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2003-11-30 -Short Attention Span Theater-

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Posted by Vivek 2003-11-30 2:31:22 AM|| || Front Page|| [11128 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Let's remember that control and reduction of the language in order to make it unable to express thinkings against the Party was key in the dictatorship depicted in 1984

Posted by JFM 2003-11-30 2:51:25 AM|| 2003-11-30 2:51:25 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 According to Joe Sandoval's edict, published here 11/25/03, such terms as male, female, and gender bender may also be forbidden in La La County.
http://www.rantburg.com/default.asp?D=11/25/03#21791

The County of Los Angeles actively promotes and is committed to ensure a work environment that is free from any discriminatory influence be it actual or perceived. As such, it is the Countyâs expectation that our manufacturers, suppliers and contractors make a concentrated effort to ensure that any equipment, supplies or services that are provided to County departments do not possess or portray an image that may be construed as offensive or defamatory in nature. Emphasis is mine.

And the Lord only knows what else may be perceived as offensive to at least one employee.

Labeling on boxes is only the tip of the problem. There're all forms of documentation that may contain 'offensive' words as well as markings on the equipment and cards themselves. Get busy LA County you've just begun. It's silly and unnessary purchasing specs like this that led to the "$500 hammer" and "$50 bolt".

Posted by Gasse Katze 2003-11-30 7:46:33 AM|| 2003-11-30 7:46:33 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 While I have no regrets about the general disappearance of racial and ethnic slurs from most civil discourse in this counrty I do strongly object to the notion of some inocent remark or technical term can be misconstrued and be the subject of a legal action. That is just plain stupid. I also object to the "highjacking" of certain words by certain members or groups of society. The classic example is the word "gay". Using it today in its original context is almost impossible.

Posted by Cheddarhead 2003-11-30 9:25:23 AM|| 2003-11-30 9:25:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 You might also like to glance at Erin's website:
http://www.erinoconnor.org/

She has documented a couple of real wacko cases where professors used the 'n' word while making otherwise PC remarks, (e.g., "I object to naming a team the Redskins the same as I would object to naming a team the niggers". The person who made that remark is in deep dodo with Univ biggies.

Posted by mhw 2003-11-30 9:43:47 AM|| 2003-11-30 9:43:47 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 I still feel discriminated if i'm "secondary" to the "primary" .
Could that be the reason why the primaries are always in turmoil?

Posted by Barry 2003-11-30 11:20:15 AM|| 2003-11-30 11:20:15 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 I like to think of Rantburg as being a bastion of political non-correctitude. If there are any racial, ethnic, political or cultural groups we've failed to offend, just shoot me an e-mail and we'll spend a day or two poking fun at them.

Posted by Fred 2003-11-30 11:25:19 AM|| 2003-11-30 11:25:19 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Remember the new language people in George Orwell's "1984". Forgotten what it was called, but it kept theoretical dialogs from happening.

Posted by SamIII 2003-11-30 11:54:00 AM|| [www.samlindsey.com] 2003-11-30 11:54:00 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Samill,

The language was called Newspeak

a site containing the dictionary is at:
http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/ns_frames.html

for example,
-------------------
Hate week - Week in which Oceanian citizens all attend rallies and parades to inflame hatred of Party enemies and heighten their efforts on behalf of Oceania.
----------------
In much of Islam and the socialist left, every week is Hateweek.

Posted by mhw 2003-11-30 12:04:45 PM|| 2003-11-30 12:04:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 The problem with this board is that it's chock full of people who have a ton of real life experience, and are therefore stuck on the very non-PC notion that some things are "right" and other things are "wrong." However, we might be able to camouflage this by changing our terminology, e.g.:

Old Way: "Osama is an evil bastard I would like to choke to death with my very own hands."

New Way: "Osama is a morally-challenged extra-marital person I would like to choke to death with my very own hands."

See the difference?

Posted by Matt 2003-11-30 12:08:54 PM|| 2003-11-30 12:08:54 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Matt,
I work with some very very PC people and they would alter your last quote to,

"Osama has issues, maybe self esteem issues, we should be concerned."

Posted by mhw 2003-11-30 12:14:49 PM|| 2003-11-30 12:14:49 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 (sniff sniff) Now my feelings are hurt.

Posted by Matt 2003-11-30 12:25:57 PM|| 2003-11-30 12:25:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 buck-up nancyboy! No snivellers allowed ;-)

Posted by Frank G 2003-11-30 1:23:10 PM|| 2003-11-30 1:23:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 I cheered right up when I saw this site:

http://www.studentsforwar.org/

Posted by Matt 2003-11-30 1:54:51 PM|| 2003-11-30 1:54:51 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 I knew you could!

Posted by Frank G 2003-11-30 2:09:22 PM|| 2003-11-30 2:09:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Niggardly sounds so offensive. Thus it must be offensive. Sorry if I've caused any concerns.

Posted by Lucky 2003-11-30 2:33:50 PM|| 2003-11-30 2:33:50 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 There's a very talented, very erudite judge that is in great demand for public speaking in the Midwest. Can't remember his name, but his main topic is the use of language to stifle debate. He's about the LEAST PC person I've ever heard speak. He absolutely refuses to allow politically correct speech in his courtroom, saying that it interferes with the administration of justice. We need more judges like that, and fewer like the idiotarians in Mass. and O'Conner and Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.

Posted by Old Patriot 2003-11-30 2:53:12 PM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2003-11-30 2:53:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 RE Above: Failed to mention this guy is a former Air Force fighter pilot (126 missions in Vietnam) and black! That REALLY gets the reactionaries going!

Posted by Old Patriot 2003-11-30 2:54:21 PM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2003-11-30 2:54:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 MHW, you've got my sympathy mate!

OP - you sure you can't remember this guys name?

Does the Midwest take none of this PC BS?. Sounds very good indeed.

Posted by Tony (UK) 2003-11-30 3:12:03 PM|| 2003-11-30 3:12:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 thanks Tony,

My boss's, boss's, boss's boss is Norm Mineta (of 'no I don't see any reason to check young arab men more closely than 90 year old swedish women' fame.

Posted by mhw 2003-11-30 4:12:38 PM|| 2003-11-30 4:12:38 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Tony (UK) #18, Here in the Midwest the acceptance of the PC "way" is spotty. There was a big uproar last year due to a Mayor's aide using the word niggardly in a public debate. On the other hand, my kid's public grade school has the Christ child, Mary, Joseph displayed in the schoolyard. Also, one of the kid's Thanksgiving programs made mention of God's love for us. Not, the creator, not the universal being, not Allah, etc. but God. Not surprisingly no one in the audience swooned or passed out at the mention of His name.

From my perspective, we aren't as 'sensitive' as some on the left and right coasts and our speech is pretty direct and to the point. To call someone a mother f*&#er can be a term of friendship while adding dago or hillbilly to the beginning of that and you've bought yourself a trip to the emergency room. Just like it should be.

Posted by doc8404 2003-11-30 5:34:55 PM|| 2003-11-30 5:34:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 Vivek__ sorry to have to tell you this but you cannot use the word "fuck" since it demeans women; you must now use the word "Twinkle"; thus , you should have said (and I'm sure you really meant) "Twinkle that".

Posted by Mercutio 2003-11-30 5:40:17 PM|| 2003-11-30 5:40:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 Sorry Matt, but you haven't quite got it, yet. The proper PC version is:

New Way: "Osama is a morally-challenged extra-marital person whose hyoid process I'd like to vigorously massage with my thumbs and teeth..."

Posted by Mercutio 2003-11-30 5:45:56 PM|| 2003-11-30 5:45:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 We even have a prayer before high school football games out here in the Midwest, not that it helped our teams' record any this year:)

Posted by whitecollar redneck 2003-11-30 6:46:13 PM|| 2003-11-30 6:46:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 Politically correct *Where did "PC" speech come from? Communism! *

Posted by John Anderson 2003-11-30 7:05:14 PM|| 2003-11-30 7:05:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#25 Can't wait till they find out that the LA Electrical Code requires BLACK and WHITE wires:

(Idiot: "Black and White wires may no longer be used, all wires must be the same color of gray. As in this connection right here..."
POW!
"oops...")

Posted by Old Grouch 2003-11-30 7:30:06 PM|| 2003-11-30 7:30:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#26 Mercutio, it just doesn't come naturally to me, but I agree that's an improvement.

Tony, roughly speaking you talk PC in faculty lounges, student newspapers, cocktail parties and in parts of the "blue" states. (Unless you're talking about the President in a faculty lounge, in which case you're entirely free to use any insults that come to mind.)

Posted by Matt 2003-11-30 7:34:58 PM|| 2003-11-30 7:34:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#27 Nice opinion piece here that fits in quite well with this discussion. I'm not a big Lamm fan, but this is right on.

Posted by Old Patriot 2003-11-30 8:31:18 PM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2003-11-30 8:31:18 PM|| Front Page Top

10:26 Anonymous
10:26 Anonymous
11:46 liberalhawk
11:33 liberalhawk
11:15 liberalhawk
11:12 liberalhawk
11:07 liberalhawk
09:21 Sarah
23:59 Zhang Fei
23:54 Stephen
23:34 Barbara Skolaut
23:24 Gasse Katze
23:18 RMcLeod
23:12 Bomb-a-rama
22:56 Lucky
22:51 Lucky
22:06 Mercutio
21:57 Lucky
21:57 Mercutio
21:55 Anonymous
21:51 Lucky
21:41 CrazyFool
21:36 Lucky
21:18 Lucky