[Vision2020] How to Handle Political Correctness in the Interest of Real History?

[Joe Campbell]

Notice too that the story was "sanitized" pretty early on.

There was a guy in my high school who we called "Hocker" but now he  
does not like being called "Hocker" anymore. Once when I called him  
"Hocker" he said "How would you like it if I called you 'C-face'?,"  
only instead of "C-face" he said -- well, you know what he said! I  
told him "But no one called me C-face in high school."

In telling the above story I'd like to think I was being polite, not  
politically correct and not historically inaccurate. The UK reporters  
might have felt the same. But likely it depends on why Pershing was  
called what he was called, as Tom notes, and what kind of story one is  
telling (a Hollywood movie, a news report, a biography, etc.).

Joe Campbell

On May 8, 2009, at 8:12 AM, "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:

> FYI, y'all -
>
> Courtesy of Wikipedia at:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Pershing
>
> "In 1897, Pershing became an instructor at West Point, where he  
> joined the
> tactical staff. While at West Point, cadets upset over Pershing's  
> harsh
> treatment and high standards took to calling him "Nigger Jack", in
> reference to his service with the 10th Cavalry.  This was softened (or
> sanitized) to the more euphonic "Black Jack" by reporters covering
> Pershing during World War I."
>
> No reference to black soldiers.
>
> Seeya at Farmers' Market, Moscow.
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to  
> change
> and the Realist adjusts his sails."
>
> - Unknown
>
>