Liverpool Echo Thursday November 14Th...
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political correctness and freedom of speech
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i'm writing a speech on this for english to persuade people to realise that political correctness is going over the top and that it is starting to infringe on a freedom to speak and that people arent even complaining about things but it is merely a fear to offend. If you have any good points either side of this argument (ie. for or against political correctness) then please let me know because i am finding it hard to write a whole speech on it. thankyou
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Take a look at this recent "discussion" on homophobia for an example of what you are talking about: http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=236786&page=1&pp=40 . Admittedly there are bad contributions from both sides, but I think it illustrates your point.
You may like to consider Jacque Derrida's work on social constructionism and refer to Wittingstein's work on language creating meaning in context.
Derrida suggests that nothing is real (post structuralism) and therefore we have the power to create whatever meanings we choose from language. We can give things whatever meaning we want, an example of this is that oppressed groups change the meaning of unpolitically correct words in order to demonstrate pride in their percieved identity. eg: Gay emerged as an insult and was seized by the homosexual community as a statement of pride. Similarly ***** has acceptable use within certain politically motivated black groups. My interest is mental health and there is a "Psychotic and Proud" movement amoungst service users who have seized medical terminology as tool to attack the medical profession and social groups who restrict their right to be mad.
All this provides some evidence that political correctness has, rather than started to infringe on freedom of speech, creatred a backlash of people who have taken control of forbidden language., Interesting eh?
Alternatively, you could just say that political correctness is just typical namby-pamby, liberal wooly thinking. :)
Derrida suggests that nothing is real (post structuralism) and therefore we have the power to create whatever meanings we choose from language. We can give things whatever meaning we want, an example of this is that oppressed groups change the meaning of unpolitically correct words in order to demonstrate pride in their percieved identity. eg: Gay emerged as an insult and was seized by the homosexual community as a statement of pride. Similarly ***** has acceptable use within certain politically motivated black groups. My interest is mental health and there is a "Psychotic and Proud" movement amoungst service users who have seized medical terminology as tool to attack the medical profession and social groups who restrict their right to be mad.
All this provides some evidence that political correctness has, rather than started to infringe on freedom of speech, creatred a backlash of people who have taken control of forbidden language., Interesting eh?
Alternatively, you could just say that political correctness is just typical namby-pamby, liberal wooly thinking. :)
I think politival correctness has gone over the top as now were are prevented from saying things that don't even offend the people in that "category" e.g. few of Britains' ethnic minorities would give a toss if you hung a St Georges flag out your window. I also don't like pc as it implies that we are sub-divided into groups, categories, that one group is different to another so you cannot say certain things to them, which, in my point of view is a type of prejudism anyway. I also hate the way that it often only works one way e.g. the rumour that rascism towards white people doesn't excist. I hate the way that the country I love's tradition and heritage is being wiped out, not by immagrants who generally except it, but by it's own country men's fear to offend those very same immagrants.
Phew. Rant over.
Alteratively, read the second paragraph of this passage:
I think the arguement about positive discrimination is relevant aswell - the fact that some companies have a guaranteed interview policy for disabled applicants. Having a disability has no affect on whether or not you can do the job. Personally I am not disabled but I'd definately feel and that my application had not been taken seriously, but that I had just been given an interview for political correctness. From the employers point of view, would they feel that they had to meet with or employ a disabled person, regardless of their suitability for the job, for fear of being told they were discriminating?? I'd much rather have earned my job rather than felt pitied.
The world has gone P.C. mad!!
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