what's wrong with being pc?
Gardener Cady
cadyg at elwha.evergreen.edu
Thu Oct 31 02:59:30 CST 1996
Oh! I know a challenge when I see it. I'll tell you what's wrong with
being PC. First and most importantly, PC re-phraserization is ruining
the language (OK, so is using words like "re-phraserization"). This is
especially true for US white males, since we have been the main
oppressors for a long while now, we have to tiptoe when we speak. "Lets
play cowboys and First Nations Peoples". I know I'm a bastard fer saying
so (I can't help it, I still feel guilty), but it's just damned
inefficiant. Every one knows who the "indian" is. Even the "First
Nations Peoples" call them selves "indians" (unless there are television
cameras present). So why do we have to use a three word phrase that
describes a person who is in fact an "indian". Know, if a person says to
me, "You know, I really prefer 'First Nations Person", then by gosh, I
won't go around calling them an "indian". Everyone sees stereotypes as
evil things. The PCers are constantly telling everyone (yes I use
absolutes) not to use stereotypes. Stereotypes are our brains way of
dealing with too much information. To process all the info coming at us
everyday, we make up groups or stereotypes. I feel I shouldn't have to
explain that I don't mean every single business man wears a suit and tie
to work when I say "business men wear suits and ties". There are always
exceptions. Stereotypes are useful: "Hey hand me that book." "Which
one?", "The one over by that black guy". Now some PC'rs would end up
being overtly racist here: "the one over there by that tall guy in the
hat with the shirt and those shoes, and he's eating a sandwhich", "oh,
you mean that black guy?", "Hey, you're right, I hadn't noticed that that
pleasant fellow was African American." I could go on and on like this.
I recommend George Carlin on this subject, he has a mouthfull.
--G. Cady
On Wed, 30 Oct 1996, Diana York Blaine wrote:
> I'm interested! Ethnocentric how? Mostly I just hear PC bashing used as
> an excuse to maintain centuries-old ethnocentric biases, so this sounds
> like something I need to know. Diana
>
>
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