[FerdieMurphy]

Unfortunately, as America loses its aging population, the voice of common sense and freedom will vanish and immunity to political correctness will disappear also.

The reorganizers of American culture are banking on this outcome.

[Sender]

Careful, citizen, or the Ministry of Truth may redact this post.

[TomGuy]

PC is a form of censorship designed to quell free speech and, thus, quell the spread of ideas.

It is all around us.

A related tactic is the the politics of personal destruction, wherein the person, rather than the ideas expressed by that person, are verbally attacked. Regrettably, some FR posters use such a tactic when they are empty of facts to support their contentions.

PC and its related 'instruments' can take many forms, all designed to direct the social discourse.

[maica]

Gosh, how do we know what word will offend someone. We need an official guide!

####

Common sense should remind us that when words offend, it is not the word that hurts, but what the word describes.

For example - no one likes being crippled/handicapped/unable to act perfectly.
It isn't the word, it is the fact that is hurtful. When the PC word is changed, the fact of having bad feet, or eyes, or results of polio, etc does not go away. So the new word eventually becomes 'hurtful.'

When people own a word, it is not hurtful. Consider the dual message of the N word, depending on the skin color of the person using it.

Conservatives are not hurt when accused of being conservative.
Liberals seem to want to move on from that word, instead of own it.

We need to rise above allowing ourselves to be hurt by words, or bullied by the PC politburo for using "unacceptable" words.

[Jonah Hex]

It happens. An instructor reviewed a paper of mine at staff college and red-lined my use of "sex" when referring to male and female, stating I should use "gender" instead. When I asked where in the rules of writing it is stated I cannot use "sex", he got defensive and stated "gender" is more correct.

Being a hard-headed engineer of a conservative persuasion who refuses to back down when he thinks he's right, I refused to change it and consequently lost points on the paper (from an A to a B). I subsequently went over the instructor's head to the Dean to protest the score.

The Dean reviewed my paper, my previous papers, and previous scores, and decided to restore my A. He also did an "off the record sit-down" with me about political correctness and how it would be in my own career self-interest to learn to deal with it. I politely responded that I understood his point, but I refused to back off providing correct answers to satisfy others' feelings and politics.

Again, I'm an engineer. But I'm an intellectually-honest engineer.

:-)

[Grut]

Political correctness is a politically correct word for cultural Marxism.

Bullshit. WTF's "cultural Marxism?" It's a meaningless noise that's supposed to trigger a two minute hate from us right-wingers. The idea that "there are things one doesn't say" has been around a looong time, and 'political correctness' is just its latest manifestation.

[Tax-chick]

as America loses its aging population

Does he mean its old people? The old people who brought us the welfare state, among other manifestations of "common sense and freedom"? Nobody my age ever voted for Roosevelt, Johnson, or Carter.

[Manic_Episode]

"The simple test is that if you have been afraid of using the wrong word because someone might find it offensive or insensitive you have been infected."

================================================

Not to be confused with politeness.

[The Brush]

I deal with sexual harrasement daily.
I can't tell you how many times one of the women in my office has told me "You have a good one" at the end of the day when I'm going home.
If I were to answer; "Thanks for noticing", "yours ain't bad either" or even, "You should see it in the dark" my desk would be emptied for me.
Ultimately I end up sitting in my car sobbing for 40 minutes before my drive home.
Those broads have allot to learn about men. I wish they could all feel the way I feel.

[redgolum]

Interesting article, but for one point.
The older generations are the ones that gave us this mess. Not all of them, but a good portion.

[visitor]

will read later

[kaylar]

I got corrected by a person who was shocked, SHOCKED! at my describing Cinco de Mayo as a "Mexican" holiday instead of as a Latino or Hispanic holiday. I explained to her that Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday based on events in Mexican history,and is therefore a holiday of little or no interest or observance in other countries with populations considered Latino/Hispanic by North Americans. She actually believed that the very word Mexican is racist. I think when I was done she understood that there is nothing inherently "evil" or "racist" in distinguishing different nationalities within the overarching category of Hispanic cultures (I didn't even bother to explain that 'Hispanic' is no more a race than is 'American', and for the exact same reason : Below the border as above, you'll find people of European, Asian, African, and 'indigenous' backgrounds, or a mixture of some or all.)

[Sam Cree]

"Not too long ago it was a thriving country called Rhodesia, until political correctness took over and not long after the killings began."

Using Mugabe as an example of political correctness is disconnected enough to undercut the entire article.

[CSM]

Self ping for later read.

[OBone]

Just today, the WP had a spread about Gov. Erlich (R) of MD having fired his representative to the Metro Transit Board over a statement he made.

It seems on a local TV political discussion roundtable he stated that homosexual behavior was sexual deviancy. One of DC representatives to the board who is openly gay resented the remark even though it was not even made in a board meeting or to the DC rep. He took umbrage. Gov. Erlich (R) fired his rep.

It is no longer a choice, you MUST conform.

OB

[Psycho_Bunny]

"Political Correctness" is the politically correct term for "F*cking Retarded".

 

[george wythe]

I have been political corrected. It's hard to express a candid opinion without running it through a liberal filter to make it sound palatable to the liberal wing of the American public.

It's impossible living in this toxic environment without being affected.

[cripplecreek]

Personally I think political correctness is going to become an endangered species.

[hattend]

bttt

[HIDEK6]

If you find yourself wanting to scream 'Start Making Sense' at the top of your lungs,

I usually say, "Can you be a little more vague?"

[bray]

Only when I used the word Indian so I have started calling them North American Savages.

Pray for W and our Troops