Being Politically Correct. Good or Bad?

[Cloudbringer]

Originally posted by Fljotsdale: Mm. Good points Cloudy. *sigh* I can see where you are coming from and I largely agree, but.... I guess I am just used to having good no-holds-barred debates with people - even heated debates - and us all staying friends despite holding strongly opposed views. I find walking on eggshells is something I really hate - had to do it all my life with a close relative, lol! I DO appreciate that this is easier if you have established friendly relations first but it is also possible with total strangers - I have done it! And I understand about using the terms a specific group of people want, and I also do so whenever I can in good conscience - but sometimes it goes so very strongly against the grain! What of the way I (or anyone else) may feel about using a particular term? Does that count for nothing? This is why we need tolerance, of course! (I am guessing you are thinking god, christian? You (and others) find it offensive for people not to capitalise those words, while I have a deep antipathy to using capitals for those words myself, and will only do so if they are the first word in a sentence. So what do we do? I know I am in a minority, but I do not think I should be obliged to follow the majority by doing something I personally find offensive. I don't mind other people using capitals if they want to - and I would like other people to be just as tolerant of me NOT using capitals. The best I can do is to avoid using the words where at all possible. No offence intended, Cloudy.

LOL. Fljotsdale, we are in different ballparks here! I had in mind such terms asMoni mentioned (Negro, Black, African American, People of Color...etc) and you and capitalization didn't occur to me!

I accept that you don't capitalize and trust that you accept that it does some of us. And yes, tolerance is the key, I certainly don't plan a flame war over it! LOL And it's not a matter of who is majority and who is minority, it's a matter of respect for individuals. I am a Christian with a capital C, that's how I view myself and how I'd like to be addressed when my faith is discussed. If you wanted me to capitalize Atheist because it was important to you, I'd certainly try to remember that, although it means nothing to me. Same as I do spelling out your name or using the one letter. Because you asked me to and I find no harm in obliging that way!

But I did mean the other terms to describe ethnic groups as Moni discussed in her very good post. It does indeed become complicated knowing what term to use!

Cloudy

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Raindancer of the Laughing Hyenas Clan
CloudDragon of the OHF
Storm-Queen
Raven's Cloud
StormCloud of the Black Knight: Heart Mind Soul Forever
"To sleep, perchance to dream..."

[This message has been edited by Cloudbringer (edited 10-29-2001).]

[Cloudbringer]

Ronn_Bman has a great point! I do believe the Golden Rule is a great way to deal with people. If we all adhered to it, we'd be less apt to offend the people we deal with!

Cloudy

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Raindancer of the Laughing Hyenas Clan
CloudDragon of the OHF
Storm-Queen
Raven's Cloud
StormCloud of the Black Knight: Heart Mind Soul Forever
"To sleep, perchance to dream..."

[Ronn_Bman]

Lord of Alcohol,

I completely agree with your assessment of "local" news teams. Charlotte stations are the one's we get in Rockingham, too.

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"Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins."

[Fljotsdale]

Originally posted by Moni: Well, Fljotsdale, I am not offended by you not capitalizing God or Christian. I think any true Christian would show you tolerance on that point in respect to your beliefs. I would say that the nit-pickers need to hone their spirituality but then, some nit-picker could come and get me banned for insulting them! You can only ask for respect and receive it or not. If someone isn't willing to offer you respect in that regard, they won't in other areas where you also deserve it and your relationship with them will be doomed unless they can learn to accept individuals for what they are and keep their spiritual chastisements to themselves. We all have a purpose with or without a god or gods and I seriously doubt that the Christian God is a nit-picker when it comes to spelling.

Grrr!!!! Tried to reply to this an hour or more ago but the load time was so long I gave up!
Anyway - I only wanted to say I agree with you, Moni!

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Here be Dragons!
Proud to be Dubbed Queen of the Illuminati by Diogenes.

"If I say something to you and it can be taken two ways, and one of those ways upsets you...I meant the other one."

[Fljotsdale]

Originally posted by Cloudbringer: LOL. Fljotsdale, we are in different ballparks here! I had in mind such terms asMoni mentioned (Negro, Black, African American, People of Color...etc) and you and capitalization didn't occur to me! I accept that you don't capitalize and trust that you accept that it does some of us. And yes, tolerance is the key, I certainly don't plan a flame war over it! LOL And it's not a matter of who is majority and who is minority, it's a matter of respect for individuals. I am a Christian with a capital C, that's how I view myself and how I'd like to be addressed when my faith is discussed. If you wanted me to capitalize Atheist because it was important to you, I'd certainly try to remember that, although it means nothing to me. Same as I do spelling out your name or using the one letter. Because you asked me to and I find no harm in obliging that way! But I did mean the other terms to describe ethnic groups as Moni discussed in her very good post. It does indeed become complicated knowing what term to use! Cloudy

LOL! Sorry! I'm getting self-centred in my old age!
Yeah - I get worried about how to refer to people of other races as well. What is pc one week is not always pc the next.
Slightly off the point - I once asked a black lady what nationality she was and she said English. Ouch! Never done it since, lol!


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Here be Dragons!
Proud to be Dubbed Queen of the Illuminati by Diogenes.

"If I say something to you and it can be taken two ways, and one of those ways upsets you...I meant the other one."

[Fljotsdale]

Originally posted by Ronn_Bman: Lord of Alcohol, I completely agree with your assessment of "local" news teams. Charlotte stations are the one's we get in Rockingham, too.

They do this in Britain, too. It can be funny sometimes when they forget who's turn it is and tie themselves in knots, lol!

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Here be Dragons!
Proud to be Dubbed Queen of the Illuminati by Diogenes.

"If I say something to you and it can be taken two ways, and one of those ways upsets you...I meant the other one."

[Lord of Alcohol]

Originally posted by Fljotsdale: They do this in Britain, too. It can be funny sometimes when they forget who's turn it is and tie themselves in knots, lol!

Oh no! Not there too??? LOL oh well its so silly isnt it? Hmmmm I nominate Fljotsdale for newsanchoer of the BBC! And no sharing lines!

[Fljotsdale]

Originally posted by Lord of Alcohol: Oh no! Not there too??? LOL oh well its so silly isnt it? Hmmmm I nominate Fljotsdale for newsanchoer of the BBC! And no sharing lines!

Nonono! Not me! I'm FAR too dozey - I'd have my mind on other, more interesting things, and make a total hash of it!

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Here be Dragons!
Proud to be Dubbed Queen of the Illuminati by Diogenes.

"If I say something to you and it can be taken two ways, and one of those ways upsets you...I meant the other one."

[This message has been edited by Fljotsdale (edited 10-30-2001).]