No limit on stupid

stevelee · Post by **stevelee** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 10:52 am

Political Correctness strikes again. http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive ... ll/495941/

Airball50 · Post by **Airball50** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 12:28 pm

Ask yourself: Would you feel the same way if the building were named Black Power Self Determination Memorial Hall, and Vandy wanted to change to Memorial Hall? Each of us as individuals can choose which portions of our past to honor, but we also should walk a mile in the shoes of others who may not see that past in the same way and who may feel unwelcome/uncomfortable, etc., as a result. Sensitivity, respect and valuing human dignity are far more than "political correctness." The ability to imagine and respect others' viewpoints is among the many priceless things I learned at Davidson. Perhaps your experience was different. I hope not.

stevelee · Post by **stevelee** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 12:40 pm

One man's "political correctness" bogeyman is another man's sensitivity, respect, and valuing human dignity.

I left it as an exercise for the reader to decide whose ox I was poking in the eye. That was either unfair or subtle, perhaps, depending in part on how many of my posts relating to political correctness one has read here.

Airball50 · Post by **Airball50** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 2:07 pm

Like a fine wine.........Clever yet agonizingly ambiguous.

Waitress · Post by **Waitress** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 2:47 pm

stevelee wrote:whose ox I was poking in the eye.

I'm calling the ASPCA.

MakeIt-TakeIt Cat · Post by **MakeIt-TakeIt Cat** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 3:00 pm

The ability to imagine and respect others' viewpoints is among the many priceless things I learned at Davidson. Perhaps your experience was different. I hope not.

This is almost verbatim to a comment made to me by President Vagt when he disagreed with me on some issue I brought to his attention. The statement suggests the other person has failed to attain some noble level of enlightenment ... and is itself a statement of disrespect for the other's viewpoint.

Airball50, are you Robert Vagt?

Airball50 · Post by **Airball50** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 3:09 pm

Vagt, me Vagt?
No vay.

Airball50 · Post by **Airball50** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 3:30 pm

Not disrespect but disappointment that the other person didn't avail himself (all men when I attended) of the opportunity to open himself to the possibility of expanding horizons a bit. Doesn't mean he's a bad person, or that he should sell out his core personal values. Just a gentle reminder that others have other values and viewpoints.

Post by **dorp** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 4:34 pm

stevelee wrote:Political Correctness strikes again. http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive ... ll/495941/

There's a great market these days for the suddenly offended.

stevelee · Post by **stevelee** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 4:51 pm

dorp wrote:
stevelee wrote:Political Correctness strikes again. http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive ... ll/495941/
There's a great market these days for the suddenly offended.

I'm already dreading December when Starbucks will persecute me again for my religion.

stevelee · Post by **stevelee** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 5:26 pm

Waitress wrote:
stevelee wrote:whose ox I was poking in the eye.
I'm calling the ASPCA.

Not to mention the Metaphor Patrol.

Airball50 · Post by **Airball50** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 6:24 pm

The suddenly offended are in direct proportion to the sullenly offensive.

kevin mcmahon · Post by **kevin mcmahon** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 6:37 am

Airball50 wrote:Not disrespect but disappointment that the other person didn't avail himself (all men when I attended) of the opportunity to open himself to the possibility of expanding horizons a bit. Doesn't mean he's a bad person, or that he should sell out his core personal values. Just a gentle reminder that others have other values and viewpoints.

Interesting perspective, if we disagree, you're not open-minded.

Airball50 · Post by **Airball50** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 6:47 am

Actually more like this: if we disagree, let's try to understand why and respect each other's perspective. I know that makes many people uncomfortable.

stevelee · Post by **stevelee** » Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:45 pm

Airball50 wrote:Ask yourself: Would you feel the same way if the building were named Black Power Self Determination Memorial Hall, and Vandy wanted to change to Memorial Hall?

I still haven't decided on my answer to your initial question. It seems too hypothetical and I can't formulate a sufficient equivalence. If I had some history as to who was being honored, by whom, and why, that would make a lot of difference.

I have visited the Vietnam memorial in Washington. AFAIK, I didn't know anyone whose name appears there, though I knew of some. I was with a DU classmate who did serve in Vietnam and knew a few people named. It was an incredibly moving experience. I believe we should honor their memory. You may have heard that not everyone approves of the policies of Johnson and Nixon in escalating and prolonging that war. I have never heard anyone suggest that we tear the wall down or rename it or scratch out the names, etc. Perhaps in a hundred years it will be torn down to keep from offending Asian-Americans.