[Willblake]
I suppose a definition of PC is in order, but I think you guys can
get my drift. There is nothing wrong with common decency and
respect. It is when it gets blown up into a demonstration of who
cares more, that I see selfish self righteousness appear.
[Arlo]
I said last time, that raging against "PC" is hollow. "PC"
encompasses everything from not referring to the mentally-handicapped
as "retards", blacks as "niggers", or "sanitation engineers" as
"garbagemen", to the vitriolic assaults on the Dixie Chicks and Bill
Maher, to redefining "torture" as "interrogation techniques" to (as
Krimel pointed out) calling wife beating and child abuse out into the
open. So what ARE the particular example of PC you are against, and
which are those you support?
[Willblake]
I have very personal experience with the disabled (PC), and am
heavily involved in the autism community. Believe me, the attitude
has not changed even though there are claims to the contrary.
[Arlo]
When I was in tenth grade, a mildly mentally-handicapped kid joined
our class. He had certain needs that prevented him from attending all
the "regular" classes with us, but he was in quite a few. He lasted
less than a month. His parents had to pull him out of school and
actually *move* to another school district because he would come home
in tears at being made fun of, most of which were echoes of "stupid
retard" as he walked down the hall. I can only imagine what he felt,
what his parents must have felt, but the school did nothing back
then. No consequences. One of the last days he was in the school,
someone took a permanent magic marker and wrote "retard" on the back
of his denim coat. Because that destroyed "property", the kid who did
it got three days of detention.
I don't doubt that the reality of school life is wholly without such
harassment. But I do think its improving. Today, at several of the
schools I have work in, mentally-handicapped children are given more
respect, and harassment against them is treated seriously. Will there
always be small-minded pricks who get their jollies yelling "retard"
to one of these kids? Sure. No doubt. No one thinks these cultural
attitudes can change overnight. But I do see progress, Willblake, so
I'm going to have to disagree with you on that.
[Willblake]
People are looking to the rules of respect rather than to respect
itself. Not walking the talk. All sides are guilty. People on the
right, on the left, on the top, on the bottom.
[Arlo]
I'm not sure what you mean exactly, other than perhaps saying that
"respect" has origins outside its cultural definitions. When the
Bible says, "Honor your mother and father" (honor=respect, no?) it is
an attempt to codify the cultural norms people are expected to abide
by. And while secular humanism has stripped organized religion of its
power, it was not that long ago that people were killed for violating
its laws of who to respect and how.
But you are right. We as a culture are growing more xenophobic, more
fear based, more hate based than I have seen in my lifetime. Modern
dialogue is about demonizing and villifying all who disagree with
you, so it is little wonder to me that we as a people respect less
and less those who are different from ourselves.
[Willblake]
I lived in Hawaii for a number of years, and felt extreme racism
towards me, being a white Haole. It wasn't from the names I was
called, so much as the underlying treatment.
[Arlo]
There are many forms of racism quite prevalent today, and while some
like the KKK have moved underground (mostly), others are more open.
The left seems incapable of seeing that racism against whites does
indeed exist, and is a problem that must be addressed.
[Willblake]
But I gained respect, not by whining about things, but by working at it.
[Arlo]
First, who's whining? And also NOT working at it? I think that kid
back in my tenth grade class would've been perfectly justified in
"whining" about the abhorrent treatment he received. And I,
personally, am not sure what he could have done to "work on it". He
was a kind child, always nice and respectful to everyone. When anyone
did bother to talk with him, he came alive with happiness. What on
earth could he have done to "gain respect"?
[Willblake]
We live in a society where words have replaced action. Where the
color of your skin is of higher value than the ability you have.
[Arlo]
Well that works both ways. When we truly get to the point of
colorblind society, I'll be as happy as you. But what if you never
were able "work at it" to gain the respect you obviously did end up
receiving? What if your entire life no matter what you did, you knew
you'd be denied opportunity after opportunity simply because those
with power saw you as "inferior" due to the color of your skin? That
is the reality of many in this country, and I wish it was as easy of
saying "stop whining and work at it". They are.
[Willblake]
One can argue using extreme absurd examples, and no, just because I
think PC has gone too far does not mean that I am going to go kill
some wetbacks (PC explanation: expletive intended for effect).
[Arlo]
And I too think PC often goes too far. But the very notion that
"wetbacks", "niggers" and "retards" are "extreme absurd examples"
only proves that PC has worked. When I was growing up, they would not
have been "extreme absurd examples" at all. So, again, progress.
[Willblake]
Be careful that you don't hurt somebody's feelings, if you don't act
in a PC manner, they might cry, or sue you.
[Arlo]
And again I ask, give me some examples here. What do you, personally,
have to "be careful" when you say it so as not to hurt someone's feelings?
[Willblake]
If you argue that we are more respectful of each other now, than we
were 50 years ago, I would say, open your eyes.
[Arlo]
And I'd say open yours. "Beginning in the 1950s, individual Klan
groups began to resist the Civil Rights Movement by bombing houses in
transitional neighborhoods and the houses of activists, as well as by
physical violence, intimidation and assassination. In Birmingham,
Alabama, during the tenure of Bull Connor, Klan groups were closely
allied with the police and operated with impunity. There were so many
bombings of homes by Klan groups that the city's nickname was
"Bombingham". In states such as Alabama and Mississippi, Klan members
forged alliances with governors' administrations." (Wikipedia entry "KKK")
You might argue that the racism has simply gone underground, that
there are still many, many in this country who proclaim their
superiority over "niggers". And you may be right. A recent Newsweek
article looked at the resurgence of racial hatred in the "Age of
Obama" (http://www.newsweek.com/id/195085).
But there are no more bombings. The physical violence and
intimidation has been reduced. Its progress, even though the
xenophobes are clutching to their god-given superiority with ever
last dying breath.
I asked my daughter if she has ever heard any of the
mentally-handicapped kids in her school referred to as "retards". She
said very rarely someone will use the word to be funny, but no one
laughs. Given that this has been only one generation, I'd say that's
a big improvement.
[Willblake]
So buck up, stop whining, and get a life!
[Arlo]
Would that have been your advice to that child in my tenth grade class?
Finally, you call out people who use PC to force "respect", why not
call out the xenophobes with the same vigor? Its one thing to say you
were able to "work at it" and overcome the racism you suffered, but
that doesn't justify turning a blind eye to the racism itself. Those
people who treated you as inferior because of the color of you skin
are evil, and deserve to be called such.
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