You can hardly say a thing without offending someone. It's not just race anymore it's old, young, short, tall, male. female, fat, thin etc....Why can't we just have an opinion without fear of offending or being slapped down for daring to say it out loud? I hate it!!
2006-10-08 10:34:20 · 25 answers · asked by helen p 4 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
Political correctness is probably one of the worst ideas of the 20th century.It seems to me a backward step to keep quiet in fear of upsetting people.Open debate is the way forward.
2006-10-08 10:45:14 · answer #1 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You want to know why? Because the words used by many are hateful. Let's take my new favorite example of this, "squaw." This term is almost never encountered as a stand alone term in Native American languages, and has come to mean for most "a woman kept for sex." Yet there is a high school in Indiana (Bellmont H.S.) which calls its girls' teams the Squaws. The largest minority population in that county according to the census figures is Native American.
It has been shown that using terms that are politically incorrect to label others has been shown to not just be bad for the self esteem of those who are so labeled, but also to encourage dominant society to harrass them. THAT is why the PC movement keeps on rolling. To many, PC means "polite courtesy." There are many people who struggled for years or decades to recieve polite courtesy.
You have the right to your opinion, you have the right to express your opinion. You then have the responsibility for dealing with the social consequences when you offend people.
2006-10-08 10:41:45 · answer #2 · answered by almethod2004 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Political correctness should not be confused with courtesy and respect. Too many people blame 'political correctness' for not allowing them to publicly express hateful and racist views. Avoiding words like ni**er (sorry, Yahoo censorship!) and Paki is nothing to do with PC, it's simple good manners.
Racists invent stories about nursery schools singing 'Baa Baa Blue Sheep' and teachers not being allowed to talk about blackboards to undermine and ridicule multiculturism.
You can express opinions. You can say them out loud, but courtesy dictates that they are based on fact, not prejudice and hatred. What you can't do is unfairly discriminate against people on spurious grounds like race, gender, physical appearance etc. That's not PC, that's common sense.
If you feel that you have the right to express the politics of hatred, then sorry - I'll slap you down every time. Not because of PC, but using reason and respect.
2006-10-08 11:08:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
We'd all agree on that....and we all know it is only going to get worse.
Common sense is now longer allowed unfortunately as this leads to different interpretations from differing people....and allows someone somewhere to complain that they have been badly treated given the same situation as someone else..
So we make up hard and fast rules as to the way things have to be and we all have to comply....or stand out as being wrong.
Look at all things in life.......football rules, applying for jobs etc.....common sense is over with.
Just be thankful that we are not going to be alive in 100 years time when all people will either live in caves in Outer Mongolia or be robots in modern society.
2006-10-08 10:51:25 · answer #4 · answered by Robbo31 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While I cannot stand the use of racist (not just race but sex, size etc) I think that our society has turned into a swtiched racism society. For example someone I know is a teacher. She is allowed to put up a menora, the kwanzaa menora type thing, the star of david etc. But her principle told her that she could not put up anything that related to christmas because it might offend the other children who don't celebrate christmas. Does that make sense to you? No santa, no christmas tree, no mistletoe etc. Now does that make sense to you?
2006-10-08 10:51:10 · answer #5 · answered by magooi1234 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree to a point.We are pretty touchy at times. If they would come up with a certain name and leave it alone we would know what to say but know sooner do you get the titles in your head they are changed again. That's the part I really get upset with.
All people deserve respect and if we used our heads when writing our questions I don't think so many would be offended.
2006-10-08 10:45:07 · answer #6 · answered by tea cup 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i did answer that question not so long time ago. mMay be it will be a good point to have the most asked questions to put on the board like regarding immigrants - asked at least 5 times a day,
about political correctness - at least 6 times during one day
How to get to the UK - ay least twice a day
How to get to the USA - at least twice
..... You can add something about suicidal people who desperate to find someone to talk...
It will be a very interesting picture. I have my little note book with the most funniest answers I came across
2006-10-08 10:47:46 · answer #7 · answered by Everona97 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The PC brigade have gone totally unnecessary and over the top. I wonder what jobs they had before their present ones. I reckon their former workmates must have been pleased to see the back of' em.
Heaven help their Spouses and Families if they are as finickety at home!!!!
2006-10-08 10:48:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
This country has dissapeared up its own a.s.s. with political correctness. Seriously though, its almost like the average white person is being descriminated against because anything they say could be perceived as being racist!
I could go on and on and on and on about this as my blood boils because of all the cr@p!
Free speach? yeah right - as long as you don't say something that might offend someone.
2006-10-08 10:45:21 · answer #9 · answered by bigbadbert 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's not working, though. Notice how we are all becoming more and more intolerant? Political correctness only draws attention to the differences between people.
2006-10-08 10:38:01 · answer #10 · answered by Not Ecky Boy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋