In 1952 on May 1, I arrived into this world. May Day, May Day! Besides being a great birthday, it is also celebrated in many countries as a traditional springtime festival or as an international day honoring workers (My husband used to send my Mom flowers on my birthday!) So far, it's been an interesting journey.
One thing I have trouble with is using politically correct "PC" verbiage. For the first 40 years of my life, I referred to black people as black people. Then it was corrected to Afro American. Now it seems to be black again. In fact, different groups of this ethnicity call themselves black or African American. So really, I have to check my audience before I speak.
Unfortunately, I often can't distinguish some Asian races from another. I used to say Oriental to incorporate all people of Asia. WRONG. Must now say Asian so as not to offend someone.
I don't ask people to call me German American. Heck, I'm okay with being called "hey you". So often I hear now, mostly from a younger generation, is that I am White Privilege (said with disdain). Through no fault of MY own. My objection to how the term “white privilege” is being used is that it is not intended to try and educate people about real injustices that blacks (or other ethnicities) have historically faced and continue to face currently, but instead it is intended to shame them for their whiteness .... which is problematic.
The problem isn’t whiteness. The problem is racism and racists. People can’t help being born white any more than black people can help being born black. Judging people based upon their race and assuming negative characteristics because of a person’s race is racism, regardless of who is doing the judging.
The problem isn’t whiteness. The problem is racism and racists. People can’t help being born white any more than black people can help being born black. Judging people based upon their race and assuming negative characteristics because of a person’s race is racism, regardless of who is doing the judging.
My next hot button is everything should be FREE. It's hard to explain to some people that nothing is free. While it may be free for you ... someone else's taxes are paying for it. The cries of "well, Sweden provides over one year of paid parental leave" and many other FREE family friendly assistance. Their tax rate of 62% ... THAT is what pays for all their free stuff. Because nothing is free. Their traffic violations are not just a set "$100 for speeding" ... it's a percentage of your income! Yes! Could be tens of thousands of dollars.
There are so many other terms that mean practically the total opposite of my understanding. When I look them up in the dictionary, it gives many uses but the FB world screams at me when I am using it MY way and not theirs.
There are so many people on Facebook that say the most vile things, screaming "not my President", reposting misinformation (and when it is pointed out to them, they so "Oh, I didn't know" but do not take down the post) and blaming others for everything that is wrong in the world
I really should just take a break from Facebook and look once a week. For children and grandchildren and kittens and puppies and recipes.
I am not going to touch this topic except to say that that the backlash against political corrective in the country has become an excuse for rudeness, insults and disrespect for other people's opinions.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Interesting take. I think the problem is people assuming negative things about one another. Based on nothing but what someone ELSE said.
DeleteI read the other day that it is not PC to drink white milk anymore. What the heck is going on in this country? We are called racist for the most stupid things. When I was growing up we called black people Negros. Back then, they didn't seem to have a problem with it. Then it went to African American. I don't think we are supposed to even now, call them black people. An Indian used to be an Indian, but now they are either American Indian or Eastern Indian. My sister keeps telling me not to say Oriental, now they are Asian. I personally will help you organize a German American day. We have black history month--we have St. Patrick's day for the Irish, when are we going to have German day? Oh--forgot--that won't work because then we'd be called a Nazi. EGAD!!! If you figure it out, let me know because for the last few years, I have felt reverse discrimination.
ReplyDeleteNow I think we are supposed to say INDIGENOUS people. So now we say take a ride on the Asian Express? No more oriental rugs? And who is to say the Urban Dictionary is the resource? Webster includes ALL choices.
DeleteYes, we are made to feel discriminated against ... because we were born WHITE. It is still racism.
I'm one of those people who wants to call everyone whatever they wish to be called, but I'll admit that it is confusing sometimes, and if I make a mistake, that's exactly what it is... a mistake. Here in 2018 we are still dealing with race issues, and I don't see it going away in my lifetime, BUT as we older folks die out, hopefully younger people will figure this out, and all of this won't matter so much a hundred years from now. They'll be writing about our time of 'political correctness' in history books. That's the hope anyway.
ReplyDeleteI, too, prefer to call people by their choice. The darned Urban Dictionary keeps changing what is OK and what is insulting. Maybe people will stop GENERALIZING and just call people by their names! That would solve a lot of things.
ReplyDelete