[Vision2020] Three easy pieces--Question for Joan

[Donovan Arnold]

Joan,

You wrote,

"So-called political correctness, AKA respect for diversity within the 
public discourse, is actually quite easy to master.  The rules are simple:
>
>1. Don't call people by names they have told you they don't like.  If these 
>seem to change from week to week, perhaps that's because it doesn't take 
>long for the majority culture to turn a newly positive term into a 
>pejorative.  We're good at that; witness what we did with "Black is 
>beautiful."  We giggled and snorted (or pissed and moaned) about no longer 
>being "allowed" to use negro; then, the next thing we knew, the approved 
>term was African-American.  Polish- and German- and Swedish-Americans were 
>up in arms!  What was wrong with black after all?  It was so much shorter!  
>Get a grip on yourselves and call people what they wish to be called."

It is more common then not to see that a large group of people don't all 
like to be called the same thing. And some people like to be called 
something they are not. How do I know if someone I see is not Jamaican, 
African, or of American Citizenship status. Would I not need to know all 
three? What do I do if some want to be called Black, some Jamaican, and some 
African American. Seems like I am SOL huh? As a white person, I don't care 
if you use the term White, White American, American, Euro-descent, I really 
don't give a rip to be honest just as all as you are not attempting to 
denigrate me for being of French and Swedish descent.
>
>"2. When caught using an iffy or offensive terms, say, "I'm sorry.  I 
>didn't know.  I won't do it again."  This lesson, as any parent can tell 
>you, is directly-related to the "Please" and "Thank you" lessons we give 
>our children to get them ready for kindergarten."

Offensive to who? The person hearing it, or the person being referred to? I 
have had a dozen white people yell at me for using the term "Blacks" when a 
bunch a Black men just told me not to use the term African American because 
some of them were Jamaican and some not Americans. So should I use the word 
African Americans around White people and the word Blacks around Blacks? And 
what if I am speaking to an audience of both blacks and whites? What word do 
I use to make sure that nobody is offended?
>
>"3. Don't tell jokes that involve ethnic groups other than your own in 
>which the representative of that ethnic group A) speaks pidgen English and 
>B) is called Chief, Tonto, Squaw, Polack, Kike, Spic, Wop, or the N-word.  
>Unless you've been living under a rock in Riggins, you know these terms are 
>offensive.  You also know that the buffalo joke isn't really about middle 
>management.  It's an excuse to tell a joke along the lines of "There were 
>three nuns humping a dead alligator" in a public forum."

What if you are to FWD a racist joke told by someone of that race at their 
request? What if Chief is a part of the name?


>"It's bad, bad manners."

Catch 22. What if someone has bad manners because of a disability? Is it OK 
to attack someone with a disability who has bad manners? There are millions 
of people with these social disabilities. So attacking them for their bad 
manners as a result of them not being able to understand the complexities of 
social interactions would be the same as attacking a person without a leg 
for not running fast enough. Seems rather unfair that all groups get 
accommodated but one don't you think? And this is in turn is discrimination 
against another group of people by insisting these ever changing social 
rules be followed by those that cannot follow them.

Take Care,

Donovan J Arnold


>
>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
>www.auntie-establishment.com
>
>PS: I don't mean to single out residents of Riggins.  It just alliterated 
>so nicely with "rock."Get more from the Web.  FREE MSN Explorer download : 
>http://explorer.msn.com
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