I may be wrong here. But didn't it mean the same thing? Mentally challenged/mentally retarded?
And how long were they being called retarded before it changed to challenged? I am really trying to learn here. I don't know the answer.
Medical terminology has changed in the last few years to challenged, or disabled.
Yeah, "mentally retarded" was the term they used in the past, but they've changed it most likely due to societal pressure because people throw the term around in a derogatory fashion. Have you not noticed that calling someone a fag or queer is just plain wrong? Well, then consider how someone with a disability may feel when they hear "retard".
yes it was used in a derogatory way ...like many shortened versions of other words .... used to show hate or be demeaning to others
I may be wrong here. But didn't it mean the same thing? Mentally challenged/mentally retarded?
And how long were they being called retarded before it changed to challenged? I am really trying to learn here. I don't know the answer.
Medical terminology has changed in the last few years to challenged, or disabled.
Yeah, "mentally retarded" was the term they used in the past, but they've changed it most likely due to societal pressure because people throw the term around in a derogatory fashion. Have you not noticed that calling someone a fag or queer is just plain wrong? Well, then consider how someone with a disability may feel when they hear "retard".
I get what you are saying. But it just seems like we as a society are getting too sensitive. I work in the restaurant industry, I know plenty of gays. And I can tell you a lot of them could care less if you called them fags. And they may even call you a fag. It's just a word. People need to settle down a little sometimes. Try to relax and enjoy life.
It's when we as a society try to take away rights of gays and lesbians (or anyone else) that we should be getting upset. Not over words.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
I think that politically correctness can sway from using respectable terms to describe someone / something, to going overboard with holiday wishes. The whole "Happy Holidays" general PC drives me nuts.
Bingo. Also, someone getting offended by someone saying "God Bless You" after a sneeze deserves a good waterboarding .
Actually, this movie basically sums everything up:
I think that politically correctness can sway from using respectable terms to describe someone / something, to going overboard with holiday wishes. The whole "Happy Holidays" general PC drives me nuts.
I think this is exactly what I'm getting at. But I wasn't expressing it properly. We are letting those most sensitive in our society make everyone feel all hot and bothered of silly words and terms.
Maybe using gays.and mentally challenged wasn't the best way for me to express that.
I may be wrong here. But didn't it mean the same thing? Mentally challenged/mentally retarded?
And how long were they being called retarded before it changed to challenged? I am really trying to learn here. I don't know the answer.
Medical terminology has changed in the last few years to challenged, or disabled.
Yeah, "mentally retarded" was the term they used in the past, but they've changed it most likely due to societal pressure because people throw the term around in a derogatory fashion. Have you not noticed that calling someone a fag or queer is just plain wrong? Well, then consider how someone with a disability may feel when they hear "retard".
I get what you are saying. But it just seems like we as a society are getting too sensitive. I work in the restaurant industry, I know plenty of gays. And I can tell you a lot of them could care less if you called them fags. And they may even call you a fag. It's just a word. People need to settle down a little sometimes. Try to relax and enjoy life.
It's when we as a society try to take away rights of gays and lesbians (or anyone else) that we should be getting upset. Not over words.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
If you knew anyone with any sort of disability, you certainly wouldn't call them Retard to their face. It's rude and cruel. And by using that word to describe a buddy of yours, you're referring to the person who is disabled. It's not about being sensitive, it's about respect.
Do you realize that many who are disabled need support from you "normal" people to be justified in society? But that doesn't happen as much as it should because people continue to use derogatory terms as if they're harmless. BTW, I'm temporarily disabled from a car accident. Let me tell you, being in a wheel chair out in public draws a lot of stares. The stares are sometimes out of curiosity (children) and sometimes out of pity and simply being different. How would you feel to be it that situation suddenly, and have people call you rude and callous names, because you're disabled?
If you knew anyone with any sort of disability, you certainly wouldn't call them Retard to their face. It's rude and cruel. And by using that word to describe a buddy of yours, you're referring to the person who is disabled. It's not about being sensitive, it's about respect.
Do you realize that many who are disabled need support from you "normal" people to be justified in society? But that doesn't happen as much as it should because people continue to use derogatory terms as if they're harmless. BTW, I'm temporarily disabled from a car accident. Let me tell you, being in a wheel chair out in public draws a lot of stares. The stares are sometimes out of curiosity (children) and sometimes out of pity and simply being different. How would you feel to be it that situation suddenly, and have people call you rude and callous names, because you're disabled?[/quote]
You are not understanding what I am saying because you are too sensitive. A good friend of mine happens to be in a wheelchair for life. Not just temporarily. He happens to be in the Ten club actually. And I'm pretty sure he could care less if I called him a retard. And I think it's because he's confident within himself. Would he appreciate if some stranger called him a retard to his face? Not a chance, in fact he'd likely roll up to you and punch you in the groin. But would he care if you called your friend a retard? Not in the slightest.
If you knew anyone with any sort of disability, you certainly wouldn't call them Retard to their face. It's rude and cruel. And by using that word to describe a buddy of yours, you're referring to the person who is disabled. It's not about being sensitive, it's about respect.
Do you realize that many who are disabled need support from you "normal" people to be justified in society? But that doesn't happen as much as it should because people continue to use derogatory terms as if they're harmless. BTW, I'm temporarily disabled from a car accident. Let me tell you, being in a wheel chair out in public draws a lot of stares. The stares are sometimes out of curiosity (children) and sometimes out of pity and simply being different. How would you feel to be it that situation suddenly, and have people call you rude and callous names, because you're disabled?
You are not understanding what I am saying because you are too sensitive. A good friend of mine happens to be in a wheelchair for life. Not just temporarily. He happens to be in the Ten club actually. And I'm pretty sure he could care less if I called him a retard. And I think it's because he's confident within himself. Would he appreciate if some stranger called him a retard to his face? Not a chance, in fact he'd likely roll up to you and punch you in the groin. But would he care if you called your friend a retard? Not in the slightest.
Dude. Maybe using myself as an example wasn't very effective since me and your buddy are only physically disabled. I also have a daughter with Down syndrome. People with developmental delays cannot usually protect themselves from insensitive people like you. Am I being sensitive now? Maybe you'd think so, but that's because you know no one who is mentally challenged. If you did, you'd change your tune. I'm not being sensitive here, you're being INsensitive.
My daughter can't defend herself like your buddy and I can. She relies on us "normal" caring people to defend her from hurtful labels.
Listen, this is your problem that you can't seem to respect those who are different from you by ceasing to use words like 'retarded'. YOUR problem. It's not about sensitivity, it's about RESPECT.
If you knew anyone with any sort of disability, you certainly wouldn't call them Retard to their face. It's rude and cruel. And by using that word to describe a buddy of yours, you're referring to the person who is disabled. It's not about being sensitive, it's about respect.
Do you realize that many who are disabled need support from you "normal" people to be justified in society? But that doesn't happen as much as it should because people continue to use derogatory terms as if they're harmless. BTW, I'm temporarily disabled from a car accident. Let me tell you, being in a wheel chair out in public draws a lot of stares. The stares are sometimes out of curiosity (children) and sometimes out of pity and simply being different. How would you feel to be it that situation suddenly, and have people call you rude and callous names, because you're disabled?
You are not understanding what I am saying because you are too sensitive. A good friend of mine happens to be in a wheelchair for life. Not just temporarily. He happens to be in the Ten club actually. And I'm pretty sure he could care less if I called him a retard. And I think it's because he's confident within himself. Would he appreciate if some stranger called him a retard to his face? Not a chance, in fact he'd likely roll up to you and punch you in the groin. But would he care if you called your friend a retard? Not in the slightest.
Dude. Maybe using myself as an example wasn't very effective since me and your buddy are only physically disabled. I also have a daughter with Down syndrome. People with developmental delays cannot usually protect themselves from insensitive people like you. Am I being sensitive now? Maybe you'd think so, but that's because you know no one who is mentally challenged. If you did, you'd change your tune. I'm not being sensitive here, you're being INsensitive.
My daughter can't defend herself like your buddy and I can. She relies on us "normal" caring people to defend her from hurtful labels.
Listen, this is your problem that you can't seem to respect those who are different from you by ceasing to use words like 'retarded'. YOUR problem. It's not about sensitivity, it's about RESPECT.
Actually I know plenty of people who are mentally and physically challenged. I know two people with downs and my first cousin has cerebral palsy. And my tune isn't changing. You only feel the need to defend from "hurtful labels" because you let labels become hurtful. The end
You are not understanding what I am saying because you are too sensitive. A good friend of mine happens to be in a wheelchair for life. Not just temporarily. He happens to be in the Ten club actually. And I'm pretty sure he could care less if I called him a retard. And I think it's because he's confident within himself. Would he appreciate if some stranger called him a retard to his face? Not a chance, in fact he'd likely roll up to you and punch you in the groin. But would he care if you called your friend a retard? Not in the slightest.
Dude. Maybe using myself as an example wasn't very effective since me and your buddy are only physically disabled. I also have a daughter with Down syndrome. People with developmental delays cannot usually protect themselves from insensitive people like you. Am I being sensitive now? Maybe you'd think so, but that's because you know no one who is mentally challenged. If you did, you'd change your tune. I'm not being sensitive here, you're being INsensitive.
My daughter can't defend herself like your buddy and I can. She relies on us "normal" caring people to defend her from hurtful labels.
Listen, this is your problem that you can't seem to respect those who are different from you by ceasing to use words like 'retarded'. YOUR problem. It's not about sensitivity, it's about RESPECT.
Actually I know plenty of people who are mentally and physically challenged. I know two people with downs and my first cousin has cerebral palsy. And my tune isn't changing. You only feel the need to defend from "hurtful labels" because you let labels become hurtful. The end
You're either lying or you're one insensitive person. :roll:
My only thought is why do we have to call anyone anything?
When someone made the point here that the gay guys they work with wouldn't
care if he called them a derogatory name.
Perhaps they wouldn't but why still divide people into sexual preference?
And it is dividing, and placing them neatly in a stereotype or category.
They are individuals and nor defined by who they sleep with.
Why must we label and even care if someone is gay or a different color,
religion or political persuasion?
This is what is good about political correctness
it gets people to try to behave with others and accept them for who they are,
and not hurt others cause that isn't ok anymore.
We all bleed, we all have the same needs, lets just see each other like that.
My only thought is why do we have to call anyone anything?
When someone made the point here that the gay guys they work with wouldn't
care if he called them a derogatory name.
Perhaps they wouldn't but why still divide people into sexual preference?
And it is dividing, and placing them neatly in a stereotype or category.
They are individuals and nor defined by who they sleep with.
Why must we label and even care if someone is gay or a different color,
religion or political persuasion?
This is what is good about political correctness
it gets people to try to behave with others and accept them for who they are,
and not hurt others cause that isn't ok anymore.
We all bleed, we all have the same needs, lets just see each other like that.
My only thought is why do we have to call anyone anything?
When someone made the point here that the gay guys they work with wouldn't
care if he called them a derogatory name.
Perhaps they wouldn't but why still divide people into sexual preference?
And it is dividing, and placing them neatly in a stereotype or category.
They are individuals and nor defined by who they sleep with.
Why must we label and even care if someone is gay or a different color,
religion or political persuasion?
This is what is good about political correctness
it gets people to try to behave with others and accept them for who they are,
and not hurt others cause that isn't ok anymore.
We all bleed, we all have the same needs, lets just see each other like that.
Ever wonder why the majority of people complaining about "political correctness" are white guys? Because there is power in words. Demeaning and prejudicial words are a way to maintain power when it's threatened. Think of derogatory sexist comments towards women in the workplace or the history of racist comments. See the new ethnic group of immigrants and the response of the white majority that holds economic power? When a group is identified as a threat to the power, words are one thing used to oppress and hold back the group. "words may never hurt" the white guy, but it does hurt other people.
Ever wonder why the majority of people complaining about "political correctness" are white guys? Because there is power in words. Demeaning and prejudicial words are a way to maintain power when it's threatened. Think of derogatory sexist comments towards women in the workplace or the history of racist comments. See the new ethnic group of immigrants and the response of the white majority that holds economic power? When a group is identified as a threat to the power, words are one thing used to oppress and hold back the group. "words may never hurt" the white guy, but it does hurt other people.
It's true that the group I mentioned before (and got sniped at for mentioning), the white, heterosexual, Christian male have never actually experienced actual discrimination. Oh yes... the odd "they had to hire a black guy for a quota" but never the real kinda of institutionalized hate and 2nd-class citizenry that those of us who don't fit into that group have.
And man... when a black man won the presidency... hearing those old white people crying like babies saying "I want my country back" and taking part in the twitty-ass paranoia that he's a secret Muslim foreigner who wants to destroy America by giving better access to health care...
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
Yeah. I got told that a lot.
I grew up in an extremely conservative Christian farming village and had to deal with a daily barrage of hatred and being called "faggot" while I was a teenager.
Trust me. The words hurt.
I'd tell you to ask Zach Harrington. But sadly... you can't.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
Yeah. I got told that a lot.
I grew up in an extremely conservative Christian farming village and had to deal with a daily barrage of hatred and being called "faggot" while I was a teenager.
Trust me. The words hurt.
I'd tell you to ask Zach Harrington. But sadly... you can't.
I can understand how words can hurt when they are used to demoralize and demean others. And apparently for some, it hurts when we say Merry Christmas.. I'm not religious at all, but it sure doesn't bother me. I guess I'm just trying to say that everyone needs to relax a bit. Life is too short to be worrying about things like words all the time.
But if people are trying to take away your rights or do any harm to you because you are gay, or black, or white, or Arab. I'll be the first to jump in and take your side.
P.S. Good for you for not taking a baseball bat or a shotgun to those who tormented you growing up. I don't know if i would of had the restraint.
Political correctness is taking over common sense. Which, as a result, is destroying this country. JMO
Destroying the country? You really think that? I think that's a bit of an exaggeration.
When my daughter cannot pledge allegiance to the flag of her country in school because by saying "under GOD" it might offend somebody...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When somebody cannot say "they do not agree with gay marriage" because it is against their religious beliefs so they are labeled a bigot...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When we are not allowed to call terrorists "terrorists" because it may hurt a muslims feelings...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When 5 California High School students are sent home because they refused to remove their American flag t-shirts on the Mexican Day of Independence...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When an Army base gets shot up by a muslim and 13 american soldiers end up dead because base management officials didn't dare bring up the signs they have noticed for fear of being labeled a profiler....then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When airport officials don't dare to pull certain people aside for fear of being labeled a profiler, so in turn, we must all be groped or scanned...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
With that said, feel free to label me as a racist bigot profiler. Simple common sense would make this world a better and safer place.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
Yeah. I got told that a lot.
I grew up in an extremely conservative Christian farming village and had to deal with a daily barrage of hatred and being called "faggot" while I was a teenager.
Trust me. The words hurt.
I'd tell you to ask Zach Harrington. But sadly... you can't.
I can understand how words can hurt when they are used to demoralize and demean others. And apparently for some, it hurts when we say Merry Christmas.. I'm not religious at all, but it sure doesn't bother me. I guess I'm just trying to say that everyone needs to relax a bit. Life is too short to be worrying about things like words all the time.
But if people are trying to take away your rights or do any harm to you because you are gay, or black, or white, or Arab. I'll be the first to jump in and take your side.
P.S. Good for you for not taking a baseball bat or a shotgun to those who tormented you growing up. I don't know if i would of had the restraint.
I hate how threads sort of drift away from the OP's idea or question. I'm guilty of doing it too, but when I'm late to a thread like this it makes it hard to relate back to the OP.
I like where your head is at Binaural Jam. I've never made this comparison myself but I most certainly see where you are coming from.
There are a lot of words floating around out there that are in limbo right now in terms of political correctness. Words that are okay for some people to use and not okay for others.
There was an occasion where I was writing a paper for a history professor and I used the word colored in the paper. My history professor called me into her office, lambasted me with guilt, told me how my paper was completely unacceptable, called me a bad person, and gave me an F on the paper. I had no idea colored was a bad word. I figured it's used by the NAACP so it must not be taboo. The irony of the whole situation was that my paper was about the ramifications of shows like "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "Family Matters" and how they portray upper class black families so the general population lashes out against things like affirmative action because they don't feel it's necessary anymore. I took the paper, omitted the word colored from it, took it to another history professor and asked him to give me his opinion, and he told me it was a wonderfully thought-out paper with some excellent points to be made.
It seems that everyone is so eager to make noise that most of the time it's senseless noise. People want to calls others racist and sexist and homophobic for what could be a simple mistake. For these reasons, people become afraid to convey any ideas that could have a negative connotation about them, even if they are brilliant. The fear of being accused of being an "ist" keeps people from speaking. I see a perfect correlation to McCarthyism.
The truth of the matter is, one honest slip does not make someone a bad person. A bigot lifestyle makes someone a bad person. A few years back we had a porch built on our house. The guy we hired seemed like a great person and he did a great job. About halfway through building the porch the guy took his shirt off because it was hot and he had a tattoo of a swastika on his chest. I told him to leave the porch unfinished and leave. We hired someone else to finish. I would have never known the guy was a neo-nazi just by talking to him.
If you ever want to carry on a conversation about this outside the boards, I'd love to hear what you have to say BJ.
I thought about it and I think that this is pretty relevant to the topic, so I'll share.
I have a friend of mine whom I hang out with once or twice a week who is gay, engaged, (but not married, because New York, the second most liberal state in the union, won't allow gays to marry) and lives with his boyfriend. We were watching TV one day when this commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVicCD8FmMs came on.
My friend is someone who has a great sense of humor and calls me a faggot all the time when I'm with him. Out of curiosity, I asked him what he thought of it. His exact reply was as followed:
"I can't fucking stand that commercial. What a fucking joke! Thank god Lizzy McGuire is there to defend the entire gay community from persecution. How ever did we make it this far without her there to keep us safe?"
I love the way the cogs spin in his head. I totally get where he's coming from. My friend rallies around the fact that he's looked down upon in society. He knows that ignorance breeds hatred and uses that as motivation to be the smartest, best person he can be. He wants to fight all of his own battles, but when he needs help he will ask for it. He hates the fact that Hillary Duff turned herself into a gay martyr and he guarantees that she's called someone gay before.
It makes me wonder how many other members of the gay community think the same way as him?
Was this commercial by Hillary Duff just a selfish ploy to give herself some body armor against the PC/McCarthism finger-pointing?
I hate how threads sort of drift away from the OP's idea or question. I'm guilty of doing it too, but when I'm late to a thread like this it makes it hard to relate back to the OP.
I like where your head is at Binaural Jam. I've never made this comparison myself but I most certainly see where you are coming from.
There are a lot of words floating around out there that are in limbo right now in terms of political correctness. Words that are okay for some people to use and not okay for others.
There was an occasion where I was writing a paper for a history professor and I used the word colored in the paper. My history professor called me into her office, lambasted me with guilt, told me how my paper was completely unacceptable, called me a bad person, and gave me an F on the paper. I had no idea colored was a bad word. I figured it's used by the NAACP so it must not be taboo. The irony of the whole situation was that my paper was about the ramifications of shows like "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "Family Matters" and how they portray upper class black families so the general population lashes out against things like affirmative action because they don't feel it's necessary anymore. I took the paper, omitted the word colored from it, took it to another history professor and asked him to give me his opinion, and he told me it was a wonderfully thought-out paper with some excellent points to be made.
It seems that everyone is so eager to make noise that most of the time it's senseless noise. People want to calls others racist and sexist and homophobic for what could be a simple mistake. For these reasons, people become afraid to convey any ideas that could have a negative connotation about them, even if they are brilliant. The fear of being accused of being an "ist" keeps people from speaking. I see a perfect correlation to McCarthyism.
The truth of the matter is, one honest slip does not make someone a bad person. A bigot lifestyle makes someone a bad person. A few years back we had a porch built on our house. The guy we hired seemed like a great person and he did a great job. About halfway through building the porch the guy took his shirt off because it was hot and he had a tattoo of a swastika on his chest. I told him to leave the porch unfinished and leave. We hired someone else to finish. I would have never known the guy was a neo-nazi just by talking to him.
If you ever want to carry on a conversation about this outside the boards, I'd love to hear what you have to say BJ.
I hate how threads sort of drift away from the OP's idea or question. I'm guilty of doing it too, but when I'm late to a thread like this it makes it hard to relate back to the OP.
I like where your head is at Binaural Jam. I've never made this comparison myself but I most certainly see where you are coming from.
There are a lot of words floating around out there that are in limbo right now in terms of political correctness. Words that are okay for some people to use and not okay for others.
There was an occasion where I was writing a paper for a history professor and I used the word colored in the paper. My history professor called me into her office, lambasted me with guilt, told me how my paper was completely unacceptable, called me a bad person, and gave me an F on the paper. I had no idea colored was a bad word. I figured it's used by the NAACP so it must not be taboo. The irony of the whole situation was that my paper was about the ramifications of shows like "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "Family Matters" and how they portray upper class black families so the general population lashes out against things like affirmative action because they don't feel it's necessary anymore. I took the paper, omitted the word colored from it, took it to another history professor and asked him to give me his opinion, and he told me it was a wonderfully thought-out paper with some excellent points to be made.
It seems that everyone is so eager to make noise that most of the time it's senseless noise. People want to calls others racist and sexist and homophobic for what could be a simple mistake. For these reasons, people become afraid to convey any ideas that could have a negative connotation about them, even if they are brilliant. The fear of being accused of being an "ist" keeps people from speaking. I see a perfect correlation to McCarthyism.
The truth of the matter is, one honest slip does not make someone a bad person. A bigot lifestyle makes someone a bad person. A few years back we had a porch built on our house. The guy we hired seemed like a great person and he did a great job. About halfway through building the porch the guy took his shirt off because it was hot and he had a tattoo of a swastika on his chest. I told him to leave the porch unfinished and leave. We hired someone else to finish. I would have never known the guy was a neo-nazi just by talking to him.
If you ever want to carry on a conversation about this outside the boards, I'd love to hear what you have to say BJ.
Nice piece. I live in Maine, I think it's the whitest state in the country, although we're not racists. We welcome anyone. If we're at a bar watching football and a black person shows up me and my buds do what we can to make him feel welcome. You can tell he feels out of place and uncomfortable because he is the only one and doesn't know anyone. But because we don't deal with the issue much we sometimes don't know the correct terminology. I once said "colored " on the Train and took a wristrocket full of shit for it.
I'm actually a little worried about this post.....being afraid I said something that isn't politically correct. :?
I hate how threads sort of drift away from the OP's idea or question. I'm guilty of doing it too, but when I'm late to a thread like this it makes it hard to relate back to the OP.
I like where your head is at Binaural Jam. I've never made this comparison myself but I most certainly see where you are coming from.
There are a lot of words floating around out there that are in limbo right now in terms of political correctness. Words that are okay for some people to use and not okay for others.
There was an occasion where I was writing a paper for a history professor and I used the word colored in the paper. My history professor called me into her office, lambasted me with guilt, told me how my paper was completely unacceptable, called me a bad person, and gave me an F on the paper. I had no idea colored was a bad word. I figured it's used by the NAACP so it must not be taboo. The irony of the whole situation was that my paper was about the ramifications of shows like "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "Family Matters" and how they portray upper class black families so the general population lashes out against things like affirmative action because they don't feel it's necessary anymore. I took the paper, omitted the word colored from it, took it to another history professor and asked him to give me his opinion, and he told me it was a wonderfully thought-out paper with some excellent points to be made.
It seems that everyone is so eager to make noise that most of the time it's senseless noise. People want to calls others racist and sexist and homophobic for what could be a simple mistake. For these reasons, people become afraid to convey any ideas that could have a negative connotation about them, even if they are brilliant. The fear of being accused of being an "ist" keeps people from speaking. I see a perfect correlation to McCarthyism.
The truth of the matter is, one honest slip does not make someone a bad person. A bigot lifestyle makes someone a bad person. A few years back we had a porch built on our house. The guy we hired seemed like a great person and he did a great job. About halfway through building the porch the guy took his shirt off because it was hot and he had a tattoo of a swastika on his chest. I told him to leave the porch unfinished and leave. We hired someone else to finish. I would have never known the guy was a neo-nazi just by talking to him.
If you ever want to carry on a conversation about this outside the boards, I'd love to hear what you have to say BJ.
Nice piece. I live in Maine, I think it's the whitest state in the country, although we're not racists. We welcome anyone. If we're at a bar watching football and a black person shows up me and my buds do what we can to make him feel welcome. You can tell he feels out of place and uncomfortable because he is the only one and doesn't know anyone. But because we don't deal with the issue much we sometimes don't know the correct terminology. I once said "colored " on the Train and took a wristrocket full of shit for it.
I'm actually a little worried about this post.....being afraid I said something that isn't politically correct. :?
Interestingly enough, you sort of touched upon the topic I stated in my second post. The fact that in your story you tried to make the black person at the bar feel comfortable because you could tell he felt uncomfortable being the only black person at the bar.
The truth is, we all see the world in color. Every single one of us. When a white person walks by us, we recognize in our minds that they are white. When a black person walks by us, we recognize in our minds that they are black. That in itself is not odd or bad, it's simply human nature. The actions we associate with those observations are what's good and bad.
The fact that you tried to accommodate the person at the bar because they were black shows how the looming threat of political correctness lingers in all of our heads. You didn't even want to risk the chance of being called a racist, so you made accommodations for the uncomfortable black person, when perhaps if there was a white person who was clearly alone and looked uncomfortable, you may have let them been. I am by no means saying what you did was wrong; surely the person you helped out appreciated that you showed concern for them or helped them. It was a kind gesture, and hopefully you will always be as kind to people around you who seem wayward. It's just interesting that, from my observation, it was an internal desire to eliminate any scenario where you could be construed as racist for your motivation to accommodate that person.
It seems, in my humble opinion, that there are a small handful of very, very horrible people in this world who cause the rest of us to overcompensate in our actions to be sure we are not categorized with them.
It's the reason that when I'm with my black friends and we're listening to music and the N word comes up in the song, I stop singing for that moment. I'm certain that my friend isn't going to call me racist because we like the same song, but it's better to just be safe.
Destroying the country? You really think that? I think that's a bit of an exaggeration.[/quote]
"When my daughter cannot pledge allegiance to the flag of her country in school because by saying "under GOD" it might offend somebody...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country. "
---It's separation of church and state and that part should be dropped, if not the whole thing. Separation of church and state has helped maintain the country.--
When somebody cannot say "they do not agree with gay marriage" because it is against their religious beliefs so they are labeled a bigot...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
--People are free to say it and people are free to respond to it when they hear it. My opinion is that it's a bigoted belief veiled in religion.---
When we are not allowed to call terrorists "terrorists" because it may hurt a muslims feelings...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
---I hear people call others terrorists frequently, without much restraint. I don't know what you listening to.--
When 5 California High School students are sent home because they refused to remove their American flag t-shirts on the Mexican Day of Independence...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
---Gee, you can't wear something that others might find offensive in high school. That's only been happening since before you and I were born.---
When an Army base gets shot up by a muslim and 13 american soldiers end up dead because base management officials didn't dare bring up the signs they have noticed for fear of being labeled a profiler....then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
---Don't know all the details, but it sounds like making retroactive excuses for not responding earlier.---
When airport officials don't dare to pull certain people aside for fear of being labeled a profiler, so in turn, we must all be groped or scanned...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
---Ever been to an airport? I see a lot of officials following through on dares where they "pull certain people" as well as others randomly.----
With that said, feel free to label me as a racist bigot profiler. Simple common sense would make this world a better and safer place.[/quote]"
----Can I label you as someone who is drawing conclusions from anecdotal evidence? Thinking the country is being destroyed by things in your above list makes you open to manipulation by others who thrive on sending messages of fear.---
"The fact that you tried to accommodate the person at the bar because they were black shows how the looming threat of political correctness lingers in all of our heads. You didn't even want to risk the chance of being called a racist, so you made accommodations for the uncomfortable black person, when perhaps if there was a white person who was clearly alone and looked uncomfortable, you may have let them been. I am by no means saying what you did was wrong; surely the person you helped out appreciated that you showed concern for them or helped them. It was a kind gesture, and hopefully you will always be as kind to people around you who seem wayward. It's just interesting that, from my observation, it was an internal desire to eliminate any scenario where you could be construed as racist for your motivation to accommodate that person."
--I don't think he's trying to avoid being a racist, I think it came from compassion and responding to someone being uncomfortable as a result of the community the poster belongs too. I want people to feel welcome and comfortable where I live, no matter their race. In a sense, he was adjusting and responding to how a minority feels in his community, altering his perception of the community for the black guy at the bar. Seeing a white guy at the bar looking uncomfortable would bring a different response, because his feeling of discomfort wouldn't be attributed to race.----
Comments
I get what you are saying. But it just seems like we as a society are getting too sensitive. I work in the restaurant industry, I know plenty of gays. And I can tell you a lot of them could care less if you called them fags. And they may even call you a fag. It's just a word. People need to settle down a little sometimes. Try to relax and enjoy life.
It's when we as a society try to take away rights of gays and lesbians (or anyone else) that we should be getting upset. Not over words.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
Actually, this movie basically sums everything up:
I think this is exactly what I'm getting at. But I wasn't expressing it properly. We are letting those most sensitive in our society make everyone feel all hot and bothered of silly words and terms.
Maybe using gays.and mentally challenged wasn't the best way for me to express that.
If you knew anyone with any sort of disability, you certainly wouldn't call them Retard to their face. It's rude and cruel. And by using that word to describe a buddy of yours, you're referring to the person who is disabled. It's not about being sensitive, it's about respect.
Do you realize that many who are disabled need support from you "normal" people to be justified in society? But that doesn't happen as much as it should because people continue to use derogatory terms as if they're harmless. BTW, I'm temporarily disabled from a car accident. Let me tell you, being in a wheel chair out in public draws a lot of stares. The stares are sometimes out of curiosity (children) and sometimes out of pity and simply being different. How would you feel to be it that situation suddenly, and have people call you rude and callous names, because you're disabled?
If you knew anyone with any sort of disability, you certainly wouldn't call them Retard to their face. It's rude and cruel. And by using that word to describe a buddy of yours, you're referring to the person who is disabled. It's not about being sensitive, it's about respect.
Do you realize that many who are disabled need support from you "normal" people to be justified in society? But that doesn't happen as much as it should because people continue to use derogatory terms as if they're harmless. BTW, I'm temporarily disabled from a car accident. Let me tell you, being in a wheel chair out in public draws a lot of stares. The stares are sometimes out of curiosity (children) and sometimes out of pity and simply being different. How would you feel to be it that situation suddenly, and have people call you rude and callous names, because you're disabled?[/quote]
You are not understanding what I am saying because you are too sensitive. A good friend of mine happens to be in a wheelchair for life. Not just temporarily. He happens to be in the Ten club actually. And I'm pretty sure he could care less if I called him a retard. And I think it's because he's confident within himself. Would he appreciate if some stranger called him a retard to his face? Not a chance, in fact he'd likely roll up to you and punch you in the groin. But would he care if you called your friend a retard? Not in the slightest.
Dude. Maybe using myself as an example wasn't very effective since me and your buddy are only physically disabled. I also have a daughter with Down syndrome. People with developmental delays cannot usually protect themselves from insensitive people like you. Am I being sensitive now? Maybe you'd think so, but that's because you know no one who is mentally challenged. If you did, you'd change your tune. I'm not being sensitive here, you're being INsensitive.
My daughter can't defend herself like your buddy and I can. She relies on us "normal" caring people to defend her from hurtful labels.
Listen, this is your problem that you can't seem to respect those who are different from you by ceasing to use words like 'retarded'. YOUR problem. It's not about sensitivity, it's about RESPECT.
Actually I know plenty of people who are mentally and physically challenged. I know two people with downs and my first cousin has cerebral palsy. And my tune isn't changing. You only feel the need to defend from "hurtful labels" because you let labels become hurtful. The end
When someone made the point here that the gay guys they work with wouldn't
care if he called them a derogatory name.
Perhaps they wouldn't but why still divide people into sexual preference?
And it is dividing, and placing them neatly in a stereotype or category.
They are individuals and nor defined by who they sleep with.
Why must we label and even care if someone is gay or a different color,
religion or political persuasion?
This is what is good about political correctness
it gets people to try to behave with others and accept them for who they are,
and not hurt others cause that isn't ok anymore.
We all bleed, we all have the same needs, lets just see each other like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXD8yOxI ... re=related
thanks for that brandon10
It's true that the group I mentioned before (and got sniped at for mentioning), the white, heterosexual, Christian male have never actually experienced actual discrimination. Oh yes... the odd "they had to hire a black guy for a quota" but never the real kinda of institutionalized hate and 2nd-class citizenry that those of us who don't fit into that group have.
And man... when a black man won the presidency... hearing those old white people crying like babies saying "I want my country back" and taking part in the twitty-ass paranoia that he's a secret Muslim foreigner who wants to destroy America by giving better access to health care...
Yeah. I got told that a lot.
I grew up in an extremely conservative Christian farming village and had to deal with a daily barrage of hatred and being called "faggot" while I was a teenager.
Trust me. The words hurt.
I'd tell you to ask Zach Harrington. But sadly... you can't.
I can understand how words can hurt when they are used to demoralize and demean others. And apparently for some, it hurts when we say Merry Christmas.. I'm not religious at all, but it sure doesn't bother me. I guess I'm just trying to say that everyone needs to relax a bit. Life is too short to be worrying about things like words all the time.
But if people are trying to take away your rights or do any harm to you because you are gay, or black, or white, or Arab. I'll be the first to jump in and take your side.
P.S. Good for you for not taking a baseball bat or a shotgun to those who tormented you growing up. I don't know if i would of had the restraint.
Destroying the country? You really think that? I think that's a bit of an exaggeration.
When my daughter cannot pledge allegiance to the flag of her country in school because by saying "under GOD" it might offend somebody...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When somebody cannot say "they do not agree with gay marriage" because it is against their religious beliefs so they are labeled a bigot...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When we are not allowed to call terrorists "terrorists" because it may hurt a muslims feelings...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When 5 California High School students are sent home because they refused to remove their American flag t-shirts on the Mexican Day of Independence...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When an Army base gets shot up by a muslim and 13 american soldiers end up dead because base management officials didn't dare bring up the signs they have noticed for fear of being labeled a profiler....then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
When airport officials don't dare to pull certain people aside for fear of being labeled a profiler, so in turn, we must all be groped or scanned...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
With that said, feel free to label me as a racist bigot profiler. Simple common sense would make this world a better and safer place.
I agree.
Really??? When I think, who on this board has called someone a racist the most.......I THINK YOU!!!!!
I like where your head is at Binaural Jam. I've never made this comparison myself but I most certainly see where you are coming from.
There are a lot of words floating around out there that are in limbo right now in terms of political correctness. Words that are okay for some people to use and not okay for others.
There was an occasion where I was writing a paper for a history professor and I used the word colored in the paper. My history professor called me into her office, lambasted me with guilt, told me how my paper was completely unacceptable, called me a bad person, and gave me an F on the paper. I had no idea colored was a bad word. I figured it's used by the NAACP so it must not be taboo. The irony of the whole situation was that my paper was about the ramifications of shows like "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "Family Matters" and how they portray upper class black families so the general population lashes out against things like affirmative action because they don't feel it's necessary anymore. I took the paper, omitted the word colored from it, took it to another history professor and asked him to give me his opinion, and he told me it was a wonderfully thought-out paper with some excellent points to be made.
It seems that everyone is so eager to make noise that most of the time it's senseless noise. People want to calls others racist and sexist and homophobic for what could be a simple mistake. For these reasons, people become afraid to convey any ideas that could have a negative connotation about them, even if they are brilliant. The fear of being accused of being an "ist" keeps people from speaking. I see a perfect correlation to McCarthyism.
The truth of the matter is, one honest slip does not make someone a bad person. A bigot lifestyle makes someone a bad person. A few years back we had a porch built on our house. The guy we hired seemed like a great person and he did a great job. About halfway through building the porch the guy took his shirt off because it was hot and he had a tattoo of a swastika on his chest. I told him to leave the porch unfinished and leave. We hired someone else to finish. I would have never known the guy was a neo-nazi just by talking to him.
If you ever want to carry on a conversation about this outside the boards, I'd love to hear what you have to say BJ.
I have a friend of mine whom I hang out with once or twice a week who is gay, engaged, (but not married, because New York, the second most liberal state in the union, won't allow gays to marry) and lives with his boyfriend. We were watching TV one day when this commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVicCD8FmMs came on.
My friend is someone who has a great sense of humor and calls me a faggot all the time when I'm with him. Out of curiosity, I asked him what he thought of it. His exact reply was as followed:
"I can't fucking stand that commercial. What a fucking joke! Thank god Lizzy McGuire is there to defend the entire gay community from persecution. How ever did we make it this far without her there to keep us safe?"
I love the way the cogs spin in his head. I totally get where he's coming from. My friend rallies around the fact that he's looked down upon in society. He knows that ignorance breeds hatred and uses that as motivation to be the smartest, best person he can be. He wants to fight all of his own battles, but when he needs help he will ask for it. He hates the fact that Hillary Duff turned herself into a gay martyr and he guarantees that she's called someone gay before.
It makes me wonder how many other members of the gay community think the same way as him?
Was this commercial by Hillary Duff just a selfish ploy to give herself some body armor against the PC/McCarthism finger-pointing?
This gets to my point better than i could have.
Nice piece. I live in Maine, I think it's the whitest state in the country, although we're not racists. We welcome anyone. If we're at a bar watching football and a black person shows up me and my buds do what we can to make him feel welcome. You can tell he feels out of place and uncomfortable because he is the only one and doesn't know anyone. But because we don't deal with the issue much we sometimes don't know the correct terminology. I once said "colored " on the Train and took a wristrocket full of shit for it.
I'm actually a little worried about this post.....being afraid I said something that isn't politically correct. :?
Interestingly enough, you sort of touched upon the topic I stated in my second post. The fact that in your story you tried to make the black person at the bar feel comfortable because you could tell he felt uncomfortable being the only black person at the bar.
The truth is, we all see the world in color. Every single one of us. When a white person walks by us, we recognize in our minds that they are white. When a black person walks by us, we recognize in our minds that they are black. That in itself is not odd or bad, it's simply human nature. The actions we associate with those observations are what's good and bad.
The fact that you tried to accommodate the person at the bar because they were black shows how the looming threat of political correctness lingers in all of our heads. You didn't even want to risk the chance of being called a racist, so you made accommodations for the uncomfortable black person, when perhaps if there was a white person who was clearly alone and looked uncomfortable, you may have let them been. I am by no means saying what you did was wrong; surely the person you helped out appreciated that you showed concern for them or helped them. It was a kind gesture, and hopefully you will always be as kind to people around you who seem wayward. It's just interesting that, from my observation, it was an internal desire to eliminate any scenario where you could be construed as racist for your motivation to accommodate that person.
It seems, in my humble opinion, that there are a small handful of very, very horrible people in this world who cause the rest of us to overcompensate in our actions to be sure we are not categorized with them.
It's the reason that when I'm with my black friends and we're listening to music and the N word comes up in the song, I stop singing for that moment. I'm certain that my friend isn't going to call me racist because we like the same song, but it's better to just be safe.
And I think that's all I have to say about that.
"When my daughter cannot pledge allegiance to the flag of her country in school because by saying "under GOD" it might offend somebody...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country. "
---It's separation of church and state and that part should be dropped, if not the whole thing. Separation of church and state has helped maintain the country.--
When somebody cannot say "they do not agree with gay marriage" because it is against their religious beliefs so they are labeled a bigot...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
--People are free to say it and people are free to respond to it when they hear it. My opinion is that it's a bigoted belief veiled in religion.---
When we are not allowed to call terrorists "terrorists" because it may hurt a muslims feelings...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
---I hear people call others terrorists frequently, without much restraint. I don't know what you listening to.--
When 5 California High School students are sent home because they refused to remove their American flag t-shirts on the Mexican Day of Independence...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
---Gee, you can't wear something that others might find offensive in high school. That's only been happening since before you and I were born.---
When an Army base gets shot up by a muslim and 13 american soldiers end up dead because base management officials didn't dare bring up the signs they have noticed for fear of being labeled a profiler....then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
---Don't know all the details, but it sounds like making retroactive excuses for not responding earlier.---
When airport officials don't dare to pull certain people aside for fear of being labeled a profiler, so in turn, we must all be groped or scanned...then yes, I believe it is destroying our country.
---Ever been to an airport? I see a lot of officials following through on dares where they "pull certain people" as well as others randomly.----
With that said, feel free to label me as a racist bigot profiler. Simple common sense would make this world a better and safer place.[/quote]"
----Can I label you as someone who is drawing conclusions from anecdotal evidence? Thinking the country is being destroyed by things in your above list makes you open to manipulation by others who thrive on sending messages of fear.---
--I don't think he's trying to avoid being a racist, I think it came from compassion and responding to someone being uncomfortable as a result of the community the poster belongs too. I want people to feel welcome and comfortable where I live, no matter their race. In a sense, he was adjusting and responding to how a minority feels in his community, altering his perception of the community for the black guy at the bar. Seeing a white guy at the bar looking uncomfortable would bring a different response, because his feeling of discomfort wouldn't be attributed to race.----