PC Terminology Evolution

[markyj987]

A little long, but a rant worth reading. If you are a member of the PC movement--avert your eyes unless you are choosing to be offended!

You know, it's funny how terms have evolved since the birth of the PC movement.

I was watching the local news the other day (which is rare considering the garbage they have on there) and happened upon a story about a missing girl. They ended it by saying that she is "cognitively delayed."

Let's track this term way back to the 50's.

Back in the 50's, "idiot" meant someone who was like this. It wasn't the relatively funny word that we use today to define someone who is oblivious and ignorant--or a moron. It meant someone who was mentally retarded.

"Mentally retarted" was a term used either concurrently with or after "idiot." Of course, this word became a term used in pop culture, with people calling each other "mental" or a "retard" or referring to a moron/idiot in that manner. Because of this conversion to a mainstream term, "mentally retarded" became a no-no word.

Enter two of the first terms that were used in the PC movement. "mentally handicapped" and "mentally disabled."

These, too, became "no-no" words. "Mental" in any form became a cruel term--and "handicapped" or "disabled" could offend somebody--even when used in proper context.

Enter "differently-abled" and "challenged." Let's drop "mentally" altogether too--we'll use "cognitively challenged."

Oh wait--- I guess you all didn't get the memo!!! We can NOT stress differences unless it's about pride in one's minority race or sexual preference! That might offend somebody as well.

So, somewhere in the middle of the night--in their secret evil lair (I mean--umm--anti-good meeting hall. No---I mean pro moral choice conference center--yeah, something like that), they kept "cognitive" and variations thereof and because nobody wants to hear any word that remotely suggested competition, "challenge" and all its forms were banned.

So, now we're looking for a "cognitively delayed" missing girl here in Milwaukee. Of course, given the fact that it took me an hour to figure out what that was, I missed the rest of the details. Yet another PC sin--I can only remember her disability--differently-abledness--challenge--err um delayedness? Isn't that cruel and heartless of me that I can only remember that one thing about her?

Out of my fear of the PC Police, I must include these disclosures:

A) I am NOT making light of a missing girl who is--whatever term they're using today.

B) I am NOT making fun of people in her position.

C) I AM indeed poking fun at the PC crowd. I'd call them morons or idiots, but that wouldn't be very nice.

D) I am a short (vertically challenged), fat (radially gifted), very white (pigment-deficient) Republican (what they might consider cognitively delayed.) That said, I'm sure glad these people are looking out for me so I don't get offended.

Okay, I lied...he PC folks ARE idiots.

Does anybody else want to show us how we've "evolved" from "mean" words that "single people out" and enlighten the rest of us "cruel" people as to how they became the fine terms we use today? LOL

[7th]

Re: PC Terminology Evolution

I do beleave that with all the dang PC crap today, we are setting our kids up to fall flat on there face. Realy, who has a boss that is going to codgel them when they are not doing there work becose there fellings are hurt???

I come from the old school and there was not PC in the WV schools that I went to and when we did something we got the Board on our back side. We aslo stood up to bullys and got a black eye but that would stop it for the most part and we had pried in our teams and showed it. Heck there was a high school team a few years ago here in Ohio that lost a game (they was winning) when they would not stop running a lap around the goal post after a touchdown. This is something they had been doing sense the 1920's.

I don't beleave that Dr. Spock knows more about raising kids then I do, his son killed his self and so far my 4 don't like alot of what I make them do but they do it and I get people telling me all the time about how well behaved they are, they even open doors up for ladys when I am not around to tell them too.

The PC croud need to work on them selfs and leave the rest of us alone.

Frank.

PS,JMHO

[slugshooter]

Re: PC Terminology Evolution

I know ya'll have proabably been waiting for me to jump on the PC soapbox and defend every PC term they come up with, however, I do believe at this point in time that it has gone too far in some instances. This "cognitively delayed" whatever they came up with to describe this girl only caused people to go look in dictionaries to figure out what in the heck they were talking about, I say mentally handicapped, I say little people, I tend to say the kinder term than what has been said in the past, only because it's a decent thing to do. The truth is, is that someone, somewhere who is a "midget" will be offended if you call him that, or dwarf, or little person or whatever, the trick is to find what the majority of them like to be called, the same with minorities, some want to be called black, african-american, negroe. You can't please everybody, I would think the best thing to do is if you can't figure out what to call someone, is just to not say anything for risk of offending said individual.

By the way, Idiot doesn't really fit for someone considered mentally handicapped because in ancient Greek, Idiot meant "man who did not vote". Fitting for the political room huh?

[stevebeilgard]

Re: PC Terminology Evolution

midget? you mean vertically challenged? (lol)

[buckee]

Re: PC Terminology Evolution

"cognitively delayed."???

Hmmmm, that sounds like you missed the bus and your going to be late for supper, or something to that effect.

[slugshooter]

Re: PC Terminology Evolution

[ QUOTE ]

My question to the PC crowd is this. Who exactly do you think is going to be offended by a swimming term called the "Dead man's float?"

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe, just possibly, and this is probably a strecth, but maybe someone who had a loved one who died by drowning. I don't think they would take to kindly to taking their kid to a swimming class and hearing the teacher say, "OK class, lets all do the dead man float." It's easy to jump on people who may get offended by a certain term or phrase when one doesn't have the same experiences as another.

[johnf]

Re: PC Terminology Evolution

Anyone can get offended by almost anything at any given time. To try to avoid everyone from ever getting offended is ludacrist.

To the PC world.

1. LIGHTEN UP!!!

2. GET OVER YOURSELF!!!!

3. FIND SOMETHING WORTHWHILE TO BE MAD ABOUT.