Thing is, "politically correct" refers to more than just the way we relate to other cultures. An area where it comes in is in the choices we make for food. I know people who are soooo smug, and self satisfied about their "politically correct" choice to follow a vegetarian lifestyle, that they feel it's a-ok to pull faces and make loud, obnoxious comments when other people eat meat. On more than one occasion such people have made comments to me about meat being "murder" or about how my ham sandwich "used to be a cute, little pig." That self-righteous stuff is wasted on me. I *know* where food comes from and, as someone who fishes, I long ago came to terms with the fact that my eating meat means an animal's life is lost. What these folks may want to stop and notice is that *most* vegetarians are perfectly fine living and eating in their own way, and being open to others making their own choices.

vivasuzi said…I'm just waiting for the day when the Christmas tree lighting in major cities becomes the "Holiday tree" lighting.  Or when I go to Chicago in November and see Holiday lights and no santas b/c someone was offended.

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They tried to do this in Lansing for the State tree a few yers ago.  So many people protested it the name went back to a Christmas tree.

 

Its sad that you really have to watch what you say these days. I believe if you have to try to watch what you say...you should give yourself a break and analize yourself. Figure out  why you have to remind yourself and staff of having the same politeness and respect everyones parents should have taught them. Too many reminders mean they should not be working there.(maybe they cant keep it together). I own a preschool program funded by the government. We celebrate Holidays! Maybe you should try a couple of fund-raisers. It would be great to have an understanding of what you mean by it's okay to give parents ideas for Martin Luther King Jr day,Do you have a problem with coming up wth ideas? or is it MLK.... If that comment is PC please do explain..........

tooobeautiful said…
Its sad that you really have to watch what you say these days. I believe if you have to try to watch what you say...you should give yourself a break and analize yourself. Figure out  why you have to remind yourself and staff of having the same politeness and respect everyones parents should have taught them. Too many reminders mean they should not be working there.(maybe they cant keep it together). I own a preschool program funded by the government. We celebrate Holidays! Maybe you should try a couple of fund-raisers. It would be great to have an understanding of what you mean by it's okay to give parents ideas for Martin Luther King Jr day,Do you have a problem with coming up wth ideas? or is it MLK.... If that comment is PC please do explain..........

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I agree it is sad that people have to watch what they say.  Not only are people not getting taught respect as you say but there are many who almost too easily take offense as some are pointing out here with the Christmas example. 

As for where I work, I would love to boot people who can't watch what they say, but sometimes it's not that easy in this day of law suits.  For the holiday issue... I don't personally have a problem with MLK day.  It's the factor of that is the only holiday that is brought to light for families.  Every year we always have parents who are upset by not celebrating holidays in the classroom and then we send home ideas for celebrating one.  It's a little hypocritical.  Primarily we don't do hoildays because of the developmental impact with the children since we have SUCH a diverse group of children.  Our teachers don't really like it, but most understand it.  Hopefully that makes sense. 

Thank you I do appreciate your response, I also have a diverse group of children and It does not seem to be an issue as far as holidays. What you say does make sense,  I do believe it to be rather hypocritical If you are sending home ideas just for MLK.......Who is in charge? Why not start celebrating every holiday like most schools do, no matter how diverse the group is from Hanukkah to  Halloween. You give Ideas with the understanding that not everyone celebrates holidays at home,but for the ones that do the idea is there. I understand Lawsuits I'm in the middle of a class action lawsuit. In a work environment if employees cannot follow the rules of the company you start with a warning and so on and eventually if they continue it is grounds for suspension or termination without  a lawsuit.

Well said, Mike. Hey some of my best friend are cough cough cough....Republicans:) Jo

I've been thinking about it and PCness has a lot to do with the news stories you see.  Here's an example, I've seen multiple news stories where there was a massive fight outside a movie theater, in a park, or another place where you expect people just to be having fun. A lot of time the fighting is white vs black.  A lot of times involving guns (I do live near detroit). A lot of times they say it started b/c of a racial slur or insult, or even a look!

So now when I go anywhere where there is a mixed crowd, I'm careful about anything that I say, or anyone I even look at b/c I wouldn't want to offend anyone.  It's not that I'm afraid of them being offended, instead it's that I am afraid of someone taking it way to far until the situation escalates like I've seen on the news. 

Basically I think the people in my town and most the local towns are decent people - but you never know if someone is there who causes trouble!  We are mostly PC b/c we are scared of the consequences!  Too many people now-a-days take matters like this into their own hands.  Even last week, two adults bumped into each other in front of me at the festival and almost started a fist fight in front of loads of kids! 

People have to stop treating everything as a personal attack.  Someone calls you a name, so you pull out a gun - doesn't make any sense to me so I don't know why it makes sense to other people!

Just one guy's opinion. But I think the more you expose children to other cutlures and traditions, the richer you make their lives. The idea is not limit information and experience, but to expand it - in my opinion.

Eyerater said…
Just one guy's opinion. But I think the more you expose children to other cutlures and traditions, the richer you make their lives. The idea is not limit information and experience, but to expand it - in my opinion.

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Oh we definitely do that... just not in the context of holidays and such. 

But...

 I would think that holidays would be one of the richer sources for different experiences, assuming, of course, that the experiences are accompanied by adult interpretation and explanation.

Definitely not PC. I hate the whole concept. People, all people, need to grow thicker skins and quit being "offended" by the stupidest s*&^.

God spare me from the politically correct world....I feel that we have lost the ability to laugh at ourselves and vent pressure in social situations because we simply aren't allowed to joke about anything.  As a kid growing up, I can remember Polish jokes, Catholic jokes, Italian jokes, and none of us grew up lacking in self esteem or as axe murderers.  I do believe that you can cross the line from good natured humor or vividly descriptive terms to being rude, insulting and intentionally hurtful, but that is certainly not the majority.  The only thing we can joke about any more is Rednecks, and with the popularity of Rednecks as a topic, I am waiting for the American Civil Liberties Union to get on us about that....poor Jeff Foxworthy is going to go from riches to rags when that happens.  I truly mourned the passing of George Carlin recently as one of the few who would get up and say what was truly on his mind and point out how ridiculous the rest of us were being.  I also saw a Whoopie Goldberg special late night, and she had to preface almost every story and anecdote with "the community isn't going to like this."    I am about as politically incorrect as they come....Probably why I am not wealthy and not a politician

oooops....

trying to respond directly to a specific comment is not working well today, so I guess I should probably just pack it in and go home......

I will share a story with you.  I have always been a huge fan of Earth Wind and Fire.  I got tickets for one of their concerts, and unfortunately, due to a huge blizzard, my fiance couldn't make it...instead, I took my best friend along so the ticket wouldn't go to waste-excellent seats, first floor, 9th row, in front of the stage, and at the time EWF had a kick laser light show as part of the stage show.  We got there early for best possible parking, and found our seats quickly and settled back to chat until the lights went down.   Somewhere along the line, my girlfriend leaned over and asked me if I realized that we were the only white people on the main floor.  (Actually, I hadn't, because the concert was great and everyone was having a super time dancing and singing along)  I could tell that it made her unsettled though. 

The concert finished and we filed out to the parking lot to go home.  Because we were first to park, we were sort of blocked in and had to wait for some of the parking to clear in order to get out of the space....and guess what?  A bunch of sleezy white guys came up to our car, started banging on windows, trying to force a door open, climbing up on the hood, and generally were very menacing, derogatory, threatening, loud-you name it.....And lo and behold....a big van pulled up behind my girlfriend's car, and out jumped half a dozen very large, veery muscular black guys who chased off the white trash, and then enquired if we were OK...They followed us all the way home to make sure that nobody followed us and messed with us.  We never found out their names or even if they were going in the same direction as us, and the neighborhood my girlfriend lived in was pretty white bread.  that was 25 years ago, pre-politically correct...the issue was not what color anyone was, but rather than somebody was behaving poorly and outside the bounds of common courtesy and decency, and somebody else stepped up to insure that it stopped and nobody was hurt

You ought to read some of my reviews and figure it out. I doubt if I intentionally whack too many sacred cows but occasionally they provide too tempting a target and I cannot resist. :>

MikeMaroon said…

What's your take on "political correctness"?

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I don't even try...  If I tick off someone by saying, "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays"...too bad.  I don't get offended if a Jewish person says, "Happy Hanukkah" to me.  They are only wishing me a polite gesture in a way they would all their friends.  That's as far as I better go here.  I might upset too many people by not being "politically correct".

AWESOMEMOM88 said…

I will share a story with you.  I have always been a huge fan of Earth Wind and Fire.  

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ME TOO!  I actually won two free tickets via a radio station contest 2 summers ago.  They were just "lawn seats" at an outdoor venue.  Just as you experienced, my date & I were just about the only caucasians around.  But...no problems.  Everyone enjoyed the music & we were all line dancing to the encore of "Let's Groove".  Yep...I just showed my age.

PC? Not me.

I remember in the 70s when SNL had a skit on the made-up term of political correctness, with domestic engineers (housewives) and sanitation engineers (garbage men). It was a joke, but it became an actuality!

Looking over this thread, most people say they are not PC, but I'm afraid that many people still embrace PC ideals because it has been so ingrained in the media and society in general. They don't even realize it for what it is: a spin on the truth so things sound better, but another layer that keeps us from the truth.

Several years ago James Finn Garner wrote a book about Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. It was hilarious. In the re-take of Little Red Riding Hood he describes the part when the big, bad wolf first encounters Little Red Riding Hood in the forest. This is part of that first conversation:

The Wolf said, "You know, my dear, it isn't safe for a little girl to walk through these woods alone."

Red Riding Hood said, "I find your sexist remark offensive in the extreme, but I will ignore it because of your traditional status as an outcast from society, the stress of which has caused you to develop your own, entirely valid worldview. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way."

Check it out if you missed it the first time... good stuff that shows jut how far we've taken it- and that was 15 years ago now!

I think that like most things, Political Correctness is good to a certain extent.  We owe other people the respect which we would expect for ourselves.   But I think P.C. has been taken to extremes because it has been used as a defensive and diversionary technique.  One of the oldest games people play is to gain power by accusing someone else of something bad just to divert attention from the real subject at hand.

In other words, if you owe your landlord a couple months rent -- or perhaps have made a major clerical mistake at work -- then you should deal with it responsibly without drawing out the race, religious, ethnic or political card.  Too often people are trying to use P.C. in a self-serving way and I think this is why P.C. has become so unpopular and resented by some people.

 

GeorgeChabot said…
You ought to read some of my reviews and figure it out. I doubt if I intentionally whack too many sacred cows but occasionally they provide too tempting a target and I cannot resist. :>

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HOLY SMOKES!  Gee, is it nice to hear from you again!  How are you and Fifi doing these days?

 

bkovacs said…

We all like to say that we're not PC but it is a disease we have all caught. If you went back 40 years, you would be shocked at the things people said in casual conversation, so we have all been sensitized about what is acceptable in certain situations. This is the essence of political correctness -- it's not what you say to your buddy over a beer. It's what you will say in a meeting at work.

If you are careful not to use certain language when talking to your mailman or a PTA meeting, then you are appropriately politically correct. Just because you use those words with a buddy when you're driving to the auto parts store doesn't make you any less PC.

I'll paddle upstream on this one and say that a healthy dose of political correctness is a good thing, maybe even a great thing. It has made us a helluva lot more understanding and willing to accept others. I don't see a downside with that.

--Bob

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I agree with you, Bob.

I think being more polite to each other and not blurting out the first thoughts that come to mind is not something that should be looked down as being PC.

As for what Patty said about the names people call disabled persons, I have had lots of nasty names aimed at me because I'm disabled.  Ugh.

AnnaBanana said…

GeorgeChabot said…
You ought to read some of my reviews and figure it out. I doubt if I intentionally whack too many sacred cows but occasionally they provide too tempting a target and I cannot resist. :>

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HOLY SMOKES!  Gee, is it nice to hear from you again!  How are you and Fifi doing these days?

 

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Anna, I did a double take as well but alas, his post is from over a year ago. Sigh! We miss you, George.

onwaytozion said…

PC? Not me.

I remember in the 70s when SNL had a skit on the made-up term of political correctness, with domestic engineers (housewives) and sanitation engineers (garbage men). It was a joke, but it became an actuality!

Looking over this thread, most people say they are not PC, but I'm afraid that many people still embrace PC ideals because it has been so ingrained in the media and society in general. They don't even realize it for what it is: a spin on the truth so things sound better, but another layer that keeps us from the truth.

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So, basically, what you're saying is that "political correctness" is hypocrisy?

Perhaps PC-speak in political context might be so; I really hate it when liberals, particularly the more leftist-leaning ones, use the term "progressive" when they mean to say "liberal" or "leftist."

And as someone who hates the notion of Communism and the Big Lie, I dare say that Communists are pretty good at using euphenisms such as "people's democracies," "workers' paradises," "progressive movements," and "wars of national liberation" to describe or defend their noxious ideas.

That having been said, there are those on the right (conservatives) who also use terms that are disingenous and deceptive, so it works both ways.

What did Imus say this time?

Meri said…

AnnaBanana said…

GeorgeChabot said…
You ought to read some of my reviews and figure it out. I doubt if I intentionally whack too many sacred cows but occasionally they provide too tempting a target and I cannot resist. :>

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HOLY SMOKES!  Gee, is it nice to hear from you again!  How are you and Fifi doing these days?

 

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Anna, I did a double take as well but alas, his post is from over a year ago. Sigh! We miss you, George.

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Awhh, Nuts! 

A radio DJ here in Houston said something a few years back that I still remember because it was so spot-on. I can't recall the particular situation but what he said (following a very irate caller) was, "Are you really offended, or are you offended because you think you're Supposed To Be offended?"  I think most people who go around bewailing the lack of PC really can't or won't distiguish the two.

I'm not PC and I refuse to water myself down to avoid offending people who I think are just walking around looking to be offended. I'm not prejudice against races or religions or anything else but I do have my own sensibilities and they may not be the same for others. I've already shared a story on these boards about my views on the death penalty and it was very clear that I am for it in some cases.

You end up serving no one if all you ever do is try to please the masses with everything you say.  Who wants to be remembered for that?

   

 

I am not really sure what PC is. I mean, I would never offend anyone on purpose and I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. With a father who was deaf from age 23,(long before I was born), I heard people call him deafie, dumb, crazy, retarded, numb between the ears, etc. I  don't consider that sort of thing acceptable and I feel it is very hurtful. On the other hand, my father didn't care if you called him deaf, hard or hearing, hearing impaired, hearing challenged, late deafened, or even deafie. Whatever! He would always say to people struggling to come up with a PC term for a man who became deafened in his 20's (as opposed to people born Deaf which they want capitalized.) and my father would say, "I'm DEEF, ya see, DEEF! Can't hear a thing so it doesn't matter what the h3ll you call it."

I am sick of being told that stewardesses are now flight attendants (or whatever they are) although I know there are male flight attendants and I am getting used to using that term now. I am sick of saying the mailman is here and being corrected by friends because it's a postal carrier. I mean no disrespect but sheesh, everything has to be just so or people get offended. My husband is super PC and gets mad when I even wish people a Merry Christmas as opposed to Happy Holidays. Hey, I could be cussing people out but instead I am wishing them a happy something. That shouldn't offend.

PattyTherre said…

I am not really sure what PC is. I mean, I would never offend anyone on purpose and I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. With a father who was deaf from age 23,(long before I was born), I heard people call him deafie, dumb, crazy, retarded, numb between the ears, etc. I  don't consider that sort of thing acceptable and I feel it is very hurtful. On the other hand, my father didn't care if you called him deaf, hard or hearing, hearing impaired, hearing challenged, late deafened, or even deafie. Whatever! He would always say to people struggling to come up with a PC term for a man who became deafened in his 20's (as opposed to people born Deaf which they want capitalized.) and my father would say, "I'm DEEF, ya see, DEEF! Can't hear a thing so it doesn't matter what the h3ll you call it."

I am sick of being told that stewardesses are now flight attendants (or whatever they are) although I know there are male flight attendants and I am getting used to using that term now. I am sick of saying the mailman is here and being corrected by friends because it's a postal carrier. I mean no disrespect but sheesh, everything has to be just so or people get offended. My husband is super PC and gets mad when I even wish people a Merry Christmas as opposed to Happy Holidays. Hey, I could be cussing people out but instead I am wishing them a happy something. That shouldn't offend.

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What  you are talking about is narcissm, plain and simple.  Me, I don't offend.  I've said it many times, and it's my deep conviction that people who offend easily have egos that are too big.  If someone want's to say "Happy Holidays", I've no problem with that.  Expecting me to say it because they do, that's self-centered and mean.

Like Patty, I won't deliberately offend people.  Unless they got it coming.  By that I mean, someone so intolerant and rigid they think anyone who doesn't think like them is an idiot deserves whatever they get.  I will say Merry Christmas because it IS Christmas and I want them to have a merry one.  If  that person doesn't celebrate Christmas, it's not like I'm telling them that have to or should, I'm just telling them to have a merry one.  It's still gonna be Christmas whether they celebrate it or not.   If someone says "Happy Hanukkah" to me, knowing full well I'm not Jewish, I won't be offended.  I'll smile an wish them a Happy Hanukkah as well.  Shoot, why don't we take Mr Costanza's suggestion and just have Fesivus?? :)

Femi-Nazis---Just because I say mailman and not "mailperson" or "mail carrier" that doesn't mean I disparage women.  It's a generic term referring to all people who carry mail.  People get silly over terms.  I have NO respect for that.  I ruins everything for the rest of us.    There are times when people's stereotypes cause problems, like when I was an ophthalmic tech at a hospital and all the old people thought I was a doctor because surely a man wouldn't be doing a woman's job!  I didn't get upset about and the women techs I know didn't let it bother them because they knew we were dealing with a different generation and we weren't gonna change them.

I say just live your life, don't worry about what other people say and do unless it's physically harmful to you, and you will be happier and healthier.