How politically correct are you?

[Godhead]

Eilonnwy -

Being politically uncorrect just means either saying what you really think, or it can mean having a laugh. For example I have a friend who's black and I've lost count of the number of times I've called him a nigger and he's fine with it. And I used to go out with a girl who was black (and still is) and I used to have a little joke with her from time to time and she was fine with that, and she had a laugh at my expense also. People who are strong enough to not fall apart just because someone has a friendly laugh at their expense just can't understand who those who do, do. Gay people call each other queer, black people call each other niggers, and friends call each other names all the time. It's funny to make fun of each other, and the pc brigade don't seem to like fun for some reason, thinking that namecalling or being coarse with each other is a cause for mass hysteria. I live in the UK and some time back a comedian, his name is Frankie Boyle, made a joke about a disabled woman, or her daughter (I can't remember which), and there was a lot of fuss made over that. And we have a comedian called Jim Davidson, who has also been attacked by the pc nanny brigade for his down to earth humour. He makes fun out of all sorts. Once he said to a black member of an audience that he thought the chair was empty until he smiled. The guy laughed his head off, he loved it. And quite rightly so, it was very funny. Another thing that the pc brigade hate is when someone in a minority says that they like it when people make fun of them. It drives them nuts, and shows just how silly it is to make a fuss.

[Eilonnwy]

It's possible to avoid the latest 'politically correct' terms without being an asshole. There is a difference between using a word like 'Indian' instead of 'Native American' and being intentionally offensive. I'm talking about IRL, obviously. Being an asshole online is easy. Being an asshole in real life is no fun.

Indian is not politically incorrect. While many Indians prefer to be called by their native tribe, most recognize it's hard to do so because there are so many of them, so they accept the general term Indian.

Also, the word Indian does not come from Columbus thinking he landed in India.

I am a firm believer that most historians are wrong when they credit Christopher Columbus for coining the word "Indian" because he thought he was landing his ships in India. In 1492 there was no country known as India. Instead that country was called Hindustan. I think that is closer to the truth that the Spanish padre that sailed with Columbus was so impressed with the innocence of the Natives he observed that he called them Los Ninos in Dios. My spelling may be wrong on the Spanish words, but the description by the padre means something like "Children of God."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-giago/...67593.html

I'm not advocating the use of actually offensive words. There are plenty of words I won't say, and some I won't even type... but calling every black person in the country an 'African American' is, at best, inaccurate. How is 'black' offensive?

Um, it isn't? Otherwise what the hell do you call black people from Jamaica, they aren't African American, they're Jamaican. I have never heard of black being politically incorrect.

One thing though, when speaking of minorities in a general way, some people prefer to use People of Color to incorporate Indian, Hispanic, Black, etc...

[Paul the Human]

Indian is not politically incorrect. While many Indians prefer to be called by their native tribe, most recognize it's hard to do so because there are so many of them, so they accept the general term Indian.

It does seem to have swung back the other way now, but for a while, it was considered non-PC to use the word 'Indian'. I don't know a single Indian that finds the word offensive, and yet many of them would still prefer to be called 'Native American', because they believe it is PC. I'm talking about the Indians I know personally (there is a large population of Indians in Michigan) and from my own experience, so... that's all I have to go on.

Um, it isn't? Otherwise what the hell do you call black people from Jamaica, they aren't African American, they're Jamaican. I have never heard of black being politically incorrect.

I don't understand. I said that calling every black person in the country 'African American' is inaccurate. And the word 'black' has been considered non-PC... which is why they pushed 'African American' as an alternative. The PC term for 'black person' has probably changed more times than any others. What is PC at one time, will probably change at another. I remember when it was PC to say 'Colored People' in reference to black folks. Fortunately, no one ever seems to actually get offended by the term 'black person'... it is the media that pushes the PC terms.

One thing though, when speaking of minorities in a general way, some people prefer to use People of Color to incorporate Indian, Hispanic, Black, etc...

Yep, if one is speaking about multiple people of varying races other than white, that does seem to be the PC term of choice. I can't even think of another term to use in that situation. 'Non-whites', maybe? That one does sound a bit offensive, doesn't it.

[Minimalist]

Not very.

[Eilonnwy]

Where do you live, because I have never heard of black being considered non pc?

As far as I know, Indian is fine. I've heard that some Indians hate the term "Native American" in any case, if I knew an Indian personally, I would prefer to learn their tribe and refer to them as that. But ultimately, in general terms I'm pretty sure it's ok.

[Paul the Human]

I live in Michigan. I guess I'm saying that it was non-PC, because 'they' (that mysterious group that decides such things) decided that black people were to be called 'African Americans'... and because I know many black people that have corrected others when they say 'black person'. Not so much anymore, I admit, but not all that long ago. Why replace a word if that word is not offensive to anyone?

*shrugs* Anyway, my point is that I personally find a lot of the PC terms and phrases to be silly replacements for terms and phrases that worked just fine until someone decided they were somehow insensitive or offensive... and they seem to come and go like fads.

[Shell B]

I never really think about being PC. I suppose I am unconsciously PC, at times. However, I don't go out of my way to do it. Typically, I treat people the way I feel like treating them. When I meet a person who I like, I will gauge their personality before telling jokes that may be offensive, etc. Oh, and I only use the term African-American when I am referring to African-American slaves in an article. I have always thought black sounded a little weird, though.

[Tiberius]

My position is quite simple. I'll say the words I was brought up with, since they are the words I was taught, and they are the ones I choose to use. I don't see anything offensive about them, so I'll quite happily use them. If someone finds them offensive, and politely asks me not to use that word, I will be more than happy to oblige; I don't want to cause any upset. If a person decides not to be polite and instead has a go at me for using words that I find fine, and words that I was taught as a child, I will probably end up ranting back at them.

Political correctness is often used by the anti-racist movement as some kind of retarded platform to get their views across. I don't support anti-racism, I support pro-equality, and there is a big difference. The anti-racist movement seem to have an agenda (at least in the UK) of reversing racism by constantly accusing white people of being racist for insulting black people. A journalist named Janet Street Porter was almost ostracized by the media because she called her black neighbour a "bitch". Apparently, calling your neighbour a bitch is only racist when the neighbour happens to be black...who knew. I could have sworn the word meant "female dog", but maybe that's only when it's used against white people.

So that's why I started believing in pro-equality, rather than anti-racism. I'd much rather see a world where we aim towards equality by all of us agreeing not to use certain words, than having it forced upon us through dodgy tactics the anti-racism movement uses.

[Eilonnwy]

Yeah, but not all black people are African American...so it's kind of like referring to every Asian you see as Chinese.

[fr0d0]

Sounds dodgy Adrian. So you'd only withdraw something that caused offence if the offendee wasn't so offended as to be angry with you?

When I was a kid wog and paki were common words. Back then there were mountains to scale. Nowadays it's pretty flat.