Two Quotations
Jan. 5th, 2012 08:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
browngirlTwo things people said that I had to write down.
I've seen this process happen over and over all my life, and this is the most succinct explanation of it I've seen in a long time. From What Tami Said, 2010.
Disdain for "political correctness" is often positioned as a concern that some important truth is not being spoken for fear of offending someone. But that concern is nothing but smoke and mirrors. To invoke "political correctness" is really to be concerned about loss of power and privilege. It is about disappointment that some "ism" that was ingrained in our society, so much that citizens of privilege could express the bias through word and deed without fear of reprisal, has been shaken loose. Charging "political correctness" generally means this: "I am comfortable with my privilege. I don't want to have to question it. I don't want to have to think before I speak or act. I certainly don't wish to inconvenience myself for the comfort of lesser people (whoever those people may be--women, people of color, people with disabilities, etc.)"
I view this next one as a wider case of, among other situations, the above. And oh, I need it.
And when they tell you life is not like this, life is never like this,/life will never be like this, insist that the sun/has always found a time and a place, the moon too knows when and where to enter,/and you too have your stories,/and you too have your place. -- Shira Erlichman, from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
exceptindreams, after this funny poem
I've seen this process happen over and over all my life, and this is the most succinct explanation of it I've seen in a long time. From What Tami Said, 2010.
Disdain for "political correctness" is often positioned as a concern that some important truth is not being spoken for fear of offending someone. But that concern is nothing but smoke and mirrors. To invoke "political correctness" is really to be concerned about loss of power and privilege. It is about disappointment that some "ism" that was ingrained in our society, so much that citizens of privilege could express the bias through word and deed without fear of reprisal, has been shaken loose. Charging "political correctness" generally means this: "I am comfortable with my privilege. I don't want to have to question it. I don't want to have to think before I speak or act. I certainly don't wish to inconvenience myself for the comfort of lesser people (whoever those people may be--women, people of color, people with disabilities, etc.)"
I view this next one as a wider case of, among other situations, the above. And oh, I need it.
And when they tell you life is not like this, life is never like this,/life will never be like this, insist that the sun/has always found a time and a place, the moon too knows when and where to enter,/and you too have your stories,/and you too have your place. -- Shira Erlichman, from
exceptindreams, after this funny poem
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no subject
Date: 2012-01-05 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-05 08:41 pm (UTC)"See, my problem with political correctness is that I find it often is trying to hide an -ism."
That was the first sentence of the first comment I made. I went on to explain my point poorly, but that actually was my point.
I am frustrated that even after all this, you and others think I was advocating "throwing out the PC baby out with the bathwater".
I will work on being more sensitive, and succinct, in the future, to try to avoid these kinds of misunderstandings.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-05 09:40 pm (UTC)"The sort of political correctness I have a problem with..." is one thing.
"Political correctness is usually..." (which is what I think you expressed) is maddening, and elicits the response I gave. It's not a problem of succinctness; it's a problem of premises.
The -ism isn't in use or disuse of blatantly -ist words. But the -ist words add a level of hurtfulness, and advocating their use...*personally* I find that hostile and hateful.