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Post by edwardjh on Jan 29, 2009 17:39:42 GMT -5
This is something that interests me: I find language to be somewhat fascinating.
I am a firm believer that any discrimination in language only leads to all other forms of discrimination to greater or lesser degrees. So yes, I guess I am part of the "PC Brigade".
Firstly, on the issues of nouns or, more specifically, job titles. Why do people get miffed when it is encouraged for them to say "police officer" rather than "policeman" or "policewoman". Gender has absolutely no effect on the ability to carry out their task, so why should they be differentiated? In distinguishing between the two, it subconsciously instils the notion that one is inferior to the other.
Secondly, on the issue of adjectives or nouns with regards to a class of person. Many educational awards (or any other form of achievement) has male bias. For example, you "master" something. What is the opposite of master? Mistress. This has serious connotations of promiscuity and sexual infidelity.
Finally, I would like to oppose a false claim. Many people claim you can't say "blackboard" owing to political correctness. I believe this is wrong, as this steps beyond the realm of political correctness but instead into the realm of accuracy of language. Following on the blackboard example, "chalkboard" is more accurate; "bin liners" is more accurate than "black bags".
What are your thoughts on political correctness? Do you oppose it? Or do you support it?
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Post by Bard Child on Jan 30, 2009 0:17:42 GMT -5
HOLY CRAP HE SAID BLACK HOLE! HE'S A f**kING BIGOT!!! If you don't know what I am talking about, see this www.youtube.com/watch?v=20a-exAW6qcPeople are so freaking insecure, they get uptight at every single word that is use and take offense to it. I'm not a fan of political correctness and I even think it's damaging society. Stop getting offened over every word use in context. Like this dipnuts in the video. Not every word out there used is pejorative used to disempower and insult indivivual. If you get offended over the word "Male Nurse" or "Barman" then you give it power and it becomes a wepond. Stop giving words that once was harmless into something wrong and hateful. Polictial Correctness is twisting our lanuage. Now I will say that I do say Native American instead of Indian, and Inuit instead of Eskimo not because of PC but because it's intellectually correct. Indian gets confused with one from the sub-continant and Eskimo was always pejorative word to begin with. Anyway TL;DR: Stop giving words unnessarry power and probiting langauge.
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Post by Trublu on Jan 30, 2009 0:49:41 GMT -5
I think that the examples that you are providing of PC are certainly ones I could go along with; I usually call the police "officers", or if they're not listening, "cops". I had never thought about the "mastered" example, that is a good one. The last bit I start to have a bit more trouble on. I think the accuracy wasn't really entirely affected here; 'blackboards' used to, in fact, be black. 'Black bags' are, in in fact, black. Course I've always called them "trash bags" myself, but I guess that is perhaps a cultural difference that the pond between us has effected. However. This isn't the PC that most are talking about these days, because PC has just gotten so out of control. They have "holiday" or "winter" celebrations in school now, instead of "christmas". Young kids aren't allowed to make christmas trees, or even stars of david for that matter, but have to make snowmen and mittens, because everything has to be kosher (pun intended) for everyone, in case someone doesn't celebrate. But what is the national holiday? Christmas Day (not Winter Day). Just because the schools (and some local governments, at that) make the kids ignore Christmas, doesn't mean it doesn't still exist, and it doesn't still creep up on them elsewhere. I don't understand why they bar the majority from celebrating the holiday they celebrate and just allow the kids that don't to participate by making winter themed things. That is what I start to find ridiculous. Also irksonme: People who think when someone's skin is black (or brown, as the case may be), that he/she falls under the blanket term "African American". No. Not everyone is from both Africa and America. There are some black Americans who have never seen Africa. There are many Africans who have never seen America. Just as we are "white", they are "black", simple as that. (And don't get me started on what "white" encompasses.)
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theKyra ღ
New Member
we're all doomed. Yup.
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Post by theKyra ღ on Jan 30, 2009 10:45:31 GMT -5
Blackboards are still black. Chalkboard, blackboard, same thing, and they're black. Well, gray if they haven't been cleaned in awhile. On that note, what about whiteboards? Technically they're dry erase boards, but everyone I've ever spoken to calls it a whiteboard.
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Post by Bard Child on Jan 30, 2009 11:28:42 GMT -5
Thats because it's totally not racist to use white-anything now if you use black____ something then obviously the opression of the white man out to get us and therefore racist.
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theKyra ღ
New Member
we're all doomed. Yup.
Posts: 10
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Post by theKyra ღ on Jan 30, 2009 18:16:19 GMT -5
Thats because it's totally not racist to use white-anything now if you use black____ something then obviously the opression of the white man out to get us and therefore racist. If it's supposedly racist to use black-something, then the same should be said for white-something, red-something, etc., etc. But then, that's probably just me.
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Terry
New Member
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Post by Terry on Jan 31, 2009 9:17:49 GMT -5
I think that sometimes these things go way to far. When did "blackboard" become a racist remark?
Many words that might seem somewhat biased toward the male population, orginates from a time when the male population actually did run the world by themselves. I find it a little extreme if we are to object ever single word in the English language just because they aren't politically correct by modern standards. Tradition is a nice thing, too.
I never use the phrase policeman or policewoman, though, I've always used police officer, or firefighter and such.
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Post by edwardjh on Jan 31, 2009 10:27:14 GMT -5
I'd like to add more thoughts to this...
"Tradition", in my eyes, is merely that which has yet to be modernised.
Also, half of this "extreme" political correctness is also a self-fulfilling entity. For example:
A) Blackboard B) That's politically incorrect - *B does not actually believe this, though* A) Sorry C) Blackboard A) That's politically incorrect - *A does not believe it either but complies with B*
Compliance can be a strange thing. While I believe there is logic behind gender neutrality in language, I do think that the only way to combat the more extreme political correctness is by people who oppose it not making such a big deal about it. By not making a big deal about it, people won't be socialised into believing such a word (like blackboard) is bad.
It's hard to explain, so sorry if it wasn't clear. Basically, no one really likes "political correctness" in this form, yet we feel obliged to comply (with the exception of "rebels", who still make a big deal about it). Why? It's that self-fulfilling factor.
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Terry
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Post by Terry on Jan 31, 2009 15:00:32 GMT -5
"Tradition", in my eyes, is merely that which has yet to be modernised. I find it odd that you feel that way. Personally I think tradition is a great thing, that keeps many wonderful, yet old, things alive, so that not just you, me and those who came before us can cherish and be a part of it, but also those who will come after.
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Post by Trublu on Jan 31, 2009 17:44:39 GMT -5
"Tradition", in my eyes, is merely that which has yet to be modernised. I find it odd that you feel that way. Personally I think tradition is a great thing, that keeps many wonderful, yet old, things alive, so that not just you, me and those who came before us can cherish and be a part of it, but also those who will come after. I agree with you, Terry. Tradition can be a wonderful thing. Where we run into trouble is keeping things just because of tradition, when they should be changed.
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