how can we ever take political correctness seriously when normal words suddenly become "hate crimes"

[Charis1]

not sure if this link will work, but this head teacher was investigated by the police for a "hate crime" for using the term "special needs" when referring to ASD.

schoolsimprovement.net/headteacher-cleared-in-police-disability-hate-crime-investigation-for-saying-autistic-pupil-had-special-needs/

Eh? Merry mouse, not sure o get that. Don't think I said I wasny allowed to use it, just that someone on here said it was sexist, which I dont agree with.

googled for some examples: "Alan pardew blamed mass hysteria for his departure from Newcastle"

"Rugby league player Ben flower blamed media hysteria over his punch"

the sexist swines, targeting the female elements of rugby league and football grounds!

Sorry pagwatch, missed your post.

I do give up. I had the discussion about meltdowns and explained that the word had been taken on to refer to severe medically driven tantrums. I explained the etymology of the word and asked how we are now supposed to describe nuclear meltdowns. As it happens Ive never used the word to describe a tantrum. But it's a generally used word for a severe reaction that has been applied to tantrums. It's not owned by parents with children with autism, as was the tone of the thread I was referring to.

Hysteria and hysterical are not sexist words. Hysteria causes stampedes at temples and football matches, those events are not the exclusive realm of females.

I agree with you that there is a context in which those word can be used that is sexist etc, but it's not exclusive. Coloured is a racist term, does that mean I can't describe my curtains as multi-coloured?

Don't think I said I wasny allowed to use it, just that someone on here said it was sexist, which I dont agree with.

So one person on the internet told you that they found it offensive. (See this great podcast to find out why hysteria and hysterical might be considered offensive from a historical perspective www.maximumfun.org/sawbones/sawbones-hysteria), but in general the words are in common use.

What does this have to do with 'political correctness'?

Still not sure of your point - which might well be me misreading.

But the subject title refers to "normal words" becoming hate crimes. Isn't that what you are doing with hysteria and meltdown. these are normal words that are being claimed by certain groups as offensive.
Me wanting to talk about chernobyl and looking up another word for meltdown to avoid offending parents of autistic children (as the previous thread implied) is an example of "political correctness gone mad"

that are being claimed by certain groups as offensive.

Apparently one person on the internet told you the word 'hysteria' is sexist. The term refers to a historical medical condition that was supposed to be caused by the womb, and women's propensity to suffer from this condition was used to justify their lack of ability to do things like vote. It therefore does have a sexist history. However, the use has moved on and most people don't know or care about the history of the word.

Did anybody actually tell you that nuclear power stations shouldn't use the term meltdown? Some people on a website told you they thought it was inappropriate to use the word meltdown in relation to NT children. Why is it 'political correctness' gone mad to use the word tantrum instead?

I can't see where anybody has accused you of committing a hate crime (any more than somebody was prosecuted for committing a hate crime in the OP's example).

There is nothing new about being polite and sensitive to the feelings of others. The concept goes back thousands of years.

Now you are being hysterical

I'm not the one conflating

"people were mildly irritated"

with

"I was accused of a hate crime".