PC debate - apology

[Joe Varo]

In that I could have let pass without comment davemarc's post to Jules
Siegel's post about how certain cultures judge human physical beauty, I
feel pretty much to blame for the thread about the merits of pc.
Unfortunately, when I see someone being chastised for their (and only
their) opinion, I have a tough time keeping my yap shut.

On an internet mailing list such as this, unless the list owner chooses to
practice the banning of people they deem without merit or otherwise
undesirable, you're going to get an extremely wider range of opinions.
For a list member to assume that the posting of any other member is
representative of him/her/self or the list in general seems to me to be a
faulty inference.

This is what prompted me to respond to davemarc's post in which he felt is
necessary to pre-emptively (and publicly) disassociate himself from JS's
comments on cultural ideas of beauty, when I don't think that anyone would
have ascribed JS's comments to anyone but JS.  Though the point which
davemarc made was legitimate, it just struck me as a case of unnecessarily
wearing one's political correctness on one's sleeve.

I think you have to keep in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder
and "de gustibus non disputandum".

What would happen to the content of the list if everyone felt it necessary
to disavow themselves from the opinions of everyone else?  Look at what
this one case has done, i.e. crated a situation which I may have
unfortunately and unintentionally instigated.

Manifestations of pc can range anywhere from, at its best, fostering a
sensitivity and open-mindedness towards the positions of others to, at its
worst, a form of censorship.  I tend to be very wary of it.

Again, I apoligize if I'm to blame for getting us off the topic of TRP.

Joe