Poll: - Political Correctness -

[Spoonius]

Recently, my brother was prohibited from putting "Afro" on his Leavers jumper, because apparently it's a "racist term".

The Aussie government has really gone overboard trying to fix our international reputation as a country full of xenophobic white thugs, and it really got me thinking about how this kind of thing is happening all around the planet. I'm not just talking about racial correctness, but also the censoring of anything concerning sexual orientation, gender, employment, etc.

Racial correctness is probably the most evident in my opinion, well, in Australia anyway. The word "black" has almost become a racist term in itself when referring to dark-skinned people, and we are constantly forced to feel guilty about the persecution of Aboriginal people by our ancestors (even though Aboriginal citizens receive more government aid than I ever will, and are much more likely to commit a racially-motivated crime). Please note that I am in no way prejudiced against Aboriginal people.

So my question is: where is the line? Where does political correctness go from being a just means of equality to an oppressive filter of free speech?

 

[Conman94]

Everybody should speek freely. Political-Correctness is for morons.

 

[Spoonius]

But what if said speech causes actual damage?

 

[FourEyedPandora]

Being Politically Correct is a waste of time. With the words we take away will be words to replace it, and this trend will always continue. Words don't cause people to get killed, actions do. Sure, some things should be banned, but words shouldn't be banned for that, that's what laws are for. Threatening to kill someone is a crime, and can get people arrested, but that doesn't mean the words "death, kill, and dead" should be dropped from the English language. People are just blaming words on people's actions. They need to take responsibility and change what the people think, not what the people say. It's harder than it sounds, I know, but that's the easiest way to fix the problem.

 

[XJ-0461]

"Afro"... as a racist term? I'm still trying to comprehend that.

On topic: Words associated with racial hatred and are fully meant are off limits (obviously), but banning nursery schools from singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" due to political correctness is just fucking stupid.

 

[Legion]

It gets ridiculous when it goes past common sense.

British police possibly not being able to call young people "Youths" in case it offends them for example, is just plain stupid.

 

[Generic_Dave]

Afro? Racist? But what if you have a Afro (hair) or and Afro comb? Is that? Is Afro-American now racist (I don't like the phrase anyway and truly hope that we don't end up with phrases like Afro-Irish, or Asian-Irish, I figure you're born here, you're one of us. Irish. Fullstop.)

The way I play it is, with people I know I'm crass and rude and generally un-PC. If I don't know someone I'll be PC. Not that I'm generally obscene and horrible about other groups. Except gingers...they have no soul...but not just that...if I grow a beard it grows red...so I'm almost one of THEM!!! ;-)

 

[GrinningManiac]

That Afro thing's a bit silly.

As for actual racist words, such as n*gger and whatnot, they should not really be said, and people should be punished for using them. It's not freedom of speech, as there are plenty of words that can adequetly describe a black person (such as 'black', funnily enough...) and they have made a deliberate decision to use a word they KNOW is inflammatory and needlessly hostile.

As for general political correctness, people can usually turn the most normal words into acidic attacks. You should see British Parliament. They have a heapload of words they cannot use (insults and things), but they still manage to warp normal statemnts into vicious and cleverly-disguised attacks.

As for the general freedom of speech, the type of people who go out and say something stupid and cite the Freedom of Speech when criticised seem to forget that Freedom of Speech also carries over onto that other fellow, who has the right to criticise you under the same damn freedom.

 

[The King of Rock and Roll]

>Afro
>Racist.

WAT?

That's stupid, as are most people now a days.

 

[thejdcole]

I think that if saying certain things or using certain mannerisms would offend a group of people (or a large proportion of that group) and you know that saying it would offend them that you should take that into account and keep it to yourself. It's as simple as that, for example if you knew your friend was offended by a certain phrase.. using it around said friend would be rude and impolite, so why do the same thing if said friend was a whole race or religion.

Of course i think that this should be applied only in the most extreme situations.. where the group of people I talk about are a whole race or members of a religion.

 

[Sovvolf]

Some of it's stupid and some of it's necessary. Yeah I think people should be scolded for screaming words like "******","paki" or "coon" with means to cause offence. I don't think you should be scolded if your using such words as examples with no hate intended by them. I think some of the PC things you have to do are just stupid, like the whole "Youth" thing with police or having to take down your flags because people find them offensive and of course the infamous "Blah, Blah, Rainbow Sheep".

See there does need to be a balance. I don't want people calling homosexuals "Faggots" in the middle of the street or calling any one black a "******" while I don't want to be restricted in using such words as examples of racism/homophobia nor do I want to be restricted from using the word black in a children's poem or hanging up my flag at a football match.

 

[Omikron009]

A few weeks ago I was talking to my friends and the topic of political correctness came up. My response to the issue was this: "I'm just going to come out and say this right now. Fuck political correctness. I hate it."

 

[Cody211282]

As far as I'm concerned anybody should be able to say thing they want to, so if someone calls you something derogatory you could ignore them or say something right back, I have no idea why the government is involved with this other then most people are wimps.

 

[joshuaayt]

Being Politically Correct is a waste of time. With the words we take away will be words to replace it, and this trend will always continue. Words don't cause people to get killed, actions do. Sure, some things should be banned, but words shouldn't be banned for that, that's what laws are for. Threatening to kill someone is a crime, and can get people arrested, but that doesn't mean the words "death, kill, and dead" should be dropped from the English language. People are just blaming words on people's actions. They need to take responsibility and change what the people think, not what the people say. It's harder than it sounds, I know, but that's the easiest way to fix the problem.

Aww, you make, what, the best point possible right at the beginning? Way to go, buddy.
Seriously though, I couldn't agree more with this.

 

[thekrimzonguard]

The freedom of speech should be limited only by concern over the effect it will have on the wellbeing of others.

I have a strong reaction against "political correctness" because I absolutely resent the idea of bureaucrats laying down arbitrary rules about what is and is not acceptable. There should be nothing political about it - it should be down to judgement and the appararent intents of those involved.

When I was in primary (elementary) school, a teacher told me that a bruise was called a "black man's pinch". This is the kind of garbage that we should be railing against, not songs about sheep and jumpers about hairstyles.

 

[lwm3398]

When you can mentally fuck someone up just by talking, that means you're doing it wrong. Words are not meant to make people depressed and sad or psychologically unstable, they're meant to convey ideas and other examples I'm too distracted right now to think of.

So option two: Say what you want, unless it could harm someone. Unless that someone is yourself, and you're being threatened for saying what you are, in which case say it.

 

[nerd51075]

I'm all for the whole anti-racism thing, but there is a line where it is simply too far. A minority of people just are way too sensitive to words and it is a shame that the majority of people, black, white, or other, just go along with whoever yells the loudest and puts up the biggest fuss, instead of making opinions of their own.

 

[LiquidGrape]

While I do believe that there is no inherently "bad" language; just because you can say what ever you like doesn't mean you always should.
Regardless of what the ideal might be, we do apply values to terms and phrases. So I think tact is still of some importance.

 

[conflictofinterests]

Please note that I am in no way prejudiced against Aboriginal people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbQiSVeQwVQ

In any case, I understand your point of view, the thing about prejudice is that people who are prejudiced tend not to be able to look at things from the supposedly downtrodden's point of view. I find it very difficult to imagine what people's reactions to me would be like if I were a different ethnicity or gender or sexual orientation. All I can rely on to use as a view point to expand my empathy is the accounts of people who do feel discriminated against.

Often discrimination isn't something that occurs consciously or even because of an action that can be attributed to any one person. As a woman, it is dangerous to park anywhere that isn't well-lit at night. As a man, I would assume that isn't quite as much of a problem. As a woman, it is prudent to check the back seat for people before I get in my car, as a woman in my area was recently murdered by a vagrant that happened to get into her car. I'm not sure if this crosses the minds of men. I would assume something similar occurs with people of other races as well.

 

[rokkolpo]

political correctness is shite.

but beware, all you say can be used against you. (as a fist in you're face)

EDIT: and words don't cause damage, actions do!
and people getting compelled to actions by words are idiots.