaking foe every group that you are around. You can watch how speech patternschange for pc people when they are addressing different groups. That is the epitome of "fake."
If one speaks honestly and in a proper manner(as my mom and grandma taught me) speech patterns and terms need not change no matter who you are addressing. It also makes it much more of a contrast when you turn on a deserving jerkoff and tell him that he is a sack of worm spit that needs to shut up and quit lowering the IQ of the room.
"PC" is taking the whole thing too far. Good manners fall somewhere between the standards so many of you have layed out. Political correctness is an extreme attempt to never offend anyone. People who spend so much effort trying to not offend everyone around them will always come off as milksops. People who strive to be "anti-PC" all the time will be seen as boorish and crude. Those who know when to speak up and be rude and when to be respectful are usually seen as polite and pleasant to be around. They are also considered to be more honest and upfront when it comes to first impressions.
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