What is the world coming to!

[V.C. Brunswick]

here we go, pfewwwww I feel so relieved
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That would be "micro aggression" because it's white.
and the sad part is that somewhere out there is a school administrator who truly believes that.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

On the Wonder Woman front: There was an amazing amount of public, readily available kink right on the newsstands in the Golden Age. The covers painted by Margaret Brundage for Weird Tales and other pulps featured frank woman-on-woman bondage and flagellation. Right out in front of passersby on the sidewalk. Anyone who thinks the public of the 20s-40s were somehow "innocent" is confusing official mores with reality. These folks knew the score.

 

[LizzieMaine]

And on a far more legitimate level, you could open up your Sears catalog to the book section and order a copy of Havelock Ellis's "Psychology of Sex," which discussed all sorts of such things in a matter-of-fact scientific manner. "Fearless and direct! Undoubtedly one of the best and most authoritative books on this subject!" declared the catalog copy, and all yours for just $2.69 postpaid. "Sure thing, Gert, throw one of them in the order with the dungarees and the mule harness!"

I own a copy of this book, and many of its positions on various matters of human sexuality would shock moderns only in how much like those commonly held today they are.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

I think I'm safe with this one, everyone knows Bonobos make love not war.

 

[Fading Fast]

Besides the obvious lesbian overtones of the Wonder Woman mythos, this is the most ridiculous thing I've heard all week. We are on PC overload, I feel so sorry for the kids today. They're all going to grow up with anxiety issues from not knowing what is right to say, do, watch, laugh at, to listen to, on and on and on.

Unfortunately, based on several recent stories out of US colleges, the kids raised on PC overload aren't growing up gun-shy (teehee), but instead, some subset of them seem militant in their desire to keep their world free of things they have been insulated from. They seem to want to keep their PC electric fence in place even as they "mature" and segue into adult society.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

 

[AmateisGal]

Oh, I could tell you tales about the PC culture on campus (I work at a university)...

 

[AmateisGal]

This popped up on my Twitter feed today. A list of demands from students at universities and other colleges across the country:

http://www.thedemands.org/

 

[Fading Fast]

This popped up on my Twitter feed today. A list of demands from students at universities and other colleges across the country:

http://www.thedemands.org/

This is not a hoax right - this is a real document representing some group of students at each of those colleges - right?

If so, wow - the transition to the real world is going to be tough or, perhaps, they represent a large enough block that they can bend the world to their will, but I doubt it. I am always amazed at "we demand," as I grew up in a home where just saying that would be so out of bounds that it would never occur to me to say it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'll be the contrarian, as always, and say "kids will be kids." Frankly, most of this stuff that people dismiss as "PC" doesn't really bother me -- I'd prefer to see the kids marching for more concrete goals, but social awareness has to begin somewhere, especially for wide-eyed adolescents who've more often than not grown up in a bubble of economic privilege.

Becoming aware of and pointing out the continuing corrosive effects of systemic racism, sexism, and economic class oppression is only a bad thing if it *stops* at "consciousness raising." Once one is aware of the problem one must then move on to taking real, concrete, practical steps to end it. Let's check in on these kids when they're in their thirties and see if they've lived up to their talk, or if they've sold out like their parents did.

As for me, I was always protesting something, even from earliest childhood. When I was six, I organized a bunch of neighborhood kids to picket my mother because she wouldn't let us play in the back yard when the washing was hanging out. We had signs and everything, and the march was successful -- until one of the kids got tangled up in a sheet and pulled it thru the dirt. When that happened, Ma went all Pinkerton on us.

 

[AmateisGal]

This is not a hoax right - this is a real document representing some group of students at each of those colleges - right?

If so, wow - the transition to the real world is going to be tough or, perhaps, they represent a large enough block that they can bend the world to their will, but I doubt it. I am always amazed at "we demand," as I grew up in a home where just saying that would be so out of bounds that it would never occur to me to say it.

Nope, not a hoax.

 

[AmateisGal]

I'll be the contrarian, as always, and say "kids will be kids." Frankly, most of this stuff that people dismiss as "PC" doesn't really bother me -- I'd prefer to see the kids marching for more concrete goals, but social awareness has to begin somewhere, especially for wide-eyed adolescents who've more often than not grown up in a bubble of economic privilege.

Becoming aware of and pointing out the continuing corrosive effects of systemic racism, sexism, and economic class oppression is only a bad thing if it *stops* at "consciousness raising." Once one is aware of the problem one must then move on to taking real, concrete, practical steps to end it. Let's check in on these kids when they're in their thirties and see if they've lived up to their talk, or if they've sold out like their parents did.

As for me, I was always protesting something, even from earliest childhood. When I was six, I organized a bunch of neighborhood kids to picket my mother because she wouldn't let us play in the back yard when the washing was hanging out. We had signs and everything, and the march was successful -- until one of the kids got tangled up in a sheet and pulled it thru the dirt. When that happened, Ma went all Pinkerton on us.

The problem is the way these kids are protesting. It's gotten to the point where it's not protesting or civil disobedience: it's downright intimidation and scare tactics. Kids who disagree with them are afraid to say anything because the backlash is so severe. I was glad to see that a Princeton student group has responded to this bullying with an open letter to their president. You can read it here:

http://www.nationalreview.com/artic...ent-group-no-politically-correct-intimidation

 

[LizzieMaine]

Seems like those kids were able to get their point across without severe backlash. Wonder if the National Review will publish a response?

 

[Fading Fast]

The problem is the way these kids are protesting. It's gotten to the point where it's not protesting or civil disobedience: it's downright intimidation and scare tactics. Kids who disagree with them are afraid to say anything because the backlash is so severe. I was glad to see that a Princeton student group has responded to this bullying with an open letter to their president. You can read it here:

http://www.nationalreview.com/artic...ent-group-no-politically-correct-intimidation

Great to read that - shame there weren't more names on it.

Left or Right, conservative or liberal, etc., you have to win the hearts and minds of others through fair and open debate. I have very strong political views, but have no desire (and would be embarrassed if I did) to stifle any one or any idea in disagreement with me. I know that I, and others who share my views, have to win others to our viewpoint by the power, the reason, the logic of our words and ideas, not by shutting down the debate, not by shutting down opposing view and not by isolating ourselves in a self-reinforcing echo chamber. If ever there seemed like a bi-partisan issues for the adults on the Left and Right to agree, it seems that keeping the traditions of debate and the free exchange of ideas central in our society and institutions of higher education would be it.

 

[rocketeer]

Well, as Lizzi mentions, this could be made up with the sole intention to get people all riled up, but here is a true incident from my life, pre internet.
I was describing an engineering operation and happened to say something like "I'll draw it on the black board" The woman lecturer then said before I had a chance to continue, "We call it a chalk board now" Me, "Oh dear! why? it's always been a black board since......" as I continued to speak she spoke over me "Well everyone prefers chalk board now" "Well I'll call it a black board and always will"
I actually got reported for being rude and told to apologise which I did but added that it was meaningless as I did not mean it.
This was a time of racial unrest in the 1980s and anything with the word 'Black' was considered racist, even if black people were not offended and included Baa Baa Black Sheep believe it or not.

 

[LizzieMaine]

We didn't have blackboards -- ours were greenboards, so we just called them "The Board."

I can think of a lot more things worth getting worked up about than something like that, to be honest. I got criticized once at work by a customer for referrring to the "handicap bathroom," and I simply apologized and directed her to the "accessible bathroom." It didn't cost me anything to acknowledge that she was uncomfortable with the term I'd used, and everyone left happy.

Language changes over time, whether we like it or not. If it didn't we'd still be talking like Chaucer. I really don't see how it's worth getting one's back up if we're challenged for inadvertently offending someone. And if we deliberately go out of our way to use a term someone finds offensive with the idea of "showing them," well, all we're doing is proving their point.

 

[Harp]

I'll be the contrarian, as always, and say "kids will be kids." Frankly, most of this stuff that people dismiss as "PC" doesn't really bother me -- I'd prefer to see the kids marching for more concrete goals, but social awareness has to begin somewhere, especially for wide-eyed adolescents who've more often than not grown up in a bubble of economic privilege.

Becoming aware of and pointing out the continuing corrosive effects of systemic racism, sexism, and economic class oppression is only a bad thing if it *stops* at "consciousness raising." Once one is aware of the problem one must then move on to taking real, concrete, practical steps to end it.

The campus protest scene reflects more than awareness of societal ills and indicates a deep malaise within the heart and soul of academia.
As Emerson wrote, "for every thing given, some thing is taken." Faculty that deliberately drowned conservative free speech have sown the seeds
of intolerance, while discontented students; whom would not recognize truth were Diogenes to hold a lamp for them, appear to all purpose hopelessly lost.

 

[AmateisGal]

Great to read that - shame there weren't more names on it.

Left or Right, conservative or liberal, etc., you have to win the hearts and minds of others through fair and open debate. I have very strong political views, but have no desire (and would be embarrassed if I did) to stifle any one or any idea in disagreement with me. I know that I, and others who share my views, have to win others to our viewpoint by the power, the reason, the logic of our words and ideas, not by shutting down the debate, not by shutting down opposing view and not by isolating ourselves in a self-reinforcing echo chamber. If ever there seemed like a bi-partisan issues for the adults on the Left and Right to agree, it seems that keeping the traditions of debate and the free exchange of ideas central in our society and institutions of higher education would be it.

This is it exactly, Fading Fast. Those behind these PC movements do not WANT fair and open debate. Hearing different, opposing viewpoints is now viewed as "harmful." It is downright scary.

 

[AmateisGal]

Seems like those kids were able to get their point across without severe backlash. Wonder if the National Review will publish a response?

I hope so, Lizzie. I'll keep an eye on it to see if they do.

The campus protest scene reflects more than awareness of societal ills and indicates a deep malaise within the heart and soul of academia.
As Emerson wrote, "for every thing given, some thing is taken." Faculty that deliberately drowned conservative free speech have sown the seeds
of intolerance, while discontented students; whom would not recognize truth were Diogenes to hold a lamp for them, appear to all purpose hopelessly lost.

Exactly, Harp. I read an article a few weeks ago that basically said that academia is reaping what they sowed - and worse, they are now becoming targets. Faculty and adminstrators have literally lost their jobs over some of this stuff.

All I can say now is that I'm very glad I stopped at my master's degree in history. I had planned to move on and get my PhD. Now the very thought of stepping into that academic climate gives me the shivers. I have to keep a lot of my opinions on the down low at work (again, I work at a university). Let's just say I am quietly planning a way out of this job within the next year or so. I don't want to work in an environment like this anymore.

 

[AmateisGal]

Well, as Lizzi mentions, this could be made up with the sole intention to get people all riled up, but here is a true incident from my life, pre internet.
I was describing an engineering operation and happened to say something like "I'll draw it on the black board" The woman lecturer then said before I had a chance to continue, "We call it a chalk board now" Me, "Oh dear! why? it's always been a black board since......" as I continued to speak she spoke over me "Well everyone prefers chalk board now" "Well I'll call it a black board and always will"
I actually got reported for being rude and told to apologise which I did but added that it was meaningless as I did not mean it.
This was a time of racial unrest in the 1980s and anything with the word 'Black' was considered racist, even if black people were not offended and included Baa Baa Black Sheep believe it or not.

Today, this would be termed a "microaggression" and you would probably be ostracized, bullied, and otherwise tarred and feathered for making such a mistake.