Yeah, that's pretty much the definition of PC. Modifying behaviour so as not to give unnecessary and unintended offence.
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.
Describing doesn't divide. Insisting on being labeled a certain way in order to take pride in one's race most certainly does.
Redress said it best. You're attributing way to much power to words. I live in the same world as you where people want to be called X, Y and Z. Nothing in their preferences has created more divisions in my world. It divides if you choose to make it so.Describing doesn't divide. Insisting on being labeled a certain way in order to take pride in one's race most certainly does.
Less than the other person insisting on a specific label?No. You are attributing way too much power to words.
Again, I point out that the question in this poll has nothing to do with the reaction, but with the choice of action. Is it PC to choose to use a term, like Asian, so as not to risk offending people? The actual reaction is irrelevant to the question.
And yes, I understand the legality of assault over verbal provocation, and to my mind the black guy doing the assaulting has no room to complain about getting arrested, just as the person using nigger has no room to complain about the assault. We are all responsible for our actions, and blaming others for them is childish.
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.
1. Yeah, no, I'm not complaining and it isn't a matter of concession. It's a matter of fact. What you don't seem to understand even though I've pretty much explained it to you is that when I use the word "retard", I know I'm not using manners or being polite. What I find annoying is people who would pretend that it is nonsensical for someone to be offended by my use of the word "retard".So describing "going around saying things to purposely offend people" as "annoying" and "damaging" and lamenting those who "excuse themselves from common courtesy of respecting people and being polite" does not indicate any kind of complaint? Okay, fine, I know you're not going to concede you were complaining (and I don't feel like arguing it in circles with you right now) so let me point this out instead; since you used a term you know is offensive to some, that means you're doing exactly that which you claim you find just so damaging. That was really my whole point on the first place.
We have had a few discussions on the topic of politically correct topics lately, and it reminded me of a conversation on these boards from quite some time ago. I cannot remember what the discussion was about so the other person will remain nameless and hopefully unidentifiable. Who it is is not important. What I am going to ask is if I was being politically correct in this discussion.
Conversation: something about Asians, some one calls Asians "oriental", another person points out that properly, the correct term is Asian.
Me: I learned some time ago that Asian refers to people, Oriental to objects, so I always use Asian
Other person: You are just being Politically Correct.
Me: I don't think I am, it is effortless on my part to say Asian and I then don't have to worry about offending any one accidentally.
Other Person: Exactly, you are trying not to offend, so you are being PC.
Now, obviously this is somewhat paraphrased and condensed from a longer conversation. What I want to know though, is in the example I gave as I gave it, am I being Politically Correct to use the term Asian instead of Oriental?
No. You are attributing way too much power to words.
Redress said it best. You're attributing way to much power to words. I live in the same world as you where people want to be called X, Y and Z. Nothing in their preferences has created more divisions in my world. It divides if you choose to make it so.
Less than the other person insisting on a specific label?
No, I understand the power of words just fine. They don't have any. Words have as much power as human beings give to them.Both of you underestimate the power of words.
No, I understand the power of words just fine. They don't have any. Words have as much power as human beings give to them.
Really? I know hardly any people who care about what people call themselves. The people who do care are just the loudest.And most people give them power-lots of power. You just deny this.
"Oriental" has traditionally referred to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ethnicities. "Asian," as it is used today, covers a much broader group of people. So I'd say it's not simply a matter of political correctness, but a shift in terminology due to the fact that we have more folks in this country of Asian origin who aren't Orientals than we did when the term "Oriental" was more in vogue.
Then why do we need to be PC, or sensitive, or whatever?No, I understand the power of words just fine. They don't have any. Words have as much power as human beings give to them.
We don't need to do anything.Then why do we need to be PC, or sensitive, or whatever?
When I was a kid the term Orientals was commonly used to describe those of Asian decent. However, during VietNam, terms began to change to more accurately reflect the diversity of the region. Asian was now used as a blanket to describe those from East Asia, from India's border all the way to Japan, and the term Southeast Asia was used when describing Vietnam, Laos, etc. Since then I've rarely heard the term Oriental refer to people, only rugs, art objects, and generalized Asian food.
I refer to people the way they prefer. If they introduce themselves to me as Korean, Chinese, VietNamese, etc., then that's how I refer to them from that point on. If they make no specific mention of their historical ancestry, then I consider them to be Asian.
And most people give them power-lots of power. You just deny this.
Exactly. I met some people and the I was interested in where they were from since they were dressed really nicely in ethnic clothes. They said they were Persian. I clarified and asked if they were Iranian and they insisted that they were Persian. I said fine, but I was thinking that the Persians ended as an entity a loooong time ago.
Who cares?
Words don't have any power... what has power is the intent behind the words.
I can question religion to many people and there is no harm but as soon as a person demeans the religion with the same questions, then it takes a different context. The intent changed.
Really? I know hardly any people who care about what people call themselves. The people who do care are just the loudest.
Then why do we need to be PC, or sensitive, or whatever?
We don't need to do anything.
Words don't have any power... what has power is the intent behind the words.
I can question religion to many people and there is no harm but as soon as a person demeans the religion with the same questions, then it takes a different context. The intent changed.
What bothers me is that people think that political correctness is somehow a bad thing.
did you think they didn't know their home country was now iran?
Redress
Not even that. Words have power only in what power is granted by the listener.
What bothers me is that people think that political correctness is somehow a bad thing.
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