Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

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And to political correctness. I think it is actually a call to speak accurately and in a civilized manner. It seems those who don't like PC language are usually upset that they can't express their bias's, prejudices and phobias in the crude manner they are used to. It is easier to make a point using using emotionally charged words than words that are accurate and civilized.


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I agree with this completely. However, I think we often mean at least two different things by "political correctness." Your statement addresses the ignorant among us who either don't know better or simply don't care whether or not anyone would take offense with their thoughless words.

The other form of "political correctness" involves much more, and I'm not sure I could do it justice in any sort of brief response. In general, the second variant seems to include things such as humor in many forms, racial quotas, political causes, and perhaps a general tight-assedness.

For example. Is the following joke funny or racist?

Q. Why were so many Blacks killed in Vietnam.

A. Because every time someone yelled "Get Down," they all stood up and started dancing.

Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

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For example. Is the following joke funny or racist?

Q. Why were so many Blacks killed in Vietnam.

A. Because every time someone yelled "Get Down," they all stood up and started dancing.

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Why can't it be both?

I'm guilty of the use of "retarded", but generally only around my friends and I don't think I'm being particularly witty when I do it. It's just that it's sometimes the most effective word to convey how I feel about something or someone. Just being honest. Now, if I knew one of the people in my group had a sibling or close relative with some sort of learning disability then yeah, I probably wouldn't do it because I'm not trying to be a dick.

Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

Exactly. It's not fair nor kind to attribute harmful intent casually. Even worse when that is taken as a flimsy pretext for one's own attacks. Such attacks are by definition overcompensating, but peculiar to some of the fondest celebrants of political correctness is the degree to which they are willing to aggress against others when they find a real or imagined infraction. The delight I've seen some PC types exhibit over the chance to leap in and bludgeon some hapless stranger has been repugnant.

Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

If you had a sister with a bum leg would you still use the word 'lame'?

Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

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If you had a sister with a bum leg would you still use the word 'lame'?

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My brother is crazy and I haven't foresworn calling other people crazy, or wacko, or insane. I understand their meaning and intent, even if it could be taken as insensitivity towards the mentally ill.

Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

By the way this discussion happening today is pretty ironic (I think that's proper use of the word "irony", Alanis has effed it up for generations).

My parents hate Jerry Lewis. Can't stand him. The story they tell is it was in the late 60s and they were living in NYC and watching the telethon. Jerry gets one of his Kids out on stage and when he wanted her to leave but she couldn't figure that out he said something to her like "run along, fat girl" or something really terrible that was obviously intended to get laughs at her expense.

Yeah, they brought that up every Labor Day and never donated to his cause after that...

Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

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Exactly. It's not fair nor kind to attribute harmful intent casually. Even worse when that is taken as a flimsy pretext for one's own attacks. Such attacks are by definition overcompensating, but peculiar to some of the fondest celebrants of political correctness is the degree to which they are willing to aggress against others when they find a real or imagined infraction. The delight I've seen some PC types exhibit over the chance to leap in and bludgeon some hapless stranger has been repugnant.

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The people you describe are of course being the opposite of politically correct. If we accept the definition of political correctness to be both accurate and civilized in your speaking of your opinion. Therefore they are not PC types, they are hypocritical, righteous, self esteem issued, two faced douchebags.
You've mentioned it a couple of times, I'd be curious where you might be encountering this behavior.

Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

I use 'retarded' quite often regarding poker players and plays. It seems about as precise and pithy a word as I can think of. If someone finds it offensive then they're probably just gay.

Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

How can people claim greater intelligence when they are so easily offended and ready to judge someone by a single word the person has used?

Do they enjoy feeling smarter/more PC than everyone else?

Re: September\'s Bells and Schools Thread
 

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I use 'retarded' quite often regarding poker players and plays. It seems about as precise and pithy a word as I can think of. If someone finds it offensive then they're probably just gay.

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i feel like this mentality accurately expresses the way i feel about word choice around close friends. (they know i am not a hateful or bigoted person, so i feel free to use offensive words because my friends will understand the intent).

around new people, you can very quickly judge whether or not somoene will be bothered by the use of the word "retarded," "gay," "bitch," and on down the line. use discretion based on that judgment. it's pretty simple to avoid offending people as long as you hold back a little until you know them better.

this is really a natural extension of the fact that while you might tell your best friend his hair cut is horrible or call him a complete idiot for not liking a certain movie, you wouldn't say the same kind of negative comments to a person in the first 15 minutes after you meet them.

i say the f-word entirely too frequently and i still avoid using it when im visiting my grandparents.