I think saying things to avoid offense is okay occasionally, just not when it's taken to the extreme of political correctness. For instance, I don't use "African-American", but I don't use "negro" (the way Harlock does) either. Likewise I neither use "mammary glands" nor the more vulgar terms, I just say breasts. Usually there's a moderation between too soft/eumphemistic and too hard/slangy.
I completely agree. I don't like rascist comments any more than I like the oversensitive bullshit involved with political correctness. When I was growing up, "special" meant "above average" and "handicapped" at the same time. That was personally a huge problem for me when I got put into "special" classes instead of "special" classes in elementary school.
African-American isn't PC anymore, I think. It's inaccurate, as you pointed out, also because a lot of black people don't identify so much with their african descent - they're as much african as I am european. I don't call myself a "European-American," because I don't identify myself that way. I'm a "Scottish-Irish-French-Canadian-English-American," and I identify with all those cultures. If someone's of, say, Malian ancestry, and they identify with that, calling them African-American would be like calling me European-American. Silly.
If you wanna be PC, I say shut up about race altogether. I mean, it's fair game for describing people if necessary, but otherwise it doesn't matter.
Comments 8
African American is the most absurd title.
Reply
Of course, ethnic groups mean very little, from a biological standpoint.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
If someone's of, say, Malian ancestry, and they identify with that, calling them African-American would be like calling me European-American. Silly.
If you wanna be PC, I say shut up about race altogether. I mean, it's fair game for describing people if necessary, but otherwise it doesn't matter.
Reply
Leave a comment