I am not a racist but...
It just makes my head hurt. I keep hearing that everywhere. Apparently if you use the phrase "I am not a racist but" it admonishes you of all guilt when making a racist comment. It is the mantra of the American narrow-minded jackass.
It seems that if you begin with this phrase you can say whatever you like, and people are not supposed to feel you have said something offensive. Use it in conjunction with "...it is because you people are so politically correct and scared to say what you really think" and they think themselves saints.
Example: "I am not a racist but I think black people need to stay in their houses with their crack pipes and dozens of illegitimate kids. I didn't say anything wrong, you are just overly sensitive and too politically correct. You know I am right."
What kind of idiotic nonsense is that? The phrase has the opposite effect than what is intended in fact. Saying "I am not a racist but" insures that the person you talk to KNOWS that what is about to come out of your mouth is racist. If you were not about to say something offensive, there would be no reason to warn people about it. Nobody walks out their front door and looks at the sky saying "I am no racist but it sure is a lovely day today." No, you only say it in a sad attempt to reassure people that though what you say may SEEM offensive... well, it seems to stop there. Maybe some day we will be able to move on and away from this, but I don't see it happening. People, it seems, may always want reasons to feel superior, they may always fear that which is different, and we will always apparently have morons that want to blame their problems on a cross section of people who look or talk differently than they do.
posted by mrphy42 at
12:58 PM
8 Comments:
Well, While i agree with you that it's wrong of people to preface a cooment with I'm not a racist but and think that it will suddenly make everying better, I have to say one MINI-thing against PC.
Recently i went to see Salman Rushdie at the University at Buffalo. It was amazing, but i won't get into that. There was one thing he said that truly impressed me though. He said, "say whatever you want." he said that our country was based on free speech and it was sad to see it under this administration suddenly loosing so many of it's liberties (and on and on). But what really gave me pause was that he was one of the people who actually stood up and said to the british film board that they could not ban a film created by the Al Quida(sp?)in which an actor playing him was murdered for speaking out against Isalm. RUSHDIE INSISTED that if the british film board ban it's showing that it would not be because of him and that they should allow it to be shown simply because of free speech. He said it was the same for the KKK here in the states, that if we banned their idiotic ways it would only impower them and so forth.
I agree with Mr. Rushdie, i'm very anti PC. I believe in being polite and respectful to people (no matter what race or color or creed) but if i have a belief I don't think i should muffle it because jimmy down the road might get sore. I guess i just see it as sad that we have to have LAWS in order to make people act respectful that's all... okay rant over ;) just had to get that out.
By
ielle, at 12:32 PM
I totally agree with the fact that there should be no law forcing people to be respectfull and nice. I am a full on supporter of free speech with no limitations. The way I see it is if we claim to have freedom of speech, but limit what people can and cannot say that freedom is an illusion. What you are talking about is censorship though. Political correctness on the other hand is simply a matter of interpritation. Just because I don't use the "n" word when reffering to black people does not mean I am making a choice out of political correctness, rather , I simply feel it is wrong. Political correctness has simply become a buzz word that people use to shield themselves, trying to say "I can say things as offensive as I want and you cant criticize me because you are overly politically correct."
It just doesn't work like that. Yes, you have freedom of speech. Everyone should have it, no matter how stupid their speech is. What comes along with that though is that people must remember they aren't the only ones with that freedom. If I wanted to say something that someone else found offensive, I would have to remember that person had the same freedoms as me. Those freedoms include the right to call me an idiot for my offensive remarks. Their is no, nor should there be, a law stopping either side. Political correctness is not a matter of legality, just personal perspective. So say whatever you like, exercize that right, just don't freak out when Jimmy down the street says something back to you.
This is right up there with my "anti-American" bit. A few weeks ago I had an argument with some people over a teacher that forced a kid to stand for the national anthem. I said it was his right to sit. I got a speech about how it was disrespectfull to those who fought and died for his rights and he should be forced to stand. The irony is, one of those rights is freedom of speech. If we start telling people what they can and cannot say, then the freedom of speech is void. What is more anti-American, excercising the rights that make this country great, or trying to deny those rights to people? Ok... now MY rant is over. ;)
By
mrphy42, at 1:04 PM
Good points. I see what you mean about it being disgusting that people can just stay rude things and hide behind the PC excuse...
Another thing that I'm sure we can both agree on is that people just need to learn to get over crap. lol and possibly to semi-get along or at least tolerate others (ergo the respectful thing again).
of course I also agree with your don't be freaked out when people talk back to you comment (once again, there's the whole respecting other's viewpoints)
I didn't notice your statment about the kid sitting through the national anthem and his teacher going ape.... BUT i am shocked! What a stupid teacher, this is the kid's choice. I had a professor who nearly got into fist fight with an older gentleman once because he stood during the pledge of alligence and remained silent. His reason was he wasn't a christian and didn't like the under god part. Now he didn't tell everyone around him that THEY couldn't recite it. He didn't boo. He RESPECTED the fact that those around him were firm supporters of the pledge. But that didn't seem to matter to the old coot behind him and that's just sad. To be honest had i been there, I don't think i would have noticed that the guy in front of my didn't recite the silly thing. So how bored and up tight was that old guy? lol
one last little censorship/politcal correctness/respect anecdote. In high school my classmates and I went crazy for these t-shirts that read co-ed Naked...(fill in whatever sport). Our principal tried to tell us it was demeaning to females (he was man) and distracting. Whenever he saw a student wearing one he would usher us to the bathroom (with girl's he would send us with another female teacher) and force us to wear them inside out. Moments later we would sneak back and flip them the right way.
This silliness continued for nearly a month until finally our school paper (which got in a lot of trouble for running the story) ran a poll that sampled both female and male student's opinions of the shirts. believe it or not more GIRLS than BOYS thought the shirts were fine and that the adults needed to relax. Consequently (after the principals' minor threat to our paper's editor to give him detention and put the paper on hiatus) the principal decided to stop his morning shirt checks.
My point is this, Much like Rushdie said, we need to keep pushing. To keep forcing our first ammendment rights, because the minute we get lazy and let people (like my old principal, that kids teacher or anyone who looks at you and thinks that you Are NOT being PC) tell us what to do we've lost it all.
By
ielle, at 9:13 PM
with ya 100%
An here is a link for you...
http://digg.com/links/Teacher_Caught_on_Tape_Pulling_Chair_From_Under_Student
By
mrphy42, at 12:09 AM
Huh, that is very dissapointing. As an atheist myself, I run into all the same problems here. Of course, I live in South Texas, which isn't known for Christians tollerating others. I had always been under the impression (which was reinforced after reading Douglas Adams' interview with American Atheist magazine) that the British were less likely to try and "save" you from atheism. I am sad to see that is not the case.
By
mrphy42, at 10:58 AM
That was HILLARIOUS!
And thank you for getting me to sing the dolphin song again.
By
mrphy42, at 2:01 PM
You know i wasn't a big fan of the dolphin song. I mean i liked it, but i wasn't a big fan. I was happy when it was over and the good stuff got going. I LOVED Sam Rockwell as Zaphod (sp?). Of course I've been in love with him since Confessions of a dangerous man and Charlies Angeles (the 1st one) he's soooo hyper and all that kicking! LOL DOWN GIRl...ahem lol.
By
ielle, at 7:32 AM
oh um i meant mind confessions of a dangerous MIND
sorry lol
By
ielle, at 7:32 AM
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