AIBU to think Political Correctness never actually went too far?

[Lessthanaballpark]

AIBU to think that as soon as Political correctness actually started to gain any traction there was a backlash against it that dampened its effect from the outset?

That as soon as the idea that people should check themselves before expressing any racist, sexist or disablist opinion an equally powerful feeling of resentment emerged to counter it and frame those do-gooders as hysterical feminazi killjoys (if female)/manginas(if male)?

That from the moment that women's rights started to have any effect on society, cries of "pussification" and "political correctness gone too far" erupted before anything actually had a chance to "go too far"? That from the privileged viewpoint of someone who is used to seeing themselves reflected in the media, sport and politics, any step towards including other groups feels like a step too far.

That it is far far far more common to hear people saying "well I know this is politically incorrect but I'm going to say it anyway" than it is for people to actually chide others for being politically incorrect.

And that this nostalgia for a time before political correctness existed incorrectly assumes that we have already reached racial/sexual equality and have gone beyond it when really we are only half way there?

[CaoNiMao]

I fear you'll get a lot of responses along the lines of "political correctness HAS gone mad", but for what it's worth I completely agree with you.

It is the privileged majority's war-cry when certain privileges are taken away. I see it all the time. It's depressing.

[Lessthanaballpark]

Thanks Cao. I feel like it's contributed to the rise of Trump in the way that he is incorrectly seen as a maverick standing up to what is seen as the oppressive political correctness of the liberal left.

When really he's just a rich white guy with conservative views. Same old.

[user1475253854]

YANBU. If someone says/does something shocking/offensive I often hear people say "you can't say/do that these days" rather than say "actually that's really offensive and a horrible thing to say/do".

[JellyBelli]

YANBU. There was a thread recently where OP asked for actual examples of PC gone too far with evidence that they happened, and no one could find any. One poster listed 'I think these things are PC gone too far' and they were all the usual myths.

[ThatsWotSheSaid]

I've never heard any one say 'political correctness has gone to far' and then not go on to say somethinging offensive YANBU

[Heratnumber7]

Feeling embarrassed to point someone in a crowded room out by their skin colour, when that's the only feature that singles them out from a crowd is "PC gone too far".
It's no different from saying "the tall woman" or "the blonde man" IMO, but "the black man" is frowned on.

[SalemSaberhagen]

Is it though Herat? I've never known anyone have an issue with that.

[HmmHaa]

Looking around the work at the moment, I'd say it hasn't gone far enough.

[OurBlanche]

Trump... is incorrectly seen as a maverick standing up to what is seen as the oppressive political correctness of the liberal left.

When really he's just a rich white guy with conservative views.

That made me smile. I haven't been able to have that conversation with anyone other than DH.

There are things that are done for the sake of being seen to be fair, PC, whatever, they are irritating, stop discussions dead in the water and are usually totted out by the PA smug person in any group. They are usually accompanied by that smile and an eyebrow raise!

Or, as ThatsWot said, truly offensive people!

[Lessthanaballpark]

Heratnumber, I understand that because I too have been happy to say "white guy" as a descriptor but uncomfortable to say "black guy" but it's not much of a hardship is it really?

I mean when has someone's chances in life been seriously restricted due to PCness?

[RainbowJack]

YANBU

Completely agree.

People like to use PC gone too far/mad to take heat off the -ist thing they're about to say/think.

It's the newer.. I'm not racist/sexist but..

[SwedishEdith]

YANBU although I'm slightly alarmed by your thread title - PC isn't going away.

[Heratnumber7]

Ok then, here's another one.

MTF transgender children have to be allowed to share a room and bathroom facilities with girls at a Guide sleepover. No doctor's certificate, no nothing.

We wouldn't want to upset the boy MTF transgender child, but we can upset a whole load of girls

[SwedishEdith]

Why would you be uncomfortable to say "the black guy"?

[BertrandRussell]

Political corectness hasn't gone nearly far enough, in my opinion.

And if you need to distinguish one person in a group that are otherwise entirely identical except for skin colour and you feel you can't say "the black guy" that's not the fault of political correctness- that's you completely misunderstanding the situation!

[OurBlanche]

Has that happened Herat ?

I think the whole MTT thing will be the thing that makes PC go too far. There seems to be no way of protesting without sounding slightly unhinged.

As others have said, across the boards, it isn't the MTT that is the issue. It is the politicisation of the issue, that activists on both ends of the polemic, that make debate impossible.

I have MTT and FMT friends and ex-colleagues and they are universal in saying "Not in my name". They just live their lives as the gender they choose to be.

[Lessthanaballpark]

It's like with the word "brainstorm".

I've heard teachers and staff say "oooh we're not supposed to use that word anymore" with a conspiratorial eye roll and a "because they say it's not insulting".

But no one has ever said that they find it insulting, here's why and please don't use it.

When I was a kid I used to use the word phrase "Red Indian". This guy objected once and told me why it was insulting (continent misnaming for a start!).

I was a bit rankled at first as I'd never said it with malice and thought it rather cool. But I went away thought about it and haven't used it again (I hope).

Not being able to say "Cowboys and Indians" hasn't been a huge impediment to my happiness.

[Smartleatherbag]

I agree with you, op.

[BertrandRussell]

That's the issue, isn't it?

If you ask people what political correctness has stopped them doing that they want to do they can't tell you. Or they cite something (usually Winterval) that is either a complete myth or a misunderstanding.

[EllieMentry]

I agree with you, OP. I've never seen an instance of 'political correctness gone too far' and it always makes my heart sink when I hear that phrase.

I don't have a problem with saying 'the white guy' or 'the black guy' to describe someone if relevant. As in, '...the tall white/black guy over there.'

Nothing wrong with describing someone. Everything wrong with making a judgement based on a descriptor/using a descriptor in a judgemental way.

[PoisonWitch]

I generally think pc doesn't go far enough but there HAVE been times when it's gone too far. This is usually the result of virtue signalling that puts not being seen as racist etc over others rights (usually the rights of women and girls because who gives a shit about them?).

A good example would be the Rotherham sexual exploitation scandal. Police and SS threw girls under the bus for over a decade because of fears of being seen as racist.

There's an example of 'PC gorn mad'. Of couse the daily heil only cares about 'young sluts' when it can use them to immigrant bash. Otherwise it's 'tiny tempresses' and 'the poor menz'.

[Cheby]

I do think some of the social justice movement, for example demands for safe spaces where people's viewpoints will never be challenged has 'gone too far', but I'm not quite sure if that's quite what you're asking.

And I agree with the poster above about the trans issues. Women have to share hospital wards, bathrooms etc with male bodied individuals. That's 'too far' for me, but again not sure it's quite political correctness in the sense meant in the OP.

Stopping people using offensive terms is definitely not too far (and I do extend that to the trans issue, e.g. I would never deliberately misgender someone because i think it's just common curtesy to address a person how they prefer to be addressed) but neither do I think coming down on someone like a tonne of bricks for making a mistake is a good idea either.

I read a lot that it's no one'S responsibility to educate anyone else. I do agree with that, but equally if someone has made a statement with no ill intent, surely the best thing to do is to use that situation to educate?

[Leanback]

It confuses me how people hold political correctness up to be this big evil. Honestly, I see nothing wrong with the concept of political correctness.

I agree with you op, I feel like so many examples are just random stuff people have got stirred up about. Like not being able to use blackboard. I don't believe that has genuinely happened apart from on the pages of the daily mail.

[Lessthanaballpark]

Yes the Rotherham scandal is a good example actually. And the BBC coverup of the Munich sex attacks last year.

And there is something in that isn't there? That the only time our alt-right PC-hating MRA-loving Ched-Evans-cheering friends concern themselves over women's bodily autonomy is when it is Muslim immigrants who are the perpetrators.

[user1475253854]

Yes ^^. According to Trump, Mexicans rape women. What he does to women isn't rape.