NationStates Jolt Archive

Has political correctness taken over our society? I believe it has and that it is only getting worse.

The question is, however, why political correctness exists and how far reaching are its consequences?

I really cannot understand what political correctness achieves other than blinding young people in particular throughout their early years from reality. What good is that?

For example...while it is now considered wrong to say somebody is fat (rather you must use the term "horizontally challenged") in schools (one example of many), but what happens when a person is then unleashed into a society which for the main rejects PC? I believe PC could cause serious problems as the academic world of shielding young people from reality is quickly shattered upon students leaving the security of classrooms. If somebody is "fat" then that is what people are likely to say. After all, a spade is a spade. Why should we hide from the English language all the time? We seem to be inventing new "isms" every day to the degree that Shakespeare's 2,000 vocabulary is shadowed by the magical land of PC.

One area of PC however which does cause serious concern...

In the world of children's entertainment for example plans to re-write the children's book "The Faraway Tree" have risen as it supposedly contained vague references to African slavery. Years ago, a TV show called "Noddy" was taken off air as the main character playfully hit his friend over the head. It was said at the time that such behaviour was violent and unsuitable for young viewers.

Let us not forget the recent promotion of same-sex couples on a popular Australian children's TV show.

Then...only the other day the latest Harry Potter film was deemed too violent by critics who gave it an M15+ rating (later reduced to PG after public outcry). PC is sucking the fun out of youth.

Where will it end?

I think there has been a good backlash against "political correctness" since it hit its height (say the early 90s). It's still around though, and is closely tied to the "culture of victimhood" where we are encouraged to identify ourselves by our perceived collective grievences instead of taking responsibility for our own person.

Political corectness has always existed, it is just that the spectrum of what is and what is not politically correct is shifting. Political correctness is by definition 'social conservatism.' There once was a time when being in the KKK was PC, but being gay was not. Now the spectrum is shifting and I like where it is going. Please note that I am not a fan of this social conservatism.

Much of the 'backlash' comes from the retrograde reactionary right.

Political corectness has always existed, it is just that the spectrum of what is and what is not politically correct is shifting. Political correctness is by definition 'social conservatism.' There once was a time when being in the KKK was PC, but being gay was not. Now the spectrum is shifting and I like where it is going.

"I like where it is going"? :shock:

How can you think forcing children to say "horiztontally challenged" instead of "fat" is likeable?

Please reread my post and try again. Thank you :)

A spade is a spade. Always has been, always will be.

Well, according to some people in London, a spade is a black person. But such nomenclature is rather insulting and far from being politically correct.

There are derogatory names for all races I think we are all aware of that. Regardless, I will still call a spade a spade.

There is no PC or courtesy here on NS, that's for sure.

There is no PC or courtesy here on NS, that's for sure.
Good :D

I'd consider myself mostly politically correct. I think that, rather than giving children a culture shock when they come into the "real world," it equips them to change the world to something a little nicer. And that's what PC is, isn't it? An attempt to make the world a little more friendly.

I'd consider myself mostly politically correct. I think that, rather than giving children a culture shock when they come into the "real world," it equips them to change the world to something a little nicer. And that's what PC is, isn't it? An attempt to make the world a little more friendly.

More friendly? PC is a waste of good dictionary space and a load of bollocks! It is a dying form of social engineering.

A spade shall always be a spade.

I'd consider myself mostly politically correct. I think that, rather than giving children a culture shock when they come into the "real world," it equips them to change the world to something a little nicer. And that's what PC is, isn't it? An attempt to make the world a little more friendly.

So a spade isn't a spade? Is racially challenged more acceptabe?

Spades are garden tools. Why would one want to call that something else? Being politically correct is about people. Not garden tools.

Frankly, if somebody called me "horizontally challenged" I would be most offended. If they said "you're fat" I wouldn't care much.

Likewise, what about hybrid identities? I hate (very anti-PC word there) hybrid identities.

You are not African-American, you are American

You are not Aboriginal-Australian or an Indigenous person, you are Australian.

etc etc etc

You get the point...I hope.

Spades are garden tools. Why would one want to call that something else? Being politically correct is about people. Not garden tools.

Well my gardener is a nig nog but I wouldn't say he was a tool. He works like a black.

It means I'm not a Chinaman, but a naturalised Sino-Australian? :)

I was talking about the shovel-type thing.

And everyone has the right to define themselves with the labels they so choose. If you want to be called African-American, okay. If you want to be called American, okay.

I was talking about the shovel-type thing.

He does have big hands, good for garden work, they are. Can't read too good though, but a good worker, and cheap. But if he looks at my daughter the wrong way again we're gonna have ourselves a hangin'!

Political correctness is the new Fascism. God forbid I wish someone a Merry Christmas...I might offend the Fuhrer.

I was talking about the shovel-type thing.

He does have big hands, good for garden work, they are. Can't read too good though, but a good worker, and cheap. But if he looks at my daughter the wrong way again we're gonna have ourselves a hangin'!

LOL What are you living in the 1860's? Sounds like Gone With The Wind to me. :lol:

Fascism? No. Fascism is taking away of freedoms for the sake of control. Political correctness is voluntary for the sake of kindness.

There is no PC or courtesy here on NS, that's for sure.

These Forums show far more politeness and sensitivity than many I have been on. Perhaps people here are just nicer, but I have seen one Thread get locked and it has had a "chilling" effect on the way that I post... especially when responding to so many of you morons! :twisted:

...that was a joke... [ damn no halo emoticon! :tantrum: ]

PC is about being polite and being sensative to the feelings of others. Yes it can go too far... but are you really worried about kids growing up without knowing what the word "fat" means? Get real!

I've got nothing wrong with schools outlawing abusive language. Sure "fat" is not as bad as "fatty fatty boombalatti" and "fat" is not neccesarily used as an insult, buit we're talking about kids here. And yeah "horizontally challenged" sounds like a joke, but it doesn't lend itself well to taunting rhymes, does it? "Overweight" would be better.

BTW I would not be surprised at all if "call a spade a spade" was originally a racial reference... it makes lots more sense then the idea that there was ever a debate over what to call a shovel. And frankly, calling a black person a spade is apalling. Do so if you want, but when your kids pick it up and get suspended from school, please don't get all whiney about your "victimhood" at the hands of represive PC nazis.



- Rev. A.J. Harris

I've never much understood PC.
I lived through the f :shock: king NINTETIES - the most PC -
Pussywhipped Children, if you ask me - decade.
Jeez I hated the Nineties! The most phoney-baloney fickle decade
I've ever seen.

The PCisms were mere garnish as to what real issues were.
Telling us to accept things which were wrong, rather than
changing them. And I know that this doesn't apply to all of them, BUT:
We'll use the example given - "Horizontally Challenged" as opposed
to: "YOU FAT F :lol: K!". Surely the answer to the problem isn't to come up with labels for problems to make everyone FEEL GOOD, NO! It should be to CHANGE things for the BETTER!

The answer shouldn't be to say "we're going to call you 'horizontally challenged', but instead to say "stop a-jawin' on Doritos, McDonald's and Twinkies, get off your fat a$$ and EXERCISE!"

As I said, this doesn't apply to all of these; only to things which are changeable.

The term 'Politically Correct' is actually largely defunct in progressive circles today. Notice how the only people to actually bring it into conversation are the reactionary conservatives who want to defend their position in society.

This is not a form of political correctness in itself, no one is 'afraid' to use this term, it is simply that it is largely vacuous. The evolution of language has meant that its use has been confined to certain sections of society. It is simply the fact that reactionaries have latched on to what they believe is a tool with which they can fend off any chance of alleviating oppression. Thus it has become some form of tool to beat progressive policy.

Frankly, if somebody called me "horizontally challenged" I would be most offended. If they said "you're fat" I wouldn't care much.

Likewise, what about hybrid identities? I hate (very anti-PC word there) hybrid identities.

You are not African-American, you are American

You are not Aboriginal-Australian or an Indigenous person, you are Australian.

etc etc etc

You get the point...I hope.

Sorry, but I don't. Are you saying it would be better to say "Americans of African descent"? Or are you saying we should not have words that describe the different races of Americans?

I wouldn't personally use the term horizontally challenged; it smacks of trying too hard. Still, I don't think yelling at people is going to make them change. If anything, it will make them more set in their ways.

I wouldn't personally use the term horizontally challenged; it smacks of trying too hard. Still, I don't think yelling at people is going to make them change. If anything, it will make them more set in their ways.

a) I was kinda being "tongue in cheek" :wink:
b) The point (even though tongue in cheek) isn't the yelling, rather
that "labelling something as different" isn't the same as making an
effort towards change for the better. I mean this about issues like this. Too fat etc. Stuff that
should be within the control of the people themselves.
As you said "smacks of trying too hard".

Race issues, sexuality issues, etc. are a different thing, in my opinion.
But there HAS been change in those issues. No-one ever called them
different labels to get that change, either.
It was gay or homosexual, maybe sometimes queer, but not
abominations like "testosteroneally challenged" "P**sy-findingly
impaired" etc. (again, a tad tongue-in-cheek, even if tasteless)

The point is that it's not the label that changes things, but the effort made towards understanding the issue, whatever that may be and in whatever form it may take, and doing something to make the necessary changes to make things tick over properly.

I was talking about the shovel-type thing.

He does have big hands, good for garden work, they are. Can't read too good though, but a good worker, and cheap. But if he looks at my daughter the wrong way again we're gonna have ourselves a hangin'!

LOL What are you living in the 1860's? Sounds like Gone With The Wind to me. :lol:

Yes I am living in the 1860's. I discovered time travel, went to the year 2004, stole a computer and brought it back. The telephone cable runs through the time machine, but there is no room for the power cable, so I have a slave on a bike attached to a dynamo.

a) I was kinda being "tongue in cheek"
b) The point isn't the yelling, rather that "labelling something as
different" isn't the same as making an effort towards changeing it for
the better. I mean this about issues like this. Too fat etc. Stuff that
should be within the control of the people themselves.
As you said "smacks of trying too hard".

Sometimes, people can't control their weight. They have a medical condition. And, although the term "horizontally challenged" smacks of a humourists attempt to poke fun at the PC types, I agree, we need a better term. The best I've come up with is "larger," but if anyone has anything better, I'll use it. But, if such a person wishes to be called "fat" or "heavy" I'll use it with that particular person.

Sometimes, people can't control their weight. They have a medical condition. And, although the term "horizontally challenged" smacks of a humourists attempt to poke fun at the PC types, I agree, we need a better term. The best I've come up with is "larger," but if anyone has anything better, I'll use it. But, if such a person wishes to be called "fat" or "heavy" I'll use it with that particular person.

A medical condition? Is it called being a fat c*nt (un-PC). The only thing I heard is that it is glandular - I imagine it is the saliva gland they are talking about. Oh another possible medical condition - saladophobia.

And on the other side of the spectrum - Anorexics, when your knees are fatter than your legs start eating cake again.

And even if a person chooses not to lose weight, isn't that their personal business? Can't other people just ignore that fact?

a) I was kinda being "tongue in cheek"
b) The point isn't the yelling, rather that "labelling something as
different" isn't the same as making an effort towards changeing it for
the better. I mean this about issues like this. Too fat etc. Stuff that
should be within the control of the people themselves.
As you said "smacks of trying too hard".

Sometimes, people can't control their weight. They have a medical condition. And, although the term "horizontally challenged" smacks of a humourists attempt to poke fun at the PC types, I agree, we need a better term. The best I've come up with is "larger," but if anyone has anything better, I'll use it. But, if such a person wishes to be called "fat" or "heavy" I'll use it with that particular person.

True, it's the old "I'm not fat, it's glandular", "I'm not fat, I'm big-boned" ("Screw you guys, I'm going home!" :lol: ) thing.
And I understand that not everyone who is fat can help being that way.
BUT: There are those who CAN change their predicament and, rather than trying to change their situation, will instead just complacently let themselves stay that way and use those hackneyed clichees.

Then there are folks who prey on people like this. It's almost the other end of the scale. That "quick fix" mentality.
The people who turn to those bulls**t diets. The Atkins diet is one of the more famous, as is that "Blood type" diet (which, for those of you who don't know, is the one where people ate certain foods "according to blood type" which, as was debunked, leaves out all sorts of food groups/vitamins necessary for good eating/survival).
I'm not trying to knock them, so much as I am the people who prey upon these people.

Being PC is simply showing respect for other people different from yourself. But the sad truth is that many people don't have any respect for others.

by allying revisionist history to our past (ie literature, histotrical events,etc) we are robbing ourselves of the real truth. It is like rewritting history so it looks like we have always considered slavery bad, despite the fact that it was accepted across the world for hundreds of years. Now, we3 realize that it was a bad thing, but upon looking back, we think that our ancestors were terrible people for holding slaves when they really werent, they were merely a product of the times.

PC is like that. It is applying revisionist history, or rose tinted lenses to our past and it is merely another form of lying and deicet.

by allying revisionist history to our past (ie literature, histotrical events,etc) we are robbing ourselves of the real truth. It is like rewritting history so it looks like we have always considered slavery bad, despite the fact that it was accepted across the world for hundreds of years. Now, we3 realize that it was a bad thing, but upon looking back, we think that our ancestors were terrible people for holding slaves when they really werent, they were merely a product of the times.

PC is like that. It is applying revisionist history, or rose tinted lenses to our past and it is merely another form of lying and deicet.

I disagree with revisionist history. We need to know the real truth so we can learn from our mistakes. However, PC is not revisionist history or lying and deceit. It is still stating the truth, but in a less confrontational way.

by allying revisionist history to our past (ie literature, histotrical events,etc) we are robbing ourselves of the real truth. It is like rewritting history so it looks like we have always considered slavery bad, despite the fact that it was accepted across the world for hundreds of years. Now, we3 realize that it was a bad thing, but upon looking back, we think that our ancestors were terrible people for holding slaves when they really werent, they were merely a product of the times.

PC is like that. It is applying revisionist history, or rose tinted lenses to our past and it is merely another form of lying and deicet.


But hold on, does this mean that we can't attempt to at least ameliorate some of the results of slavery?

I hate people that are PC if I want to hate gays and others stuff im going to hate it no matter what I call it. We have went from call people handicap or crippled to calling the physicaly or mentally challenged. When I talk to people I try to be as anti PC as possible because its wrong and teaches weakness. Its like calling people African-American or Native-Americans I won't do it. DOWN WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

I hate people that are PC if I want to hate gays and others stuff im going to hate it no matter what I call it. We have went from call people handicap or crippled to calling the physicaly or mentally challenged. When I talk to people I try to be as anti PC as possible because its wrong and teaches weakness. Its like calling people African-American or Native-Americans I won't do it. DOWN WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

How does it teach weakness?

I was talking about the shovel-type thing.

He does have big hands, good for garden work, they are. Can't read too good though, but a good worker, and cheap. But if he looks at my daughter the wrong way again we're gonna have ourselves a hangin'!

LOL What are you living in the 1860's? Sounds like Gone With The Wind to me. :lol:

Yes I am living in the 1860's. I discovered time travel, went to the year 2004, stole a computer and brought it back. The telephone cable runs through the time machine, but there is no room for the power cable, so I have a slave on a bike attached to a dynamo.Tell the truth, you're really in 360BC. The origin of "calling a spade a spade" predates English, althought the First English Usage Recorded that I know of dates from 1542 (Udall's translation of Plutarch). It came from a Greek phrase, "to call a fig a fig, and a trough a trough", meaning "to call <euphimism for female genitalia> a <euphimism for female genitalia>, and <euphimism for male genitalia> a <euphimism for male genitalia>", or more understandably "to call a hoo-ha a hoo-ha and a tallywacker a tallywacker". The psde comes in from a mistranslation of the Greek word for "trough" to "spade", reasonably understandable as both a similarily shaped Gardening tools but if you have a spade for your trouser snake instead of a trough then I know a few horse who would be envious. The phrase refers to being plain spoken and makes fun of PCness by remaining PC. As for "spade" refering to the melanin unimpaired, that apparently dates to the mid-1920s when some play used the phrase "Black as the Ace of Spades" to refer to a differently pigmented person. but although no reorded usage exists prior to this there may have been some minor localized usage of similar phrases.

I hate people that are PC if I want to hate gays and others stuff im going to hate it no matter what I call it. We have went from call people handicap or crippled to calling the physicaly or mentally challenged. When I talk to people I try to be as anti PC as possible because its wrong and teaches weakness. Its like calling people African-American or Native-Americans I won't do it. DOWN WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Aren't you asking for respect now? the respect and freedom to say what you want? Well forget it! That'd be too pc! No freedom for you kiddo.

I hate people that are PC if I want to hate gays and others stuff im going to hate it no matter what I call it. We have went from call people handicap or crippled to calling the physicaly or mentally challenged. When I talk to people I try to be as anti PC as possible because its wrong and teaches weakness. Its like calling people African-American or Native-Americans I won't do it. DOWN WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

You're right, we should call gays queers or fags and blacks niggers or monkeys.

Instead of calling them....ummm.....gays...or blacks.

The words "gay" and "black" are not PC terms.

Besides, when was the last time you heard someone say "African-American"?

I think people mostly use "Native-American" to differentiate from those in the country India (Indians) and the natives in the US (Indians).

I guess my point is, you're a retard.

I think people mostly use "Native-American" to differentiate from those in the country India (Indians) and the natives in the US (Indians).

I guess my point is, you're a retard."Native American" is actually rather more culturaly insensetive. If you don't know his or her tribe, it is usually better to call and Indian an Indian.

I think they should be called what they want to be called, not some arbitrary term. If they don't mind Indian, then call them that. Of course, it depends on the individual person

Surely it is up to those who are...challenged...in some way to decide on what they feel is suitable and with which they are comfortable?

I'm thinking of a programme recently on TV about dwarfs. Calling them dwarfs is ok apparently...many prefer the term 'little people' (which aptly and clearly describes them) - they find the word 'midget' offensive.

I didn't hear them called vertically challenged although PCness no doubt would resort to that term.

I feel PCness is designed more to make those using the terms feel better, rather than for the recipients - but i'm open to discussion on this one :)

I guess my point is, you're a retard.
Ahem. :|

Tactical Grace
Forum Moderator

I hate people that are PC if I want to hate gays and others stuff im going to hate it no matter what I call it. We have went from call people handicap or crippled to calling the physicaly or mentally challenged. When I talk to people I try to be as anti PC as possible because its wrong and teaches weakness. Its like calling people African-American or Native-Americans I won't do it. DOWN WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
Anybody can be as non-PC as they like. But if they drop the n-bomb on/around me, they should be ready to get an ass-kickin'.

This is the legacy of Politacl Correctness.


A lawyer in Portland, Ore., plans to argue that his client beat his 2-year-old son to death because his ancestors were abused as slaves hundreds of years ago, reports the Portland Oregonian.



Lawyer Randall Vogt said his client, Isaac Cortez Bynum, whipped and broke his son's neck and ribs because he suffers from post-traumatic slave syndrome.

The syndrome's main proponent, Portland academic Joy DeGruy-Leary, claims that because African Americans never got a chance to heal from slavery and still face racism, oppression and societal inequality, they suffer from multigenerational trauma.

Deciding what label to categorize people with doesn't change the fact that people are being categorized. If you don't know what nationality somebody likes to be called, try asking him or her.

It's an ongoing weakness of the human psyche that all people have to be broken down into groups.

Clearly there is a balance, whilst I find the current totalitarian fervour for political correctness to be utterly repulsive, equally I do not condone language designed purely to insult.

I hate people that are PC if I want to hate gays and others stuff im going to hate it no matter what I call it. We have went from call people handicap or crippled to calling the physicaly or mentally challenged. When I talk to people I try to be as anti PC as possible because its wrong and teaches weakness. Its like calling people African-American or Native-Americans I won't do it. DOWN WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
Anybody can be as non-PC as they like. But if they drop the n-bomb on/around me, they should be ready to get an ass-kickin'.

I didn't say that! :eek:

You, you... truth-impeded person!

...

I'm thinking of a programme recently on TV about dwarfs. Calling them dwarfs is ok apparently...many prefer the term 'little people' (which aptly and clearly describes them) - they find the word 'midget' offensive.

...



The reason dwarfs don't like to be called midgets is the same as the reason midgets don't like to be called dwarfs. THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. Midgets are small and have body parts in proportion to their size. Dwarfs are small but have proportionally larger heads and bodies and proportionally smaller limbs. Websters points this out but uses (last I looked) the word "usually". Why? Because of ignorant people who use the words interchangably, since usage is the ultimate source of definition.

I know some of you are so offended by the concept of PC speach, but calling a midget a dwarf is like calling an Indian an Arab. Be as PI as you want, but don't get all victimized when we call you a jackass.



- Dru

Deciding what label to categorize people with doesn't change the fact that people are being categorized. If you don't know what nationality somebody likes to be called, try asking him or her.

It's an ongoing weakness of the human psyche that all people have to be broken down into groups.
Or you could just be lazy and not label people.

My contribution to the "Ism" list shall be...

"Anti-Idealism"

The act of working against Idealism could be called "Anti-Idealism".

I've always noticed that the people who get their shorts in a knot over this deluded perception of "rampant political-correctness" are the same ones who hate any kind of Liberal Idealism and want to always shoot it down.

They're a sad lot really - so angry & paranoid all the time.

Sorry, but I don't. Are you saying it would be better to say "Americans of African descent"? Or are you saying we should not have words that describe the different races of Americans?

Actually, that would be quite fantastic. As I'm sure many people must have pointed out on these forums, the concept of race is a myth that was debunked by DNA decades ago. A chemical that protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation does not a subspecies make.

Unless you're a taxonomic splitter, in which case you deserve to rot in the Malebolge.

(Kidding!)

Frankly, if somebody called me "horizontally challenged" I would be most offended. If they said "you're fat" I wouldn't care much.

Likewise, what about hybrid identities? I hate (very anti-PC word there) hybrid identities.

You are not African-American, you are American

You are not Aboriginal-Australian or an Indigenous person, you are Australian.

etc etc etc

You get the point...I hope.

Sorry, but I don't. Are you saying it would be better to say "Americans of African descent"? Or are you saying we should not have words that describe the different races of Americans?

No, I am saying if a person is an American citizen then you should refer to them as an American.

...as for race, say I had to describe someone, I would either say they are black, white or Asian looking.

There are already colours to describe people's appearance so why do we need hybrid identities? More likely to keep academics in a job.

You're right, we should call gays queers or fags and blacks niggers or monkeys.

Instead of calling them....ummm.....gays...or blacks.

The words "gay" and "black" are not PC terms.


Yes, but what gets me is how a black person can call another black person "******" but if a white person says it, well out with the race card.

Same with gays...I know that is it acceptable and even embraced by the gay community to call each other "queer" or "fag"...yet as soon as a straight person says it, even playfully, out with the homophobia card.

You're right, we should call gays queers or fags and blacks niggers or monkeys.

Instead of calling them....ummm.....gays...or blacks.

The words "gay" and "black" are not PC terms.


Yes, but what gets me is how a black person can call another black person "******" but if a white person says it, well out with the race card.

Same with gays...I know that is it acceptable and even embraced by the gay community to call each other "queer" or "fag"...yet as soon as a straight person says it, even playfully, out with the homophobia card.

It's true, it's extremely unfair. I think if one group of people can use it without reprimand everyone else can. But using the terms just to be an ass, that's a different story.

It's true, it's extremely unfair. I think if one group of people can use it without reprimand everyone else can. But using the terms just to be an ass, that's a different story.

I fully agree there. Naturally there are those who will use such terms in a derogatory way.

Sorry, but I don't. Are you saying it would be better to say "Americans of African descent"? Or are you saying we should not have words that describe the different races of Americans?

Actually, that would be quite fantastic. As I'm sure many people must have pointed out on these forums, the concept of race is a myth that was debunked by DNA decades ago. A chemical that protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation does not a subspecies make.

Unless you're a taxonomic splitter, in which case you deserve to rot in the Malebolge.

(Kidding!)


Yes, it would be quite fantastic to live in a world that was blind to racial differences. Now... please wake up and join us in the real world. "Until the colour of a man's skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes there will be war." We do not live in such a world, and it does nobody any good to pretend we do... and it does no good at all to whine about words like "African American" when there really is no better alternative. Sure if the situation does not require that race be refered to, then don't... but some situations do, so get over your fine fine self.

And please tell me of this DNA evidence that proves that race is a myth?



- Dru

Frankly, if somebody called me "horizontally challenged" I would be most offended. If they said "you're fat" I wouldn't care much.

Likewise, what about hybrid identities? I hate (very anti-PC word there) hybrid identities.

You are not African-American, you are American

You are not Aboriginal-Australian or an Indigenous person, you are Australian.

etc etc etc

You get the point...I hope.

And just what do you mean by hybrid identities? Are you suggesting that all Americans are treated equally? That the experience of Blacks who are Americans is the same as those of those who are Whites? Would it be acceptable to you to call a Black who is an American a Black American? Is that not a form of "hybrid identity"?

Or perhaps what upsets you is that "African Americans" are not actually African? Well... the vast majority of their ancestors didn't exactly choose to be Americanized, now did they?

- Dru

Sorry, but I don't. Are you saying it would be better to say "Americans of African descent"? Or are you saying we should not have words that describe the different races of Americans?

No, I am saying if a person is an American citizen then you should refer to them as an American.

...as for race, say I had to describe someone, I would either say they are black, white or Asian looking.

There are already colours to describe people's appearance so why do we need hybrid identities? More likely to keep academics in a job.

You're right, we should call gays queers or fags and blacks niggers or monkeys.

Instead of calling them....ummm.....gays...or blacks.

The words "gay" and "black" are not PC terms.


Yes, but what gets me is how a black person can call another black person "******" but if a white person says it, well out with the race card.

Same with gays...I know that is it acceptable and even embraced by the gay community to call each other "queer" or "fag"...yet as soon as a straight person says it, even playfully, out with the homophobia card.

...same with rednecks.

melanin unimpaired,

differently pigmented person.



Good Lord you really don't think that race is just skin color and nothing more do you?

WOW!!

Political correctness is disgusting.

Why? It's trying to take the place of things everyone should hold dear, that would prevent nearly all of the controversial situations that arise because of "un-PC" behavior: common courtesy and complaisantness.

melanin unimpaired,

differently pigmented person.



Good Lord you really don't think that race is just skin color and nothing more do you?

WOW!!Since we define race as far as "blacks and "whites" by skin color, yes. Someone possesing all of the charecteristics of Nordic except for being dark skinned would be considered "black". Someone possesing all of the charecteristics of a traditional "kaffir" except for having a pale skin would be considered "white". All the rest of the physignonomy is ignored or brushed aside by most of society except for the skin color - wether this is right or wrong is annother question, but it is the way it is.

melanin unimpaired,

differently pigmented person.



Good Lord you really don't think that race is just skin color and nothing more do you?

WOW!!Since we define race as far as "blacks and "whites" by skin color, yes. Someone possesing all of the charecteristics of Nordic except for being dark skinned would be considered "black". Someone possesing all of the charecteristics of a traditional "kaffir" except for having a pale skin would be considered "white". All the rest of the physignonomy is ignored or brushed aside by most of society except for the skin color - wether this is right or wrong is annother question, but it is the way it is.

No, it isn't. What planet are you from?

Here on Sol 3, or Earth, if a person with negroid features had pale skin he would not be considered "White". Here where I live the most common term for such a person would be the fairly racist term "high yellow". Also a Nordic person with skin as dark as a natively descended African's would not be considered Black, but would be seen as a taxiconomically unique human, if not an alien by those so inclined.

BTW should we consider it telling that of all the racial terms you've used, the only one that you chose to either capitalize or type without quotation marks is "Nordic"? And it should also be noted, as I knew already but which has been mentioned in a recent thread, that "kaffir" is an African (Afrikaans, I believe) equivalent of "******". Now if we were talking about racial slurs that would be one thing, but since we are not I think that I can speak for all of us who are offended by racial slurs in requesting that you cease using it, please.



- Druthulhu for President

Yes, but what gets me is how a black person can call another black person "******" but if a white person says it, well out with the race card.

Same with gays...I know that is it acceptable and even embraced by the gay community to call each other "queer" or "fag"...yet as soon as a straight person says it, even playfully, out with the homophobia card.I think it's reasonably straightforward. It all depends on context. In the same way I call my mate a fat f :P ck and he refers to me as a Jewboy. Neither of us would find it acceptable if someone who wasn't a good friend sad exactly the same thing.