- lovecraft:
- I think what she was more getting at is being politically correct is quite often ridiculous and filled with a double standard. If someone refers to black PEOPLE as black (not you, but that group of people), it's annoying when individuals get offended. Further- she's bothered by the fact that people are judged by the color of their skin. I take it that bothers you too.
As for calling someone something they don't want to be called- well, how else am I supposed to refer to a group of people who have dark colored skin, live in America and have adopted American society's behaviours? African Americans? Some people get offended by that. What about black people that aren't African Americans? Am I supposed to lump them in with "People of color"? (And I can think of no more offensive term than that, because it's racist in and of itself. To exclude white people from it is to say that white people are either better or worse, which is offensive to both groups)
Here's an idea. We all stop getting offended by people naming our race something they don't want to be called. We all stop having racial pride (because I quite honestly think being proud of your race is inane, you had absolutely no control over what color you were born, and being proud of it is as pointless as being ashamed of it), and we all stop treating people terribly on account of their race.
We are all human. We are all people. We all look the same skinless. Why on earth do so many of us treat each other terribly?
Oh, God, can we just dump this 'politically correct' jargon? It's annoying as shit to see people describe a subject, topic, phrase, or word as such with the obvious attempt to discredit it with the common basis that all politics is a load of shit. I'm just tired of people calling something 'PC' to justify why they want to continue being as rude as can be. Case in point. Bring thought to the table instead of relying on societal connotations.
What double-standard are you referring to? Are you referring to the fact white people don't get upset when they're called white? Well, golly, I dare say some black people don't get offended when they're called black. Or, we'll complicate this, and say you're referring to the fact it is frowned upon more heavily than using 'white.' IDK, man, possibly the societal connotations of 'black' make it annoying as shit to take it up, what with how 'blacks' is basically still a slur,
or the fact it's not something actual black people decided to call themselves that stuck with them for centuries. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.
See, here's this thing that people tend to forget: you are allowed to offend a person
once. However, for you to keep doing the same thing and getting up in arms because they're getting offended is irritating. How's about this:
ask them what they'd like to be referred to, or, hey, do the round-about way and call them it, they'll correct you, and you'll get on with life. They're not going to hug you, coddle you, or whisper sweet nothings into your ear because when you offend people that's not what happens because feelings. No. Also, call people w/e you want in your head. No one cares about it, collectively refer to darker-skinned people as black. It's not important.
What a fantastic idea! Never before have I seen someone disregard the experiences, opinions, critical thought of other people in favor of sticking 100% to their comfort zone, while the other people have to ignore all injustices done to them just so someone else can still feel like a good person!
Truly revolutionary. Comedies aside, (1) I will be called whatever
I want to be called – not what someone from another group thinks I should just be fine being called. Be quiet. (2) Racial pride isn't about just being born that race and, I admit, I used to think it was just nonsense as well, however, that's not the point – the point is people of certain races are still attacked just for being such a race in daily life.
That's what racial pride is for. So, racial pride is more, 'I'm proud to still be standing.' (3) GREAT IDEA. I'll forward that message to stop being terrible to other races to all the bigots. It'll solve
everything. Not that people have been saying that for years or anything. It's just so weird that people expect if you keep using the same method, something new will happen.
And last, but hardly the last with it being spouted in almost every racial argument. 'WE ALL BLEED RED.' Yes, that's nice. Tell me how much we
all bled red when only those who did not appear to be white were killed for just existing. Tell me how much that
hurt the poor feelings of those who were exempt from it because they were white.
Their feelings. So, essentially, what I'm saying is, we can go all day saying we're all human, but the fact is people are still targeted because of their race and to pretend otherwise, that things aren't
so bad, or people should stop being as vocal about it is not as 'righteous' or 'fighting the good fight' as people like to think.
- lovecraft:
- The politically correct term "People of color", however, excludes white people, which I really consider counterproductive.
Kafka's reply to you sums it up really well so... yeah. It's not counterproductive because the point isn't to include you - it's too include a group of people regularly excluded.