stop the PC madness

[EJFan]

Basically I believe in free speech. No statement or thought should be altered for any reason, including being polite.

thanks for stopping in, buttplugged...

i'm curious about this bit above though... i agree with you but was wondering what you're thoughts are about thought. would you agree that regardless of any societal pressure to conform to certain "acceptable phrases" nothing actually changes people's thoughts?

in other words... if we, as a society, accept the PC phrasing, are we changing the way people THINK about the things we're trying to make kinder & gentler? or are the thoughts just masked by a cloud of more comfortable words?

 

[Eilan]

Check out this thread from the GB. It kinda fits in with what we're talking about.

 

[Ricwilly]

thanks for stopping in, buttplugged...

i'm curious about this bit above though... i agree with you but was wondering what you're thoughts are about thought. would you agree that regardless of any societal pressure to conform to certain "acceptable phrases" nothing actually changes people's thoughts?

in other words... if we, as a society, accept the PC phrasing, are we changing the way people THINK about the things we're trying to make kinder & gentler? or are the thoughts just masked by a cloud of more comfortable words?

I think thoughts can be altered by outward behavior. For myself I don't always have a lot of control over what I think. Maybe from indoctrination as a child and peer pressure growing up, sometimes unsavory thoughts come to my mind unbidden, thoughts even I find distasteful. To get these thoughts free reign to jump out my mouth would be offence to others and myself.
I find for me alot of times right thinking follows right behavior. I try to behave in a way I believe to be correct even If my thoughts might be otherwise and eventually these distasteful thoughts die from lack of attention.
I think we go too far with the pc thing, at the same time I should take other peoples feelings into consideration. My rights stop when I infringe.
on the rights of others.
Hope I didn't wander too far off topic. LOL

 

[Ricwilly]

Check out this thread from the GB. It kinda fits in with what we're talking about.

LOL yeah well thats just silly.

 

[Exciteher]

I think thoughts can be altered by outward behavior. For myself I don't always have a lot of control over what I think. Maybe from indoctrination as a child and peer pressure growing up, sometimes unsavory thoughts come to my mind unbidden, thoughts even I find distasteful. To get these thoughts free reign to jump out my mouth would be offence to others and myself.
I find for me alot of times right thinking follows right behavior. I try to behave in a way I believe to be correct even If my thoughts might be otherwise and eventually these distasteful thoughts die from lack of attention.
I think we go too far with the pc thing, at the same time I should take other peoples feelings into consideration. My rights stop when I infringe.
on the rights of others.
Hope I didn't wander too far off topic. LOL

I agree with you, you said this so well, and it is anything but off topic.
True freedom is freedom to chose, and I think one thing you bring out here is that we can chose how we will behave... no matter what we think. And one can chose to take a path that is considerate, and without resort to PC artifice.

 

[Quoll]

I was going to post his in the joke thread but it seems to fit in better here.

Subject: Dead Horse

The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that, "When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount."

However, in government, education and business, more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:
1. Buying a stronger whip.
2. Changing riders.
3. Appointing a committee to study the horse.
4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses.
5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.
6. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired.
7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.
8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.
9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase dead horse's performance.
10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.
11. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.
12. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses. And of course....
13. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

 

[EJFan]

i love that quoll... particularly number 6! lmao.

 

[Quoll]

i love that quoll... particularly number 6! lmao.

Number 12 is the one that scares me, easier to dumb down the requirements than look for a solution.

 

[Ricwilly]

I'm kinda partial to number five, thank quoll.

 

[Quoll]

I'm kinda partial to number five, thank quoll.

Well yes, otherwise he may feel discriminated against for being left out.

 

[EJFan]

Number 12 is the one that scares me, easier to dumb down the requirements than look for a solution.

yes... a lot like the dreaded "no child left behind act" we have here. what a joke.

 

[Quoll]

yes... a lot like the dreaded "no child left behind act" we have here. what a joke.

We have a similar situation here too, it is advised not to correct their spelling mistakes as it undermines their confidence and they will pick up the right way to spell it later.
Let's hope they pick it up before they have to write their first résumé.
Look around and read what is being written, no one seems to be picking it up anytime soon.

My kids are always told if they misspell or mispronounce a word, they don't seem to lack in confidence or fall into an emotional heap when they are corrected.
Well not over that anyway.

 

[EJFan]

We have a similar situation here too, it is advised not to correct their spelling mistakes as it undermines their confidence and they will pick up the right way to spell it later.
Let's hope they pick it up before they have to write their first résumé.
Look around and read what is being written, no one seems to be picking it up anytime soon.

My kids are always told if they misspell or mispronounce a word, they don't seem to lack in confidence or fall into an emotional heap when they are corrected.
Well not over that anyway.

for a few years now, we've had a debate here about whether or not it's appropriate to use red ink to mark mistakes on papers and tests, etc.

i dunno... everything's so cushy.

 

[LLs Man]

Someone from one of the teachers' unions over here (I think the smallest one) suggested that the word "fail" should be removed in favour of "deferred success"

The Education Secretary gave the idea "nought out of ten".

 

[EJFan]

Someone ... suggested that the word "fail" should be removed in favour of "deferred success"

The Education Secretary gave the idea "nought out of ten".

LMAO!!!!!!!

this is a totally new one to me... deferred success... but isn't this assuming that success will EVENTUALLY come?

 

[Quoll]

LMAO!!!!!!!

this is a totally new one to me... deferred success... but isn't this assuming that success will EVENTUALLY come?

Check out the link Eilan left a few days ago ^^^ there.

No doc I'm not committing suicide, I'm just deferring life.

 

[Ricwilly]

wel ware al winers ya no. ye.

 

[EJFan]

wel ware al winers ya no. ye.

we am, ain't we.

 

[Quoll]

we am, ain't we.

grate 2 c we all got learned propa.

 

[captain snakebite]

Have to say I agree. It's the biggest crock of shit there is and something I hate with passion. As a well know Scottish comedian once said. "Political Correction Is The Language Of Coward!"

Right with you on that one - IMHO Political Correctness is a social cancer that needs to be stamped out with extreme prejudice whenever and wherever encountered.

 

[captain snakebite]

thanks for stopping in, buttplugged...

i'm curious about this bit above though... i agree with you but was wondering what you're thoughts are about thought. would you agree that regardless of any societal pressure to conform to certain "acceptable phrases" nothing actually changes people's thoughts?

in other words... if we, as a society, accept the PC phrasing, are we changing the way people THINK about the things we're trying to make kinder & gentler? or are the thoughts just masked by a cloud of more comfortable words?

Read 1984.

Nuspeak rules, but people still think the same old things about the same old subjects.

Personally I'd be very wary about anyone who readily changes their thought processes to accommodate the latest PC fashion diktats: they'd probably be an android.

 

[Ricwilly]

Read 1984.

Nuspeak rules, but people still think the same old things about the same old subjects.

Personally I'd be very wary about anyone who readily changes their thought processes to accommodate the latest PC fashion diktats: they'd probably be an android.

Yeah, I prefer to change my thought processes to suit my own personal moral code.

 

[Eilan]

for a few years now, we've had a debate here about whether or not it's appropriate to use red ink to mark mistakes on papers and tests, etc.

Back in my paper-grading days, I used to use green, purple, and red pens, but I usually didn't choose the color with the students' self-esteem in mind. Hell, if I were feeling particularly bitchy on a given day, I might use red on purpose!

 

[Eilan]

Sorry, but I had to bump this.

My kids are having their fall party at school tomorrow, and it's not a Halloween party. It's a "Fall Celebration." That way the children whose parents believe that those who celebrate Halloween are going straight to hell don't have to pull their kids out of school for the afternoon like they did when I was a kid.

Whatever. In a couple of months, we'll be having a "holiday" program instead of a Christmas program. Hell, my kids don't care what it's called, as long as they get to participate and they get candy or gifts out of the deal.

 

[EJFan]

i've heard of this "fall celebration" initiative that's becoming more widely used. i think it sucks. one of my close friends LOVES halloween (he's 45) and thinks that it's about the best holiday going... there's no religion attached to it (c'mon... honestly there isn't) and it's not really a celebration of anyone's loss or devotion or patriotism or symbolism or anything of that nature... it's just a fun night for kids to get a shit-pot full o' candy, dress up and have fun.

i feel the same way about thanksgiving. it's, hands down, my favorite holiday for pretty much the same reason why he likes halloween.