Are people really offended?

Question

Do people say that things are offensive just to be seen to be what they think is right?
You know the ones. The white people who shout racism when the ethnic groups involved are in fact not offended in the slightest.
I think it shows a distinct lack of intelligence and let me tell you now, you aint doing ethnic groups any favours!
What do you think? Please no"it's political correctness gone mad" responses. Something a bit more well thought out than that please.

Answer 1

Sometimes people say things just to provoke a reaction

Answer 2

There is a priggish tendency in English culture which has been very happily served by the causes of anti-racism (amongst others such as Health and Safety, Equality, Women´s Rights, the Environment).

This self-righteousness has been a feature of English life for a very long time and previously was exercised in the Duties of Empire, when the bossy brigade could happily serve the nation by going overseas and telling subject foreigners how to run their afffairs (ideally foreigners with differently shaped noses and darker skins than themselves).

Alas, these outlets are not longer available

The best solution is to ignore these people; to feign ignorance of everything that has occurred in the UK since Suez; and to engage is more important recreations- visiting the Cathedrals of England and reading P.G. Wodehouse.

Answer 3

There is a layer of people, usually the left, who find jumping on race bandwagons, and whatnot, gives them a feeling of moral superiority. They always side with the most nonthreatening positions and it makes them think they look "sophisticated". A friend of mine (heavily into politics and far left) told me that to be "middle of the road" politically was a bad thing as showed that you weren't clever enough to make an informed opinion. As I I've matured, I find this statement to be utter rubbish. I think being middle of the road shows you are intelligent enough to know that neither side can always be correct. These morally superior lefties are the kind of people who will shout freedom of speech, and then show complete disgust for someone who voices an opinion they don't agree with, and in some cases will demonstrate to try and stop them having their say. Naive hypocrites is what they are. Immature, naive hypocrites.

Answer 4

Some people are just insane and there are more and more insane people in todays society because there is nothing that we can do about it. Everyone needs to mind their own business. Everything today is reverse racism any way. I cannot believe that there are laws about the amount of a minority that a job must hire, forcing companys to take less qualified people to fill positions and leaving highly qualified people without a job. It works both ways.

Answer 5

It's more that they think someone else may be offended, and are afraid if they don't say something they will be seen as agreeing with the offensive comments.

I've had it at work where a black colleague, originally from Zimbabwe, started jokingly starting or ending everything he said to me with Me Sir.

I started calling him BOY back, to carry on the joke, and was called into our HR department for racism because someone else heard and decided that they would complain for him.

Luckily he was called in as well to see what he felt about it and things were cleared up.

We all knew who it was who did it to me and she ended up in a state where no one would talk to her, or talk near her.

The PC crowd think they are doing good, but all they are doing is stopping people treating others as the others want to be treated.

There is no way I would have spoken to anyone else the way myself and my colleague spoke to each other, and he wouldn't have spoken to others the way he did too me.

We both had the common sense to know how the other would take things, and what the others sense of humour was so played in that.

And that's all that's needed - COMMON SENSE.

All the PC courses, and my employers sent everyone on one a couple of years ago, are crap.

They actually encourage a "whistle blower" culture where people complain about things they know nothing about, but happen to overhear.

Answer 6

I think this over-the-top favouritism towards races etc. from the government (or white community) is actually alienating other ethnic minorities. You see, ethnic minorities don't want to see all this molly-coddling, they just want to be treated normal (equal). They are not stupid or need their hands holding. Those countries where they don't impose the culture of the local ethnic minorities are acually trouble-free. Their own citizens don't hate the ethnics and the ethnics don't hate them. I think if the government stopped all this political correctness madness then perhaps other ethnic groups would be a lot more easy-going and would integrate better. Forcing this integration is just as racist as trying to exclude them from everything. Do-gooders don't realise this, unfortunately.

Answer 7

There is a bunch of dishonest people, of various races, who are not really offended at certain comments, but for political reasons CHOOSE to be offended.

This is a form of hypocrasy in a very racist way, and is really more offensive than the original statement made.

Answer 8

You are right, it is a lack of intelligence. People who are so insecure with their own race, creed, religion will do anything to provoke a response to another group. They will do this to bring attention to themselves just as if to say "hey look at me I am an idiot". There are some things that I take offense to but someone shouting racist slurs is not one of them. It just shows how immature and illiterate someone is. It has nothing to do with being politically correct has everything to do with people wanting attention.

Answer 9

These people are definitely showing their ignorance when they try to offend other ethnic cultures. A lot of times I laugh at their ignorance because it means nothing to me. I just think they are really stupid and need to be educated.

Answer 10

You mean the "we dont' call it "black" coffee - we say coffee without milk", lot, don't you?
Well, yes, but do you remember those gas adverts when they used a chimpanzee(?) and black people chose to be offended?
I think some people think they are more caring and sensitive than us mere mortals and have the right to tell us what to think. It actually is a sign of disrespect - as though we have no common sense at all.
There are many peoplel who like to be offended. It makes them feel important. As it does those who are their champions.

Answer 11

if your talking about the ones who think we shouldn`t say baa baa black sheep or black board i think they find offence in innocent things like that because they are closet racists and any mention of black scares them so they assume because that's how they feel it must be offencive to black or brown people.but it only causes trouble and most likely is embarrassing to those who they say theyr`e trying to protect iv`e even had those sort of people stammering around me but i`m not even in an ethnic minority its because i have really dark hair and eyes an tan colour skin but that's because one set of my grandparent were Gypsy`s but they`ll be telling me something and then stop mid sentence and its so obvious that theyre searching for an alternative word for black or whatever, and yes it is embarrassing i feel embarrassed for them .