PC

[Coscolluela Eileene]

Sabine Dippel (sabine at hlrz24.zam.kfa-juelich.de) wrote:
: There is such a thing as being too politically correct, and I hate to 
: see how people here keep fighting about how to name things in the right
: way as not to offend anyone. All this talk about how to label all kinds
: of ethnic groups in my opinion rather promotes seeing them as different,
: than just as Americans. Over here in Europe, people really view this
: overly PC attitude of many Americans just as ridiculous (right, Sarah?).

	I do agree.  I think that to a degree, we must all correct our
	language to be more tolerant of others, especially if a group of
	people want to be called a certain term, or if an individual wants
	to be called something.  But, in the end, it is merely a label...
	something that helps us human beings box that individual in a 
	discrete category.  This isn't necessarily a good thing, but it
	is the way most humans (atleast, all that I've met) operate.  We
	are endlessly classifying things, endlessly naming things and to
	be tolerant is okay.  To be radical over every single word, regardless
	of the speaker's intent is ridiculous.


: Now go ahead and flame me.

	I don't know about you but, I expect that the readers of bionet.
	women-in-bio are more restrained and more respectful than those
	in other news groups.  Flaming is putting down an argument without
	reason or putting down the speaker of the argument.  I'd expect
	people here to have the intelligence to refrain from such activities.


	Eileene Coscolluela	       |"All our science, measured against 
       University of Illinois	       | reality, is primitive and childlike --
     ecoscoll at students.uiuc.edu        | and yet it is the most precious thing
http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~ecoscoll/| we have."  --Albert Einstein