More PC Bullshit

[spunkyboy2008]

In fact many of the most undesireable places in England have nice-sounding names because they were built from scratch so on the news you hear of a granny selling crack from from a fortified house in Southmead, or rioting at Broadwater Farm or drug crime at Blackbird Leys. The names become ironic.

 

[Rugbypup]

Yeah. When you're born here. My family has been here for centuries. LOL

And from an American too, thank you.

I find it kinda sad when Americans give themselves bull shit classifications like Italian American, Dutch American or African American.

Like you've said, your family has been in the states for over a hundred years. This means the closest some American have got to Italy, Holland or Africa is eating pizza, smoking weed or being black.

It's dosen't make any sense. You're all just American, no?

 

[earllogjam]

Here are some more PC terms that churn my stomach...

Handi-abled - yuck

Developmentally Disabled - sounds like an embryo that can't walk.

"Special" Olympics - In general I hate the use of "special" as an adjective.

Health Challenged - what the hell does this really mean?

Small Person - a dwarf is a dwarf

 

[WifeOfBath]

And from an American too, thank you.

I find it kinda sad when Americans give themselves bull shit classifications like Italian American, Dutch American or African American.

Like you've said, your family has been in the states for over a hundred years. This means the closest some American have got to Italy, Holland or Africa is eating pizza, smoking weed or being black.

It's dosen't make any sense. You're all just American, no?

yes, though many americans identify very strongly with their cultural heritage. there are a lot of communities in the US still where many people live their entire lives never having to speak English and never engage themselves outside of their community. it's less so now than it used to be, but well into the 20th century cities had parts that were exclusively polish, italian, german, irish, chinese etc. and held on to the cultural traditions of their ancestral countries. even today, there are many people who identify more with being, say, Indian, than American and conduct their lives in a way that is more Indian than American.

In the city where I live, there's a large Italian Catholic community that's been here for many years. Though by this point the members of that community have been here for generations and are by all accounts American, just by virtue of being raised in that Italian-American tradition they have had a somewhat different life than those of us who weren't raised in an ethnic/cultural community. I agree that Americans are somewhat more hung up on where their ancestors are from than other western countries, but that has a lot to do with being a relatively young country that is made up of the descendants of immigrants from all over the world. I don't think you see quite the same kind of diversity in other countries.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

"Special" Olympics - In general I hate the use of "special" as an adjective.

But 'special' is an adjective

Except for when you are ordering the 'special' or similar - and even that is derived from adjectival use...

 

[earllogjam]

But 'special' is an adjective

Except for when you are ordering the 'special' or similar - and even that is derived from adjectival use...

Well isn't that special?

 

[ZOS23xy]

I



If you really want to piss off a deaf or hard-of-hearing person, call him "hearing impaired." Be prepared to lose some teeth.

If he could hear you.

Actually, being slightly deaf, I know what kind of value judgements get assumed--that I can't hear anyone UNLESS THEY SHOUT AT ME!!!!

Those folks are called "the hard of thinking", though thinking impaired is good too.

"Hearing impaired" is the PC term. The deaf I know don't mind, but the term "dummy" is not liked.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

Well isn't that special?

not really - it's been that way since about the 13th century :tongue:

 

[ZOS23xy]

Here are some more PC terms that churn my stomach...


"Special" Olympics - In general I hate the use of "special" as an adjective.

Health Challenged - what the hell does this really mean?

Small Person - a dwarf is a dwarf

A dwarf is not the same as a midget, and a legal dwarf is a matter of height (like singer Janis Ian).

Health challenged--someone who is ill.

Special Olympics--you know, it does sound better than The Tard Olympics, or the Spastic Wonders, or the Drool Parade.

Keep it at Special. Okay?

 

[D_Tintagel_Demondong]

lol retarded. mexican is the politcally correct way to refer to someone from mexico. it's a nationality, are we not americans?

Leave the Mexican retards out of this

A relative told me the other day that referring to someone as "Mexican" is now politically incorrect, even if that's the person's true place of origin. The correct term, according to her, is "Latino". Are you fucking kidding me?
[...]
Anyone with me here?

I'm with you. What would you call a Mexican national who is not hispanic, does not speak a romantic language, and does not have any latin roots? The Kickapoo might not enjoy being called "Latinos" or "Latinas".

 

[spunkyboy2008]

Spastic was a neutral term once. Apparently the British children's TV programme Blue Peter got someone on to raise awareness of cerebral palsy in the 1980s and after that "spastic" caught on as term of abuse at school. Then the Spastics Society had to rename itself.

 

[earllogjam]

Special Olympics--you know, it does sound better than The Tard Olympics, or the Spastic Wonders, or the Drool Parade.

Keep it at Special. Okay?

I don't know, in the spirit of this thread I kinda like the way

Drool Parade Spastic Wonder Tard Olympics sounds.:tongue:

Why don't they just call it Cerebral Palsy Olympics or CP Olympics? The term "Special" seems so derogatory and precious. Oh Johnny has CP he's "special". I think I'm being too PC here. EEEK - Special it is...hell if they named it themselves it must not be that bad.

 

[earllogjam]

not really - it's been that way since about the 13th century :tongue:

How old are you exactly?:tongue:

 

[AlteredEgo]

I don't know, in the spirit of this thread I kinda like the way

Drool Parade Spastic Wonder Tard Olympics sounds.:tongue:

Why don't they just call it Cerebral Palsy Olympics or CP Olympics? The term "Special" seems so derogatory and precious. Oh Johnny has CP he's "special". I think I'm being too PC here. EEEK - Special it is...hell if they named it themselves it must not be that bad.

Because some of the participants are retarded. Some are in wheelchairs. Some are deaf. They are "special". It's meant to be a catch-all phrase. The participants have a wide range of concerns or maladies.

I think there are extremes on both sides of the spectrum. Those who go overboard with political correctness, and those who don't know when to permit a little politeness through.

 

[earllogjam]

Actually, to be eligible to participate in the Special Olympics you need to be "intellectually disabled" as they put it which is a synonym for mental retardation. Your "intellectual" disability needs to be certified by an agency or professional. Eligibility

The fact that some athletes are in wheelchairs or deaf is only incidental to their "intellectual disability". The athletes do NOT have a wide range of concerns or maladies. It is in fact only open for people over the age of 8 with "intellectual disabilities".

The fact that these athletes are mentally retarded leads me to believe that the term "Special" Olympics was not a self given name but rather one chosen by the people who care for them and organize these events.

I don't think there are extremes on both sides of the spectrum here. We should just take the name or reference groups and organizations of what they choose to call themselves and not try to impose our views and beliefs on others.

Because some of the participants are retarded. Some are in wheelchairs. Some are deaf. They are "special". It's meant to be a catch-all phrase. The participants have a wide range of concerns or maladies.

I think there are extremes on both sides of the spectrum. Those who go overboard with political correctness, and those who don't know when to permit a little politeness through.

 

[AlteredEgo]

Actually, to be eligible to participate in the Special Olympics you need to be "intellectually disabled" as they put it which is a synonym for mental retardation. Your "intellectual" disability needs to be certified by an agency or professional. Eligibility

Fine, Smarty-pants!:tongue: They still don't all have cerebral palsy.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

Spastic was a neutral term once. Apparently the British children's TV programme Blue Peter got someone on to raise awareness of cerebral palsy in the 1980s and after that "spastic" caught on as term of abuse at school. Then the Spastics Society had to rename itself.

Cack, dear spunkyboy, I'm afraid - utter cack. Spaz and spastic were terms of abuse in the playground and elsewhere long before the 80s. First attested use of 'spaz' is in 1965 - which means it was probably knocking around for a good while before that.

How old are you exactly?:tongue:

 

[B_Nick8]

Well isn't that special?

I think you pronounce it 'spatial', actually.

 

[DC_DEEP]

I hat being called African-American. I'm not an African anything! I'm an American. My ethnicity is black. African-Americans are people who emigrate here from Africa. I didn't do that.

Thanks, babe. Most of the folks of your ethnicity, with whom I'm friends, think exactly the same way. And it proves my point in my previous post.

Do you think it was some overly-sensitive, touchy-feely white bleeding heart who invented the "african-american" PC terminology?

Something similar happened in psychiatry as well. It was decided that the term "manic-depressive illness" was too un-PC or stigmatized or whatever, and it was changed to "bipolar disorder." The thing is, the term bipolar is somewhat obscure while manic depressive is an excellent descriptor of the illness. You get manic. You get depressed. It's very clear.

Well, not to mention that "polar" in and of itself, implies bipolar. Opposite ends. North & south poles. I can't imagine a planet, a magnet, or a battery being "unipolar" or "monopolar."

For example 'moron' was once a neutral medical term but once it became pejorative it was replaced with 'mentally retarded', 'retarded' became pejorative so 'special needs' was used. Now 'special' or 'special needs' is used as an insult.

:biggrin1:Actually, moron was a semi-neutral psychological term. It was part of a descriptive scale, along with idiot and imbecile, to describe a degree of mental deficiency.

If he could hear you.

Actually, being slightly deaf, I know what kind of value judgements get assumed--that I can't hear anyone UNLESS THEY SHOUT AT ME!!!!

Those folks are called "the hard of thinking", though thinking impaired is good too.

"Hearing impaired" is the PC term. The deaf I know don't mind, but the term "dummy" is not liked.

I have had profoundly deaf family members, and am close to some faculty at Gallaudet, and socialize with a LOT of deaf and hard of hearing people, as well as professional ASL interpreters. I've been to deaf events, and parties at deaf friends' homes. The more activist deaf and hard of hearing people tend to despise either "dummy" or "hearing impaired." My aunt got very angry when I used "hearing impaired" in front of her.

 

[No_Strings]

Without disabled people who would we have to make fun of? Who, dammit, WHO?!