• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Politically Correct?

Am I being politically correct in the example given?


  • Total voters
    36
Because it's idiotic to tippy-toe around people's silly sensibilities. People should have more important things to get excited about and if they don't, there's something wrong with them.

Besides that political correctness is nothing but thought engineering, that sometimes results in trampling on our liberties.
May I please have an example of PC trampling on your liberties?
 
Wow, that's a lot of spin to justify your use of a non-PC term while complaining about a lack of "common courtesy" in others. What's the PC term for that? Consistency challenged?

Please show me where I "complained" about a lack of "common courtesy" in this post and please show me where I said that it's not okay to use politically incorrect terms like retard.

No, it's not being politically correct because Asians aren't objects. It's just "correct".

Another point, I find it a bit annoying and even more damaging to society than actual political correctness that people are now referring to manners as political correctness seemingly as means to excuse themselves from the common courtesy of respecting people and being polite. I consider it much more damaging to go around saying things to purposely offend people than to use language that facilitates conversation.

It seems to me that most of the people who complain relentlessly about political correctness are just social retards who never learned the importance of language and don't want to take responsibility for the reactions they get from people.
 
To my mind, and I think others, there is a difference between being PC and being polite. He also makes the valid point that if you choose to be impolite, you should be willing to accept the reaction you get.
Exactly. The people I was talking about in both my posts are the people who use impolite or PC terms and then complain about people's reactions to them. I use terms like "retard" knowing that some people might not like it. My post had nothing to do with complaining about a "lack of common courtesy".
 
Yes and no. I might add a "within reason" to the end of that. Many years ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine and he was talking about bringing up his daughters(1 and 3 years old at the time) and some of the complications he would run through his head. For example, he felt the golden rule was improperly worded. It should not be "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", since there is no guarantee that the other person wants to be treated the same way you do, and in fact they probably didn't in all aspects. The rule more properly should be "do unto others as they would have you do unto them". The problem though was to not just teach his daughters his version of the rule, but to teach them it in such a way they did not end up as sycophants or similar. There has to be a line drawn where there are reasonable expectations for how people should treat you, and unreasonable.

i don't think polite people are always syncophants. my point was that we all KNOW certain words are likely to cause discomfort, so why not avoid them? what PURPOSE is there to use them, other than to denigrate others? someone can say, all day long, that a word doesn't mean what you think it means, but if you KNOW a person would be offended, you're the asshole.
 
Offended is a reaction, but the question is not with the reaction, but with the initial action.

The reaction is what makes the initial action of any consequence. If it weren't for people bitching and whining about being offended, the action wouldn't be important in and of itself.

May I please have an example of PC trampling on your liberties?

Forcing others to comply with certain language requirements is an example.

Another pathetic example of pc gone mad is the fact that Christmas break can no longer be called Christmas break. It's now "winter break." :roll: When will this foolishness end?
 
The reaction is what makes the initial action of any consequence. If it weren't for people bitching and whining about being offended, the action wouldn't be important in and of itself.
But why does people "bitching" about a term they deem offensive matter so much? People have whined about things I say, but it has little to no impact on my life and their whining is of zero importance to me. It seems to me that those who think people being offended is a problem are those who chose to make it a problem because people are offended by things I say, I just take their offense to mean that we aren't compatible as friends, nothing more.
 
Why should i be expected to treat every individual how "they want to be treated"? And how is that even possible?
It's not possible. This is why there needs to be some level of rational societal standard, otherwise it's just chaos, which serves neither side well. There are some people at one end of the spectrum that need to toughen up and not get their undies in a wad over anything and everything. By the same token, there are people on the other end of the spectrum that need to lighten up and quit being such douchebags to other people.
 
But why does people "bitching" about a term they deem offensive matter so much? People have whined about things I say, but it has little to no impact on my life and their whining is of zero importance to me. It seems to me that those who think people being offended is a problem are those who chose to make it a problem because people are offended by things I say, I just take their offense to mean that we aren't compatible as friends, nothing more.

It doesn't matter to me unless such stupidity is being forced upon me. Otherwise, mocking such weaklings is entertainment enough.

It's not possible. This is why there needs to be some level of rational societal standard, otherwise it's just chaos, which serves neither side well. There are some people at one end of the spectrum that need to toughen up and not get their undies in a wad over anything and everything. By the same token, there are people on the other end of the spectrum that need to lighten up and quit being such douchebags to other people.

If refusing to bow down to other people's ridiculous demands makes me a douche bag, then so be it. It's not as if any of them give a **** about what I want.
 
The reaction is what makes the initial action of any consequence. If it weren't for people bitching and whining about being offended, the action wouldn't be important in and of itself.



Forcing others to comply with certain language requirements is an example.

Another pathetic example of pc gone mad is the fact that Christmas break can no longer be called Christmas break. It's now "winter break." :roll: When will this foolishness end?

being forced to call christmas break "winter break" is plain stupid, i agree. this is not the type of pc i am referring to, though. how does calling a break "christmas break" harm anyone? it doesn't. but calling a kid retarded instead of learning disabled or whatever CAN hurt. there's the difference.
 
being forced to call christmas break "winter break" is plain stupid, i agree. this is not the type of pc i am referring to, though. how does calling a break "christmas break" harm anyone? it doesn't. but calling a kid retarded instead of learning disabled or whatever CAN hurt. there's the difference.

I wouldn't call a learning disabled child retarded. I refuse to be cruel to kids. But stupid adults on the other hand-
 
I never said that you should "take into account every person on the planet". I never said that "there is a right to be offended". I never said anything about "people who spend their time being offended". People who spend their time responding to arguments that have never been made might want to take a look in the mirror and discover the reason why.

The core of most political correctness is coming up with terms which are so bland and lifeless that nobody can conceivably take offense. I don't play that game. I don't try to offend the person I'm talking to, but if they, or someone listening, get offended, that's their fault for being over-sensitive.
 
The core of most political correctness is coming up with terms which are so bland and lifeless that nobody can conceivably take offense. I don't play that game. I don't try to offend the person I'm talking to, but if they, or someone listening, get offended, that's their fault for being over-sensitive.
Why does it have to be someone's fault? Why isn't just two people with two different takes on a word clashing?
 
Or just...an accurate descriptor of someone who is American.

Then just use the word "American". That's a nationality, nothing about skin color belongs with it.
 
Why does it have to be someone's fault? Why isn't just two people with two different takes on a word clashing?

Because one person is being offended. It's not two people using different words, it's one person getting pissed they're not both using their choice of words.
 
Because one person is being offended. It's not two people using different words, it's one person getting pissed they're not both using their choice of words.
And it's another person using words without consideration for other people.
 
What I don't get is why some people get so offended about other people being offended.

If you don't like PC terminology, so be it, but why bother getting so offended about people being offended by non-PC terminology?
 
What I don't get is why some people get so offended about other people being offended.

If you don't like PC terminology, so be it, but why bother getting so offended about people being offended by non-PC terminology?
There's really no reason. Uber PC people and uber anti-PC people are pretty much the same person just with different causes. Both groups would rather people say exactly what they want them to say and nothing more. I personally think it's better to just let people say whatever and then avoid them if you don't like it.
 
The reaction is what makes the initial action of any consequence. If it weren't for people bitching and whining about being offended, the action wouldn't be important in and of itself.

Close, but no. The potential reactions are what we are thinking of. However, the action reaction is not important. In the example, I don't care if some one is offended or not by being referred to as Oriental, but for my personal philosophy, since I am not trying to offend, I will use the term Asian, which I know won't offend. I would actually consider some one who was offended by the term oriental to be overly sensitive. That does not mean it is right for me to call them that.

I think the root of the question is where the line is between commendable courtesy and condemnable political correctness?
 
I think the root of the question is where the line is between commendable courtesy and condemnable political correctness?
When the truth gets lost in the attempt to be polite is the easiest line to draw. However, there are certainly times when I'm willing to sacrifice the truth for the sake of politeness or PC.

In the end, I think you just have to choose your battles. Sometimes, I just say the polite/PC thing when I don't want to argue. Other times, I don't mind the confrontation.
 
What I don't get is why some people get so offended about other people being offended.

If you don't like PC terminology, so be it, but why bother getting so offended about people being offended by non-PC terminology?
I don't think it's "offense" at people being offended so much as disbelieving awe at just how silly and stupid it can get.
 
I don't think it's "offense" at people being offended so much as disbelieving awe at just how silly and stupid it can get.

Wanting to be called African-American isn't really stupid or silly, though. I see people up in arms over that one all the time.

It's certainly not like that moron who got pissed off because another guy said something about black holes. That's silly and stupid. In fact, I'd use the non-PC term of "retard" to describe that moron in a heartbeat.

But that tard getting all up in arms over the term "black hole" is certainly not worth getting mad over. It's certainly laughable, though. Hell, you usually have to pay for that kind of funny ****, and that assclown was handing it out for free.
 
What I don't get is why some people get so offended about other people being offended.

If you don't like PC terminology, so be it, but why bother getting so offended about people being offended by non-PC terminology?

To me, it's more amusing than annoying. It only becomes annoying when it is enforced.

Close, but no. The potential reactions are what we are thinking of. However, the action reaction is not important. In the example, I don't care if some one is offended or not by being referred to as Oriental, but for my personal philosophy, since I am not trying to offend, I will use the term Asian, which I know won't offend. I would actually consider some one who was offended by the term oriental to be overly sensitive. That does not mean it is right for me to call them that.

I think the root of the question is where the line is between commendable courtesy and condemnable political correctness?

Good question. And that is really just opinion. Ask 20 people, get 20 different answers.

Wanting to be called African-American isn't really stupid or silly, though. I see people up in arms over that one all the time.

Personally, I think it is. Why the hyphenation? Can we all not be just American? Don't people realize that dividing ourselves into groups such as race only furthers our problems as a species?

It's certainly not like that moron who got pissed off because another guy said something about black holes. That's silly and stupid. In fact, I'd use the non-PC term of "retard" to describe that moron in a heartbeat.

But that tard getting all up in arms over the term "black hole" is certainly not worth getting mad over. It's certainly laughable, though. Hell, you usually have to pay for that kind of funny ****, and that assclown was handing it out for free.

The term "retard" offends me.

lol
 
Personally, I think it is. Why the hyphenation? Can we all not be just American? Don't people realize that dividing ourselves into groups such as race only furthers our problems as a species?
Dividing ourselves into races does not further our problems. Attaching meanings to races causes problems. Otherwise, race is just a convenient way to describe people.
 
Wanting to be called African-American isn't really stupid or silly, though. I see people up in arms over that one all the time.
But is it accurate? Is it equal? Is it truly descriptive?

The term "African American" is intended to denote a black person, presumably of African descent. Does the term apply equally to the white guy who emigrated from Zimbabwe whose family had been living there for 150+ years prior to his emigration? No, it doesn't, but why not? That white guy from Zimbabwe is more "African American" than the black guy whose family has been here for 300 years. He has zero connection with Europe. How long does a person's family have to be in a place before they are simply identified as being from that place?

Note: The same points/question can apply to all other versions of "-American", just used this one to continue the point.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom