what's wrong with being pc?

[Gardener Cady]

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
> 
>