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Is Political Correctnes a form of supressing Free Speach?

Is Political Correctness a form of suppressing Free Speech?


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"Tyranny?" Wow, that's some harsh words.

I had no idea saying "African-American" instead of "nigger" was just like living under an oppressive police state.

That is a unique term though... nigger IS racist. What I don't like AT ALL is that I was talking to some black people about race and was told that the term African American was racist. A few years later I was told by another group of blacks during a similar conversation that the term black was racist. WTF? Now I just say, "see that guy standing next to the white guy?"... but even then I was told that remarking on race is wrong. How do we quickly identify people then? They guy wearing the suit... no, the other guy, not that one... the one 5th from the left, wait, he is now 4th from the left. :roll:
 
Neither of which is exclusive to or required by "Political Correctness." In general, it seems that those who rail against the notion take offense to the fact that it's becoming more and more difficult to be an asshole.

What it is doing is giving a whole other group of people the power to be assholes and attack people...
 
Your father is/was a wise man.

No one can solve any problem until they first recognize that a problem exists.

What about when a person doesn't recognize there is a problem but solves it anyway?
 
People freely criticizing you for what you freely said is more free speech, not less. All of this whining about political correctness is people who are used to being immune to criticism losing that privilege. They're used to not being required to show respect for people who aren't like them. But they're certainly used to others having to show respect for them. Congratulations on having to play by the same rules as everyone else. It's funny how much the privileged can't handle being just like everyone else.
 
I completely and wholeheartedly agree. If anything, he came across as a racist to me because he seemed to imply that minorities do not have those things.

Think about it, if I'm saying I believe in hard work, and he says that those values make me a racist, then isn't he the one who has a lower opinion of minorities?

At college I had a similar experience. The professor was teaching about Institutionalized Whiteness and how it makes all white people racist by default. Well, I had the temerity to disagree. I was immediately set upon by the black professor and two black students. I was literally yelled at by the two in class. The professor eventually stepped back and just seemed so content. I tried a few times to be reasonable but it was futile. After about ten minutes of idiocy I just left. They taunted me with insults about race and morality. I withdrew from the course that day.
 
If a person doesn't recognize a problem why would they solve it?

Not why... ...why is irrelevant. If a person solves a problem without recognizing that there is a problem... it is still solved.
 
People freely criticizing you for what you freely said is more free speech, not less. All of this whining about political correctness is people who are used to being immune to criticism losing that privilege. They're used to not being required to show respect for people who aren't like them. But they're certainly used to others having to show respect for them. Congratulations on having to play by the same rules as everyone else. It's funny how much the privileged can't handle being just like everyone else.

What term is racist? Black person or African American?
 
If a problem is solved it is no longer a problem, so why call it a problem, eh?

I was just making a point to your statement.

No one can solve any problem until they first recognize that a problem exists.

This isn't really accurate. That's all...
 
What term is racist? Black person or African American?

It's usually intent, not the specific words, that is bigoted. That's why black people can call each other nigger and white people can't. That's why gays can call each other faggot and straight people can't. Because you never mean to express a kind sentiment when you're talking about someone who's not like you and you think those words best express your point. If what you want is a checklist of approved and unapproved words, you're missing the point entirely.
 
I was just making a point to your statement.

No one can solve any problem until they first recognize that a problem exists.

This isn't really accurate. That's all...

How would you SOLVE a problem if you don't even know you have one?
 
"Political correctness", or any other parameters used to judge the word choices of others, are not an infringement on free speech unless they are codified into law.

We have accepted some limitations on free speech, like the oft-used example of shouting "fire!" in a crowded theater.
 
Those who rail against the concept of political correctness the most are generally those most guilty of it. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and not call them duplicitous, but they are at least blind to their own actions and motivations.
As always... maybe for some.

For many, including me, political correctness is about some people telling others what they can and can't say... and if you say what they say you can't, then you are a racist, bigot, sexist, one that lacks courtesy, etc. I think that those telling me what is OK to say are the oppressive jerks using their morality to judge others.
Actually, you are correct and my post was incorrect.

When I wrote that I thought it meant to convey what I wanted to convey, but when I re-read it the next day I realized that I had phrased it so poorly as to come off as being the opposite of what I wanted. I intended to go back and post a correction, but never did.

If the three people who 'liked' my post want to go back and withdraw their likes, I will understand.
 
At college I had a similar experience. The professor was teaching about Institutionalized Whiteness and how it makes all white people racist by default. Well, I had the temerity to disagree. I was immediately set upon by the black professor and two black students. I was literally yelled at by the two in class. The professor eventually stepped back and just seemed so content. I tried a few times to be reasonable but it was futile. After about ten minutes of idiocy I just left. They taunted me with insults about race and morality. I withdrew from the course that day.

The professor and the two black students were obviously the racists in that incident.
 
At college I had a similar experience. The professor was teaching about Institutionalized Whiteness and how it makes all white people racist by default. Well, I had the temerity to disagree. I was immediately set upon by the black professor and two black students. I was literally yelled at by the two in class. The professor eventually stepped back and just seemed so content. I tried a few times to be reasonable but it was futile. After about ten minutes of idiocy I just left. They taunted me with insults about race and morality. I withdrew from the course that day.

The only real thing you can do is laugh at how someone who is supposed to be teaching about "open minded and seeing other points of view" is really fostering an environment of close mindedness and dogmatic reactions to current events, no matter what evidence to the contrary.
 
It's usually intent, not the specific words, that is bigoted. That's why black people can call each other nigger and white people can't. That's why gays can call each other faggot and straight people can't. Because you never mean to express a kind sentiment when you're talking about someone who's not like you and you think those words best express your point. If what you want is a checklist of approved and unapproved words, you're missing the point entirely.

Except what you just said boils down to a checklist of approved words. The N word is approved for some but not others no matter what the intent was, is what you just said.
 
how would we "forbid" them?

seems to work pretty well the way it is. if racist idiots spout racism, they get labeled as racist idiots, and then nobody gives a **** about anything else they have to say. works for me.

And does calling people out when they misappropriate the word "racist" also work got you?
 
It's usually intent, not the specific words, that is bigoted. That's why black people can call each other nigger and white people can't. That's why gays can call each other faggot and straight people can't. Because you never mean to express a kind sentiment when you're talking about someone who's not like you and you think those words best express your point. If what you want is a checklist of approved and unapproved words, you're missing the point entirely.
Then you advocate the chaos from virtually unlimited individual sensitivities.
 
Then you advocate the chaos from virtually unlimited individual sensitivities.
Rules allow people to know what not to say.

This is bad.
 
Except what you just said boils down to a checklist of approved words. The N word is approved for some but not others no matter what the intent was, is what you just said.

There are precious few situations where someone who is not black or gay can refer to someone who is as nigger or faggot, respectively, and not intend to hurt that person. But it's not even just commonly understood slang. It's stereotypes and assumptions. If you actually treat people with respect, you'll do fine.

Then you advocate the chaos from virtually unlimited individual sensitivities.

Welcome to real life. It does not come with a handbook for how to interact with other people. You have to actually learn to use your own judgment. The dreaded "political correctness" is nothing more than not disrespecting someone for who and what they are, rather than what they do or say. If that's too hard to do without a list, then you (generic listener, not you, you're just trying to be a pain in the neck) have more serious problems.
 
Welcome to real life. It does not come with a handbook for how to interact with other people. You have to actually learn to use your own judgment. The dreaded "political correctness" is nothing more than not disrespecting someone for who and what they are, rather than what they do or say. If that's too hard to do without a list, then you (generic listener, not you, you're just trying to be a pain in the neck) have more serious problems.
The notion that everyone gets to have their own varying personal sensitivities acknowledged as valid is unwieldy and unworkable. Why does everything have to be either "everything goes" or "everything is verboten"?

Not using "nigger" or "kike" or any number of slurs isn't necessarily political correctness, but the standard should be even-handed, whatever it is.

Where terms and phrases become political correctness is when they serve no real or useful purpose, i.e. calling manholes "personnel access chambers", for example.
 
And does calling people out when they misappropriate the word "racist" also work got you?

Sure; this does happen from time to time. Mostly, though it's someone actually saying something racist or bigoted and then trying to claim that they are the victim of political correctness.
 
"Political correctness", or any other parameters used to judge the word choices of others, are not an infringement on free speech unless they are codified into law.

We have accepted some limitations on free speech, like the oft-used example of shouting "fire!" in a crowded theater.

That's because it's different when it endangers a life/lives.
 
Sure; this does happen from time to time. Mostly, though it's someone actually saying something racist or bigoted and then trying to claim that they are the victim of political correctness.

Well that hasn't been my experience at all.
 
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