[Gio]

I was watching my dad talk to same guy the other day about political correctness, and he kept insisting to my dad that black people in America should be called African-Americans, and my dad shot back with the question, why? The guy he was talking to replied "out of respect." My dad then asks can't we all just be Americans, and the dude says yes, but they are still African Americans. My dad then asks "So if a black man is born in Africa and he moves to America and becomes an American citizen should he be considered an African-American to? The dude replies "well sure." Then my dad asks "well what if a white man is born in Africa and moves to America and becomes an American citizen. Is he an African-American?" Needless to say it was pretty funny watching the dude stumble over his words with a reply that didn't really make any sense.

Anyway my question is whether or not this whole political correctness thing been taken to far. My opinion is in some cases that yes it has been. For instance some girl in my Comp class today told me that potholes in the road should be called "pavement deficiencies."

[Split Infinity]

B*tches don't know bout my topic idea.

I heard a debate on the radio a few years ago about how people were complaining about the use of the black and white buttons in Xbox games. And funnily enough, they're no longer present on the 360 controller, replaced by the rear bumpers.

[Toasty]

That girl needs to quit being so pollitcally correct.

The whole point of being pollitcally correct is to not hurt someone else's feelings. And to that, I will quote Chopper Reid and say "Harden the **** up!"

Seriously. The term "Black Hole" is not racist, and calling black children who're playing in a tree "monkeys" isn't either, unles they're throwing a real racist slurr in with it. I've heard people call white kid's monkeys before too, and no one ever thought that was racist.

Seriously. Racism is bad and all, and I'm not for it in the slightest, but unless someone is undeniably being racist, then let it be. I've probably been insulted more times than any minorty, and I'm a white male. I shrug them all off like they were nothing, because they are nothing.

Sticks and stones man, sticks and stones.

[My Best Wishes]

Yes its gone too far. When children have to call white and black boards marker and chalk boards its too far. My sister did a teaching degree and part of that was doing hands on training in a Primary school, she wasn't allowed to call the children 'good boy' or 'good girl' because that's labelling. Bloody Hell.

[Split Infinity]

What, it's a crime to make children strive to be good?

[Toasty]

Apparently. At least if you want to be politically correct.

But really,being pollitically correct only serves to prevent people from building up an immunity to insults, or lack of compliments, or whatever else you can think of that falls into that category.

[Ironsight]

Ashley Tisdale, on Sep 18 2008, 11:49 PM, said:

Apparently. At least if you want to be politically correct.

But really,being pollitically correct only serves to prevent people from building up an immunity to insults, or lack of compliments, or whatever else you can think of that falls into that category.

In other words: It puts hair on you chest.

[Someone Else]

"Politically correct" = censorship and censorship is fail. Enough said.

[Toasty]

Miley Cyrus, on Sep 19 2008, 12:18 AM, said:

In other words: It puts hair on you chest.

Pretty much

Wind Dude, on Sep 19 2008, 03:18 PM, said:

"Politically correct" = censorship and censorship is fail. Enough said.

Well, censorship is fail if it's overused, but it's still needed in some cases.

[Golden Legacy]

A bit of a tangent, but this reminds me when I was filling out my applications for university, and they always have a section labeled "put a check by your race/ethnicity".

The options are usually: White, African-American, Asian, Native American, Hispanic/Latino, other

What happens if you're multiracial? What do you put down if you're a white South African, or you're from some part of the world that doesn't neatly fall into those categories (Caribbean? What if you're from India, do you put down you're 'Asian', which usually implies Chinese/Japanese/Korean?), what if you're an Arab?

And what if you, yourself, personally identify as something completely different?

It's limiting, frustrating, and needless to say, just unnecessary.

[Gio]

It is especially frustrating when you are applying for jobs or schools. I found it really interesting that guy that my dad was talking to considered ALL black people to be African-American. It makes me wonder how many other people actually think this way. It is rather worrisome if their are more than just a few people that think this way.

[Toasty]

Come to think of it, the thought that someone could have a mixed ethnicity, doesn't cross my mind very often. Personally, I believe I hae some Czeckleslovakian (now Czeck Republic and Slovakia), German, Irish, and some other nationalities' blood in my veins. Diferent countries, but all white by any respect.

I have met multi-ethnic people though. I'm sure I've met others, but it's not always obvious that they have blood from two (or more) different ethnic groups.

Golden Legacy, on Sep 19 2008, 06:47 PM, said:

A bit of a tangent, but this reminds me when I was filling out my applications for university, and they always have a section labeled "put a check by your race/ethnicity".

The options are usually: White, African-American, Asian, Native American, Hispanic/Latino, other

What happens if you're multiracial? What do you put down if you're a white South African, or you're from some part of the world that doesn't neatly fall into those categories (Caribbean? What if you're from India, do you put down you're 'Asian', which usually implies Chinese/Japanese/Korean?), what if you're an Arab?

And what if you, yourself, personally identify as something completely different?

It's limiting, frustrating, and needless to say, just unnecessary.

Well, I assume it's for background checking purpouses and legal matters. I mean, let's say you were hiring someone to work for you. Due to his/her resume and interview, you have reason to believe that he/she may have previously committed a crime. Knowing what ethnicity they associate with would be a big help in finding out whether or not they have a criminal record, and/or what crimes they've committed.

Other than that, though racial profiling isn't exactly the best thing around, it's useful for that aswell.

As for someone with a mixed ethnicity, they could always just select other, or whichever they choose to assimilate themselves with. Though I think it should be an option to allow more than one box to be checked.

[Blue]

I'm not PC at all.
If your black I'll say your black
If your white I'll call you white
if your mexican, well I might accidently call you a wet back.
xD