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[arpodah]

Here's another question on the subject of political correctness along with my answer. I hope some forumites chime in with anecdotes.   

   Is it ever politically incorrect to ask individuals what they want or prefer in a social/personal interaction? I don't think so, but it might depend on the individual's temperament.
   The new Resident Assistant of our graduate dormitory of the University requested that, out of respect for Jews, Muslims, vegetarians, and any others with food-restrictions, no beef or pork products be served at a dorm cookout. Burgers were all soy-products, and hot dogs were chicken/turkey. Some dorm residents complained, but most of us tried to be good sports about it. Three individuals of the dorm came together to the cookout asking for pork barbecue and were very disappointed when the R.A. told them that there was none served. Some of us knew that two of these men were Jewish, but most of us didn't know that they were not observant of the religious requirement of consuming only kosher foods. [I know a few other Jews who reject the idea of "unclean meat" and routinely eat pork.] The R.A. and others responsible for the cookout never bothered to ask. The R.A. and his crew were well-intentioned and thought they were being culturally sensitive (=politically correct). But they thought wrong, and were left with a lot of uneaten kosher/vegetarian food because they were too extreme in their good intentions. They should have asked first.
   The R.A. made sure to have vegetarian, kosher, and non-kosher foods, including beef and pork, at subsequent dorm cookouts.
   

[ennui]

Why are you posting this in the "Questions, Comments" forum? The description of this forum reads:

"Post your suggestions and concerns about the forums here."

Are you randystephens in disguise?

[crazybatlady]

Why are you posting this in the "Questions, Comments" forum? The description of this forum reads:

"Post your suggestions and concerns about the forums here."

Are you randystephens in disguise?

LOL! Someone in disguise, methinks!

[prytania3]

Has anyone seen the goat over here?

[beacon1]

Here's another question on the subject of political correctness along with my answer. I hope some forumites chime in with anecdotes.   

   Is it ever politically incorrect to ask individuals what they want or prefer in a social/personal interaction? I don't think so, but it might depend on the individual's temperament.
   The new Resident Assistant of our graduate dormitory of the University requested that, out of respect for Jews, Muslims, vegetarians, and any others with food-restrictions, no beef or pork products be served at a dorm cookout. Burgers were all soy-products, and hot dogs were chicken/turkey. Some dorm residents complained, but most of us tried to be good sports about it. Three individuals of the dorm came together to the cookout asking for pork barbecue and were very disappointed when the R.A. told them that there was none served. Some of us knew that two of these men were Jewish, but most of us didn't know that they were not observant of the religious requirement of consuming only kosher foods. [I know a few other Jews who reject the idea of "unclean meat" and routinely eat pork.] The R.A. and others responsible for the cookout never bothered to ask. The R.A. and his crew were well-intentioned and thought they were being culturally sensitive (=politically correct). But they thought wrong, and were left with a lot of uneaten kosher/vegetarian food because they were too extreme in their good intentions. They should have asked first.
   The R.A. made sure to have vegetarian, kosher, and non-kosher foods, including beef and pork, at subsequent dorm cookouts.
   

Think about what it means to be politically correct. In essense, you are to withhold your personal opinion for the benefit of the group (or mob). You are to speak with a unified voice that doesnt rock the boat. Nazis practiced a form political correctness.

Furthermore, it assumes that our words can inflict pain and suffering on someone else. The truth is, while words can be provocative, we have some say how we choose to feel about them. For instance, someone can call me a dirty no good SOB, and I can choose anger, laughter, dismay, resentment, etc. The problem with this way of thinking is that someone else is always to blame for how I feel. I am never made responsible for my thoughts and feelings. If this is true, my life and happiness are always out of reach because someone else is steering the boat. The comments made by folks in this mentality are that x pushed my buttons, my wife pisses me off, the government has gotten me all upset, men irritate me with their degrading comments. Now here is the catch: your wife may have been upset with you, but you chose to be angry back, the government may be screwed up but you chose the hostility, men may be degrading but you chose to feel degraded.

All this to say, the PC movement is a blight on the freedom of human expression and vacant of honest thought.

[acrimone]

Here's another question on the subject of political correctness along with my answer. I hope some forumites chime in with anecdotes.   

   Is it ever politically incorrect to ask individuals what they want or prefer in a social/personal interaction? I don't think so, but it might depend on the individual's temperament.
   The new Resident Assistant of our graduate dormitory of the University requested that, out of respect for Jews, Muslims, vegetarians, and any others with food-restrictions, no beef or pork products be served at a dorm cookout. Burgers were all soy-products, and hot dogs were chicken/turkey. Some dorm residents complained, but most of us tried to be good sports about it. Three individuals of the dorm came together to the cookout asking for pork barbecue and were very disappointed when the R.A. told them that there was none served. Some of us knew that two of these men were Jewish, but most of us didn't know that they were not observant of the religious requirement of consuming only kosher foods. [I know a few other Jews who reject the idea of "unclean meat" and routinely eat pork.] The R.A. and others responsible for the cookout never bothered to ask. The R.A. and his crew were well-intentioned and thought they were being culturally sensitive (=politically correct). But they thought wrong, and were left with a lot of uneaten kosher/vegetarian food because they were too extreme in their good intentions. They should have asked first.
   The R.A. made sure to have vegetarian, kosher, and non-kosher foods, including beef and pork, at subsequent dorm cookouts.
   

You know, I never understood how someone else being Hindu meant that I couldn't have a steak.

No one asked me if I thought the horsemeat and Masai-style blood-milk that we had at my high school "multicultural feast" was disgusting, revolting, or unclean.  We were celebrating diversity, you know?

That's going to be the title of my next book: The Diversity of Bacon.

[yellowtractor]

Has anyone seen the goat over here?

I generally assume that posts in this neck o' the fora are trying to get my goat.  When the goat is taken captive, the jig is up.  It's that simple.  One must protect one's goat.

Acrimone, were you really served "horsemeat and Masai-style blood-milk" at your high school's multicultural feast?  I'm intrigued.

[acrimone]

Yes, along with a host of other unpleasantries, and some stuff that was really quite good.

No one forced us to eat it, but it's not like anyone is going to force Hindu college students to eat beef.  I'm just wondering why the R.A. would think you couldn't have beef at the BBQ?  I mean, you could even cook it on a separate grill if it came down to it.

[dr_stones]

We used to have a concept that worked much better than "political correctness."

It was "manners."

Now, since manners are not fashionable, we must police our thought and word, often to iavoid inadvertantly offending advocates of the First Amendment.

[beacon1]

We used to have a concept that worked much better than "political correctness."

It was "manners."

Now, since manners are not fashionable, we must police our thought and word, often to iavoid inadvertantly offending advocates of the First Amendment.

Good point. I think that manners are all that is needed. It use to be that someone was looked down upon because they had bad manners. Unfortunately, due to the decay of the family structure, manners are hard to come by. The leftist believe through the PC movement that they can enforce morality... but isn't morality enforcement disingenuous and therefore immoral? Shouldn't we be respectful just because we want to? I personally want to be told the truth as another sees it, no matter if it ruffles my feathers or not. I don't want someone sugar coating, kissing rear end, or speaking with pretense.

The truth sometimes hurts, but at least it is a pain that we can live with.

[acrimone]

Manners are oppressive, you know.  We need to liberate ourselves from such psychological hangups -- express yourself!  Be yourself!

Clearly we're doing an excellent job.

[tenured_cat]

Am I the only one old enough to remember the 1980s when the term "political correctness" was invented by right-wing media pundits to fight any request for humane and inclusive language/history/policies? This term is constantly used as the magic wand; if you want to get away with being abusive, hostile, diminishing, dehumanizing, etc. to any other human being or group, all you have to do to escape criticism is to cry "What? Do you want me to be politically correct?"

See Edelstein http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v5n2/ for a very nice discussion on this.

[dr_stones]

Manners are oppressive, you know.

And political correctness isn't? ;)

[beacon1]

Am I the only one old enough to remember the 1980s when the term "political correctness" was invented by right-wing media pundits to fight any request for humane and inclusive language/history/policies? This term is constantly used as the magic wand; if you want to get away with being abusive, hostile, diminishing, dehumanizing, etc. to any other human being or group, all you have to do to escape criticism is to cry "What? Do you want me to be politically correct?"

See Edelstein http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v5n2/ for a very nice discussion on this.

My point is that morality is a personal decision. It is true that you can limit speech that is hostile towards another, but does this limit the other's hostility? I would argue that it only limits their speech.

I would suggest that we incourage all forms of speech or at least the freedom to say what one wants. We may snicker and laugh at how absurd some of it is, but at least we were mature enough to listen patiently. Our patience has many observers for which we teach a powerful lesson - that all, no matter how stupid the comment, have the right to be heard.

Although we do have a right to be heard, we do not have a right to physically harm or else terrorize another. I should have the right to call you a dumbarse but I shouldn't have the right to follow you around bombarding you with it. That goes for any term which may be seen as negative.

for humane and inclusive language/history/policies? This term is constantly used as the magic wand; if you want to get away with being abusive, hostile, diminishing, dehumanizing, etc.

No one "gets away" with being mean or hostile. There is always an emotional price to pay. Again, why make rules about how to have "nice and kind" communication? It sounds like something directly out of Animal Farm. Whatever happened to "sticks and stones..."?

[larryc]

Am I the only one old enough to remember the 1980s when the term "political correctness" was invented by right-wing media pundits to fight any request for humane and inclusive language/history/policies?

I hear that a lot but it is simply not true.  The term was invented by the progressive left as shorthand for like-thinking people. I often heard it used as such in the early 1980s in progressive circles in the northwest.  The conservatives did not latch onto the term and turn it into an epithet until later.