Sick of having to be Politically Correct over nearly everything

[SickofThisCountry]

Dont want to cause some big debate but is anyone else on here getting sick to the back teeth of having to watch their p's and q's through fear of offending every tom, dick and harry.

[AmberLeaf]

[Flowers] for DawnDonnas daughter, a fabulous and articulate young woman, you're a credit to your Mum, who is also fabulous and articulate!

Re so called 'PC' stopping people from saying what they want to and their lack of examples given on here... They have no examples, because its not really about that. Its just they hate the idea of being told they can't do/say something (even though that's not actually happening) and they believe their right to be as offensive as they like without recourse trumps the expectation of decency and consideration to all who we share society with, something that most sensible people take no issue with.

[AmberLeaf]

Darn it! Flowers emoticon didn't work!

[Lottashakingoinon]

In awe of MadBraLady. I want a Countdown teapot!


Oii that was me...but thanks for the opportunity to repeat it! (Kisses Ouryves's hand)

And I have to own up it was so long ago it was before the teapot days. Richard Whiteley (RIP) was still on it, semi finalists got a YTV biro (swoons) and Carol Vorderman was a really sweet young thing. Yes it was THAT long ago!!

[YouTheCat]

Exactly, AmberLeaf.

They have the right to say what they want and I have the right to leap on them and question whether they meant to be racist/homophobic/disablist. And also to judge them for their words.

[lougle]

You used a capital, Amberleaf

[MadBraLady]

[YouTheCat]

I still want a teapot... and gin.

[TheBigJessie]

It's a bit like some Americans' (and Britons') idea that "free speech" means there can be no consequences, whatsoever, to anything you say!

[AmberLeaf]

Aah was that it Lougle?! Cos I'm on my phone, it does the capitals and grammar for me, which is good most of the time but not this time!

Ill try again

for DawnDonnas DD.

[sudaname]

Thank you Simon. Yours was an important point as to whether the complaints do really come from the actual person/people directly affected or are we all being over protective/sensitive on their behalf. Just wanted to reply to show that in our case - yes it does come straight from the horses mouth, so to speak. There is a common argument by anti-pc/pcgm folk that people from ethnic minorities for example dont actually mind the racist jokes or even find them funny and it is the pc mob causing all the bad feeling etc etc. I just think it's a case of as with my DGD she picks her battles and rarely challenges questionable terminology used to describe her or she would forever be at loggerheads with people so she shrugs it off in the main.

[kungfupannda]

Can I ask what is obviously a deeply stupid question?

No matter what your views on whether you should be able to use offensive language, why would you actually want to?

Why would you want to offend or hurt people? Why would you want people to think you're ignorant or bigotted?

[Dawndonna]

I've passed messages on to DD. She says Thank you.

[AmberLeaf]

There is a common argument by anti-pc/pcgm folk that people from ethnic minorities for example dont actually mind the racist jokes or even find them funny and it is the pc mob causing all the bad feeling etc etc

No I can safely say that that argument is bollocks.

'Ethnic minorities' do mind racist jokes etc.

It is certainly not just others (white MC people as is often implied in such arguments) who take offence on their behalf.

There is plenty of evidence available online to prove that objection to casual racism doesn't just come from MC white 'do-gooders'

Plenty of evidence available too simon to indicate that people with disabilities are more than capable of expressing their own feelings regarding terminology etc, without the need for others to be offended on their behalf.

[EldritchCleavage]

I do agree, AmberLeaf, but in my direct experience there are white MC people who do take it upon themselves to be offended on one's behalf or police language without consulting the people referred to or preach about how one should self-identify etc. They are the kind of people who worry about mentioning that someone is black even if it is completely relevant to the discussion. They never spot the ironies in telling others what they should be offended by. It's not common, but they are there.

The one that has cropped up most for me is being reproved for referring to myself as mixed race or bi-racial rather than black. There were a couple at my college who had a thing about sending Xmas cards or making a big deal of Christmas being 'offensive' to the Muslim students. Who firmly put them straight, once they were aware of it.

[sudaname]

Amberleaf l hope l didn't come across as agreeing with that argument, that wasn't my intention. I was just giving an opinion from my personal experience observing my DGD in the face of insensitivity, ignorance, call it what you will, as to how this laughing/brushing most of it off self preservation policy can to some people seem as if you don't really mind, when in fact you do.

[AmberLeaf]

Eldritch, yes there are 'hyper-aware' types out there without doubt. IMO though, they are coming at it with good intentions however misguided they may be.

People like that usually have no direct experience of ethnic minorities, but have a desire to be non offensive. Its usually a lot easier to put people like that straight though as they tend to be more open minded than their racist counterparts.

[AmberLeaf]

Oh no sorry sudaname, I didn't think you agreed with it, sorry if my reply gave the impression thay I did!

[AmberLeaf]

I did get your point, I just got carried away!

[OxfordBags]

Isn't Umbridge where The Archers is set?

Do you know what is PC gorn mad? That I have to use a misogynist word to describe people who want to fight for their right to use words like rtard, n**er and so on - the fucking CUNTS.

Perhaps we should let people use whatever terminology they want, so the normal, decent people know who are the thick, nasty, ignorant scumbags to avoid at all costs.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

The Urchers, surely?

[OxfordBags]

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

there are hours of fun to be had with fanjo puns

[sudaname]

Ahh that's ok Amberleaf l didnt think you did honest.

phew

Good point about the over zealous being easier to put right than the out and out racists too. I had a good workmate called Yusaf many years ago a lovely lovely man - used to keep telling me he was allowed a second wife in his religion and was l interested, but he had to ask his first wife etc and l used to say (it was all in jest as l was married at the time to my first husband) 'I'm not being anyones second wife , you tell her l will be wife no. 1 otherwise forget it.'
Anyway you kinda had to be there but we used to have a real good laugh and,really good banter between us, trading insults at times etc etc.
One day he did something really stupid at work and l said 'Come here,l'll do it , what you like ,you're bloody useless, Yusaf.
He started laughing at the Useless Yusaf and wrote Useless at the top of his daily time sheet in front of him instead of his name.
Well one such manager spotted this and asked who had written this and was about to launch a witchunt , when someone just said 'Oh l think it was just Sudanames nickname for him'
So l'm hauled into her office and read the riot act and the companys anti racism policy was spouted at me and l was told to attend a disciplinary hearing etc etc.
My friend Yusaf got wind of this and barged into the office and told her exactly what had happened and it was him who had written it and him who had picked up on it and found it funny etc but she was having none of it.
I was in the union and went into the hearing with Yusaf and my union rep and it was all thrown out. Basically it was said that my 'joke' was a play on his name, not on his religion and not on the colour of his skin, so how on earth could it be racism plus no-one was offended and the 'victim' was my chief defence witness.
How on earth indeed? .
She was reprimanded and in the end agreed she had wasted everyones time and she calmed down a helluva lot after that incident and had to go on a course about racism again.
Altogether one massive waste of time , money , stress to all concerned and man-hours.

[AmberLeaf]

Good to hear it all got cleared up in the end! I suppose the good side to the story is at least they didn't completely ignore it, which if it had been more than banter between colleagues would have been wrong. Shame it went so far even after Yusef gave his account, but I guess that's how it has to be when investigation procedures such as that are needed due to actuall harrassment.

[EldritchCleavage]

Another necessary underlying belief of the PC-gorn-mad brigade is that there isn't actually any racism/sexism/disablism/etc out there anyway, so all the 'fuss' about it is just lefty ranting or cynical job-creation schemes for diversity campaigners. That's the aspect of it that I hate the most, frankly.