Political correctness is akin to dishonesty to save the hypersensitive from criticism.

__________________
United We Stand.

And, see, I'd say that it's there to prevent the disadvantage from being dehumanized. Big difference.

It's not like you can't criticize the black man in the wheelchair. You just can't criticize him for being a black man in a wheelchair.

__________________
When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

There doesn't seem to be any tolerance for even legitmate arguments. As you know, I oppose rewarding homosexual conduct with a marriage license. I have provided what I believe are to be valid reasons but am accused of hating when this is not so. In otherwords, the GLBT is so hypersensitive, there can be no discussion unless you 'accept' their view. My view are automatically unacceptable so the conversation turns in to being called a bigot or worse. This is one of many examples.It's not like the man could have 'chosen' to be black and no one should ever criticize those who have physical disabilities.

However, when someone like Michael J. Fox used Parkinsons in an election campaign, it's not as if there is some invisible shield that should prevent the truth from being told. As horrible as the disease is, he is able to act on TV in guest roles by using cuts. Yet appearing to blame Republicans for not having stem cells is not only silly but dishonest. All cures have come from adult stem cells and none have come from fetuses. This is what the argument is about. Further embryrionic stem cells are already being researched, they just don't have as much Government funding. If the debate gets controlled by Political Correctness there can be little honesty and the core arguments are lost completely with ONLY dishonest one Left.

__________________
United We Stand.

Political correctness is a manifestation of wanting peace: respect for others. Consideration of others. It seems Kinetic wants special treatment for their need to criticize or judge others.

Kinetic, I will say you have every right to be as upfront and judgemental as you want. When you get assaulted because of such, you will need to consider the validity of political correctness.

Though fighting solves nothing, it is a human reaction that can be thwarted with political correctness. You cannot go around voicing your opinion when it is not warranted. You should enter debates with respect.
Political correctness will help your case.

__________________

I would argue the exact opposite, that political correctness is a prime example of a lack of respect in two ways.

First poitical correctness assumes that a certain group is inferior and thus needs special protection as the singled out group is incapable of logical self defense.

Second since political correctness is based on the protection of select groups its very core goal appears to be to stifle dissent from the opposite side.

Political correctness is a manifestation of not having the courage to expose one's true feelings or opinions for fear of being cast in a bad light................in simpler terms it's a nothing more than being a scared phony.

__________________
Mr. Obama, please release the UFO files!

Robert, those are both valid reasons why PC can have disadvantages.
I only ask for examples where such PC has been demeaning, or assumes people are something less. I always thought of such talk as "patronizing" or "smart assed", and not PC: where the majority of contention has been obscurity of words. Obscurity of words is usually meant to thwart personal attacks. In a world where everyone fights all the time, such sentiment is really needed. You never know what will set people off.

__________________

ya its time for people to stop being weak need about crap. I am telling you people will respect you more and appreciate it if you speak directly to them instead of fumbling around. I am sure a black man in a wheel chair would rather be told he cant do something because he is wheelchair bound, then having to hear someone fumble around "its.. uh... you know..cuz.. um ..your differently abled..ya its not cause your black or anything." my god. its these retarded weak ass WHITE bleeding heart types, speak your mind, be free, earn the respect of the people you are attempting to protect.

Personally, I appreciate directness.
Being free, for me, is respecting other people how I would like to be respected. Do unto others...etc.

__________________

Political correctness is a control feature to keep people from saying the truth because those with hypersensitivity would be offended. Political correctness is little more than dishonesty. I agree with chassisman who said it's "nothing more than being a scared phony."

PC=Phony
Hypersensitive=Whiner

__________________
United We Stand.

Fine.

You're a stupid, piece of shit, goddamn border-stater who can't even write a goddamn fucking coherent sentence. Why the fuck don't you go back to grade school, because I know 4-year-olds who can write a better sentence than your dumb white ass. Jesus Christ, I don't know why we can't just exterminate you and your IQ<80 kind.




Now, that wasn't very PC, was it? You still OK with it?

__________________
When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

I am not OK with vulgar comments. It's one thing to be cordial and polite. It's quite another to be dishonest using political correctness run amuck. But, to rail someone with f-bombs and insults speaks more about you than who you direct it at.

There is already too many members who use this as their primary debate technique. I understand you were doing it as an example but it was a poor one nonetheless.

__________________
United We Stand.

LMAO, I thought it was a good example. The point is, offense is taken in the ears that hear it. Just because ONE individual thinks that what they say is not offensive doesn't mean that the individual hearing it somehow shouldn't be offended.

__________________
When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

They're used to prevent certain topics from coming up, in addition to occasional legitimate uses (David Duke is a racist and anyone who denies that is nuts).

__________________
Beyond Modern Society / Transcendentalism / Pan-Nationalism

The very premise of PC is the basic belief that the groups the need protection are not your equals.

My wife is hispanic, I feel completely comfortable talking to her and making jokes about women or hispanics or whatever without worrying that she will take offense. Why am I free to talk to her in a none PC way? Because she is my equal and is equally capable of making jokes back about me.

However if I were to talk in public making the same comments I make to my wife in private (noting that nothing I say is vulgar) it would be considered insulting. Why is that? Because PC sees those groups (women and minorities) not as equals, but as groups that need special protection.

Now sometimes this results in simply silly situations that just plain ignore reality. When I was in the Army I served in a mixed unit (Male and Female) in our unit it was common for the lowest ranking person to be assigned as the Machine Gunner (which means carrying alot of heavy shit) unless that person was female (because in many cases the machine gun, ammo etc was kinda heavy for alot of the females) But we weren't allowed to say that the reason they weren't assigned this position was because they were female we all had to tap dance around the subject, it couldn't be said out loud because that would be non-PC. This is just a small example, if you want a larger example of the harmful effects of PC I'd say you need only look to a large portion of the Black community and the absolute refusal of society to criticise them for their failure to develope economically, this segment of society are told over and over that they are victims, that their problems are not their own fault. How many times can someone be told they are a victim, before they start to believe that they are victims?