Retarded Arguments
A year ago today, my brother Tobin's infamous girlfriend roxymartini decided to lose yet another argument with me, over the definitions of autistic and troll-like, respectively. Comments to this entry were also unusually populated with anonymous commenters.
More recently I've been engaged in an epic debate with an ogre of political correctness about the use of the word "retarded." They content that if one uses it as an "inherently insulting" term, than one is in violation of the norms of political correctness, and by extension a bad person and a terrible human being. I argue that yes it IS an "inherently insulting" because by definition it means to have marginal intelligence, and to maintain otherwise one would have to renounce the use of the insults "idiot," "moron," "imbecile," "insane," etc, all terms which describe actual "inherently insulting" conditions. This whole experience is being made much more painful however because the individual relies heavily on insult and villianizing her opponents to win arguments (a major early tactic they used was in attempting to discredit my "just playing the devil's advocate" disclaimer). Anyway now they're finally on retreat, claiming they no longer wish to argue with me because I'm being a jerk, and using terms they claim one would have to take certain classes in to fully understand.
Anyway, my point is that this is a case of "political correctness" extending beyond its reasonable bounds. The ideology of "politically correct" stifles discussion by villianizing the viewpoints not within it (at one point the person I was arguing with, regarding my claim to be just playing the devil's advocate, said "for all I know he can be looking at the screen through the holes in a while hood" - no relevance to the discussion except to discredit me). Basically my thoughts on the subject of PC can be summed up in this: in their own time and place, the nazis of Germany were "politically correct". Hyperbole, I think not - as you know it unfortunately did happen.
Anyway this whole argument is huge but if you really want to look at it yourself, it is here. Though that whole thing is in fact based on commentary regarding the fourth comment to the entry.
Wiki Articles of the Day - Totally more pleasant reading than the above
Lamar Heystek - respected statesman, acclaimed columnist, distinguished Safeway clerk.
Kalen Gallagher - current ASUCD president.
Davis Players Society - Gallagher's friends are more organized than yours.