I know that the last two days have me writing about items in what amounts to ranting.
This cannot be helped because of two situations.
1. This is my blog and I will blog what I want.
2. These two items seem to affect me somehow this week and I cannot keep my mouth, or my fingers for that matter, out of the discussion.
So far this blog is new and I have not had any real comments. Had to turn on the word security since I was getting bot comments and I really hate that. But sometime in the future when my writings are finally read maybe these rants will illicit some encouraging or mind opening responses that will further my quest for knowledge.
Back to PC. – I hate what is commonly referred to as “political correctness”. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (found at http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/political%20correctness) defines it as
Function: noun
: conformity to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities should be eliminated
First things first. How many of you are actually political? I do not think of offensive language as a political problem. I think of it as a personal problem.
WARNING – The following language may tend to offend some of you. GET OVER IT!
Warnings like this simply tick me off. I placed it here both to get your attention and to demonstrate how stupid they really are. How many times in the news have you heard the reporter say something like “The fight started after the man called the other man the N word.”? What the hell is he talking about? Did they get into a fight because he was called
- Nutcase
- Nutjob
- Nimwitt
- Nincompoop (spelling)
- No brain having twit
- Nigger
My guess is number 6, Nigger. Well let’s discuss this in detail.
To use that term you either know the real definition, several years ago a dictionary listed this term as a “Lazy person”. I somehow doubt this answer since modern government schools have gone the route of PC’ing everything. Now the same site above list nigger listed as a racially derogatory term used for blacks. The original word could be used for any lazy person regardless of race. Why did it suddenly become a racial slur? Now I myself do not use this term because it is offensive to some. But for Pete Sake, if you can only address somebody by a term why not use SIR or MA’AM? Better yet, get to know them and introduce yourself then you can address them by their NAME!
I do live in the South and I will tell you this first-hand. I have not heard this term used by whites in several years. I have heard it more from blacks on TV so much lately that I am afraid to turn on MTV, the Comedy Channel, or see some movies with my kids lest they pick up the term and use it at school without understanding its offensiveness. Why is it okay for a black man to call another person a nigger but a non-black uses that term and suddenly they are racist? I don’t know the answer here but would love to hear reasons, educated guesses, etc.
In the 70’s and 80’s I was white, in the 90’s somehow I suddenly became Caucasian. What’s up with that? Did I change something? No, words suddenly after several hundred years had to have new meanings since somebody decided a word offended them. BTW, White is not accurate as well. I think I will start taking offense to that term myself. It hit me several years ago at Wal-Mart as I walked by the bedding section. All the sheets and pillowcases were white. Compared to my skin I can positively say that I am not white. Many blacks will say that they are not black. MMMMMMM I thought we were just people, not defined by race, color, sex, religion etc. etc. etc.
Supporting Documentation:
The first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world."
Did you read this part “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,”?
All men are created equal. Now I will not go into the fact that “men” in formal writings of the time referred to “people” not man or woman, but the important part here is that all of us are equals. It is our duty to treat each other as equals and not to digress into chaos by lowering ourselves to racial slurs.
To that point here is my next PC issue. Latino-American, African-American, any of the hyphenated American terms. BULL! We are Americans. Plain and simple. No need for hyphenation unless you are trying to be ethical in your identification which will lead others to do the same and probably offend you since no one can seem to agree on the proper term for any group. How about American, Sir, Ma’am, , Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms, etc. MMMMMMM wouldn’t that be nice. Just plain respect for our fellows without involving race.
I will probably continue this rant at some point in the future but for now, signing off. Thank you if you took the time and effort to read all of this. Racism, Sexism, etc are for the ignorant. Yes I used the “I” word here. LIVE WITH IT!
