Managers and political correctness.

[hecubus]

I'm getting very tired of the whole idea of political correctness. As far as I'm concerned, it's not the words that are used, it's the context and the intent behind the words that counts. I use a wheelchair (paraplegic/single amputee). I remember back when political correctness first started to hit big, when my manager at the movie theater I worked at at the time asked me how I prefered to be refered to; handicapped, diabled, differently-abled, etc. I just looked at the for a moment and said, "oh, I don;t know. How about 'wheelie-boy?' The owrds themselves don't matter to me one bit.

I've had people call me 'handicapped' with much more disdain in their voice than when other people call me a 'cripple.' Hell, one of my nicknames among my friends is 'half-a-friend.'

If people would stop putting so much importance on the words, and concern themselves with context and intent, I think things would go a lot smoother. Many people use terms like 'old people,' 'cripple,' etc. because they really don't know any better, given their age, upbringing, etc. If someone uses a "offensive" term, stop and consider how it's said. It may very well be an innocent comment. I wish people wouldn't blow these things so far out of proportion. They're only words, for crying out loud.

Here ends the rant.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I used to quite openly call Thursdays "Pension Day" or "Curse Of The Elderly Day" when I worked at the garden centre cuz it was a bloody nightmare that scarred me for life. Even now, I never work Thursdays any more.

We have Senior Citizens Days on the first Wednesday of every month...whcih means one is coming up this week. Whoopie.

One of my coworkers has taken to calling Senior Citizens Day "The Store Smells Like Ass" day, observing that whenever you get enough elderly folks in a confined space such as our store, pretty soon it smells like a fart.

[One-Fang]

One Fang, I must disagree with you here. The phrase "old people" is not derogatory.

You're absolutely right Jester. I knew it after I posted it and considered changing it but thought what the heck. I guess what I meant was that it is usually an unwelcome phrase by those to whom it refers. Which, I suppose, is the main gist of the whole political correctness movement.

Well, I'm a young person, and if I were among a group of people near my age, one could refer to us as "all those young people." Would that be offensive?

Hell no! Youth and beauty are valued in our society. So "those young people" or "those attractive people" would not be a problem, whereas "those old people" and "those unattractive people" would be. (Before someone jumps on the subjectiveness of attractiveness, there are some people around who it is pretty much universally agreed are 'not attractive', just as there are Brad Pitts in the world).

In a personal situation, I wouldn't have a problem with "those old people", but in a business, you can never be too sure that some customer isn't going to overhear you.

[Seanette]

(Before someone jumps on the subjectiveness of attractiveness, there are some people around who it is pretty much universally agreed are 'not attractive', just as there are Brad Pitts in the world).

Am I the only person around who really isn't that impressed with Brad Pitt? He really doesn't appeal to me (he's not repulsive, but my overall reaction is along the lines of "meh").

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Am I the only person around who really isn't that impressed with Brad Pitt? He really doesn't appeal to me (he's not repulsive, but my overall reaction is along the lines of "meh").

You're not by yourself on that.

Sorry,world, but Bradsky just doesn't light my fire, so to speak. But then a lot of these younger actors these days don't.

Getting back OT, I think the intentions behind PCness is good, but somehow during time the intention got lost in the translation and now it's going pretty much overboard.

One day, it may get to the point where we aren't allowed to speak at all for fear that we are going to offend someone.

It wouldn't surprise me if somebody changed the sign at the border to: Welcome to the United States, Home of the Perpetually Offended.

[Jester]

I'm getting very tired of the whole idea of political correctness. As far as I'm concerned, it's not the words that are used, it's the context and the intent behind the words that counts. I use a wheelchair (paraplegic/single amputee). I remember back when political correctness first started to hit big, when my manager at the movie theater I worked at at the time asked me how I prefered to be refered to; handicapped, diabled, differently-abled, etc. I just looked at the for a moment and said, "oh, I don;t know. How about 'wheelie-boy?' The owrds themselves don't matter to me one bit.

I've had people call me 'handicapped' with much more disdain in their voice than when other people call me a 'cripple.' Hell, one of my nicknames among my friends is 'half-a-friend.'

If people would stop putting so much importance on the words, and concern themselves with context and intent, I think things would go a lot smoother. Many people use terms like 'old people,' 'cripple,' etc. because they really don't know any better, given their age, upbringing, etc. If someone uses a "offensive" term, stop and consider how it's said. It may very well be an innocent comment. I wish people wouldn't blow these things so far out of proportion. They're only words, for crying out loud.

Here ends the rant.

Well freakin' said.


And now, boys and girls, I must go to that place where I often go, where my own words are paled in comparison to that of a genius, and where said genius has remarked amazingly astutely on the topic at hand. We go now, then, to the Master himself, George Carlin:

"You can't be afraid of words that speak the truth. I don't like words that hide the truth. I don't like words that conceal reality. I don't like euphemisms or euphemistic language. And American english is loaded with euphemisms. Because Americans have a lot of trouble dealing with reality. Americans have trouble facing the truth. So they invent a kind of a soft language to protect themselves from it. And it gets worse with every generation. For some reason it just keeps getting worse.
...
And some of this stuff is just silly. We know that. Like when the airlines tell us to pre-board. What the hell is pre-board? What does that mean? To get on before you get on? They say they're going to pre-board those passengers in need of special assistance ... CRIPPLES! Simple honest direct language. There's no shame attached to the word cripple I can find in any dictionary. In fact it's a word used in Bible translations. "Jesus healed the cripples." Doesn't take seven words to describe that condition. But we don't have cripples in this country anymore. We have: the physically challenged. Is that a grotesque enough evasion for you? How about differently abled? I've heard them called that. Differently abled! You can't even call these people handicapped anymore. They say: "We're not handicapped, we're handy capable!" These poor people have been bullshitted by the system into believing that if you change the name of the condition somehow you'll change the condition. Well hey cousin ... ttthhhpppbbbtttt ... doesn't happen! We have no more deaf people in this country. Hearing impaired. No more blind people. Partially sighted or visually impaired. No more stupid people, everyone has a learning disorder. Or he's minimally exceptional. How would you like to told that about your child. He's minimally exceptional. Psychologists have actually started calling ugly people those with severe appearance deficits. It's getting so bad that any day now I expect to hear a rape victim referred to as an unwilling sperm recipient!"

[batmoody]

I always wondered about the word "folks" I hear alot of other employees refer to the elderly as "folks". I never use that term, it seems short for old folks or something. Whats your opinion on that? But then again, I call groups of people "guys" even if there are girls. I know that offends some girls......

[One-Fang]

It's getting so bad that any day now I expect to hear a rape victim referred to as an unwilling sperm recipient!"[/I]

No. The 'system' tends to favour the criminal, not the victim. She'll still be a rape victim. He'll be an 'enforced sperm delivery person'.

[Jester]

No. The 'system' tends to favour the criminal, not the victim. She'll still be a rape victim. He'll be an 'enforced sperm delivery person'.

Ah, but since the system favors the criminal, it would want to downplay the status of the victim, thus using the Carlin euphemism for the victim rather than your suggested euphemism for the offender.

Notice, by the way, how over the last few years "rape" and "molestation" has become "sexual assault" and "criminal fondling."

[hecubus]

We have no more deaf people in this country. Hearing impaired.

What I find interesting about this, as an example, is that the euphemism is usually used by people who do not have the condition being refered to. Pretty much only hearing people use the term "hearing impaired." I know several deaf people, and they refer to themselves as, guess what? Deaf! The majority of deaf people will not be offended in the least if you call them deaf. Just as I, being in a wheelchair will refer to myself as "crippled," "handicapped," "wheelie boy," or whatever else strikes my fancy at any given time.

I'm sick to death of people being offended on my behalf. They should just mind their own damn business!

[LostMyMind]

We have no more deaf people in this country. Hearing impaired. No more blind people. Partially sighted or visually impaired.

Actually, the only people that really take offense to being called blind are those who still can see and are in denial about being blind. Same for the deaf. My brother-in-law is a deaf pastor for a deaf church. They call themselves deaf, if they see you talk then they'll ask if you're hearing. Never hard-of-hearing. "Hearing impaired" ain't in their vocabulary.

**note: my family have blind and deaf (as well as being deaf myself)

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'm very short sighted, and I get pissed off at being called "partially sighted"; I still can see, just blurry. My fave PC phrase is "follically challenged" for bald. It just sounds wrong.

[Jester]

My younger sister jokingly insists that she isn't short, she is vertically challenged. At 34 years old and 4'11", she may very well have a point.

[protege]

I'm sick to death of people being offended on my behalf. They should just mind their own damn business!

Exactly. My father is almost completely deaf because of an accident. He can hear somewhat, but if you're standing on his right side, he can't hear you. He *refuses* to use the P.C. term, and I don't blame him. In fact, if you did call him "hearing impaired" he'd probably give you the Pittsburgh Salute! Why? Well, he doesn't consider himself "impaired" at all.

Too many idiots in this country get offended over the dumbest things. 9 out of 10 people who have difficulties are *not* the ones who are offended by being called 'deaf' or 'handicapped.' They've learned to deal with it instead of getting bent out of shape on a term.

[Crosshair]

Personaly I use the term "Hard of hearing". We have a co-worker who is mostly deaf, but can still hear to a degree. He reads lips mostly and has to be looking at you to understand you. The best thing is when they page him on the PA. Everyone is thinking, "WTH he won't hear you."