Given we're discussing the views of a Canadian university student union, I did assume we were contemplating the treatment of those of Japanese origin, in the West.
Has political correctness actually gone mad?
- Thread starter Pogue Mahone
- Start date
Racism, nor discrimination, needs to be deliberate, nor does it require you to see how it can be harmful, for it to be so.I am not even sure anyone if you are wumming or serious. Getting offended by something that neither harms nor intendeds to offend you is not the same as getting upset about racism and discrimination.
EDIT - I wouldn't WUM in threads like this. We just come from very different starting points. I find it hard to imagine how you come to many of the conclusions you and others of a similar mind on these topics do, as well.
Isn't the problem here that this is Halloween though? So by dressing up as a national stereotype of some sort the conclusion might be there is something scary or bad about that nation?
Not that I think a ban is the right approach, and I have no idea what half of the stuff in there is doing in there, but its ultimately well meaning.
The biggest problem in my experience with things like this is that the equality and diversity offices in universities almost entirely get taken over by white, female students who are, actually, the majority group in almost every University in the Western world which leads to a really weird dynamic of a majority dictating to a minority about what they should/shouldn't be offended by.
yes. Halloween is apparently a problem. The logical conclusion of this is that all costumes are bad. Which costume can’t be perceived as offensive? With the fitting personal history/experience/background, you can get offended/upset by pretty much everything. Not just costumes, but literarily everything; even in your everyday life. If we get rid of anything that offends anyone, there won’t be anything left. That’s the point where some level of self-reflection should set in: Some things that offend me are really the problem of my own perception.
This kind of out-rage culture is just unknown to me, because I have never encountered anything like that in reality. Fortunately only few people seem to be actually bothered by something, that shouldn’t worry them.
It depends how you look at it. As I say, I do genuinely think its well meaning, and designed to create an environment that everyone can enjoy and participate in regardless of race, gender, religion or creed. And thats fine, it mighn't always be possible, but its nevertheless a noble enough goal. The intention here will be to prevent people who non-maliciously wear something that is genuinely offensive from preventing others from having fun, you might say that its 'out-rage culture' but I think its entirely reasonable, for example, why, say, a Jewish member of the university might have a bigger problem with someone wearing a Nazi Uniform to Halloween that actually means that they have a point, rather than them being overly-sensitive.
The problem is as I say, Union ethnic diversity officers (as they're called here) tend to be a very specific sort of person who have a very particular world view, asking them to be arbiters of taste is an incredibly bad idea. As a result of that these things tend to be very forced and become over-zealously silly rather than being an organic response to genuine offence caused.
I agree with that completely. I am not saying that there is no line, where costumes or generally speaking acts/cloth becomes offensive. Going to a US/NY Halloween-party in a twin-tower costume is probably not a good idea and everyone with a bit of common sense would understand that. Context is everything and I totally agree that people should pay attention to sensibilities. I was living in south africa for almost a year. People might have rightfully taken offence when I would have turned up at a halloween party black-faced or as slave-holder.
At the same time I'd expect at a Halloween party some level of humour. That is also common sense. You don't need to interpret every triviality in the worst possible way. There is simply no rational reason to get offended by a person wearing some of these costumes. Getting outraged for the sake of it is just silly regardless of the intention. It just shows a stunning lack of common sense and social awareness.
Where does getting outraged at the concerns of a Canadian university student union rank in the grand scheme of silliness?
I am not outraged at all. I was posting this as a joke and you started a serious debate. I enjoy these debates, especially when I look for distraction from the football results.
I suspected you weren't but then I suspect hardly anyone is 'outraged' at all, by any of this, despite your suggestions that those who sympathise with the sentiments of the SU are.
Quite. The CE is a blessed relief from the football at times, as the football can be a relief from current events at others...
If everything goes tits up, there is still the General.
Yes, assuming it survives its rather baffling war between Ireland and India.If everything goes tits up, there is still the General.
God, in my day you dressed as a ghost, vampire, witch or whatever and no-one got offended.
That's appropriating Romanian culture.
Witches were oppressed in 17th century England the US too.
How could you forget about Heinrich Kramer you monster
Had to google that! I've got a book on Matthew Hopkins, our old witchfinder general. He was a real cnut of a man.How could you forget about Heinrich Kramer you monster
He, and his book Mallus Maleficarum, were the centre of a compulsory first year module on witchcraft in Europe. A course which started with the helpful advice to forget everything we'd ever read about witchcraft in books and seen in films because the reality was tedious by comparison. They weren't wrong, but I wish I'd heeded that warning.
It's true that they fly by making flying paste from ground-up babies though, right?
Oh absolutely. And of course everyone knows that the only way to prove that someone isn't a witch is to drown them to death. Unfortunately drowning people to death often kills them, but hey, at least you know then you were wrong.
I'm going as a gay, Indian, cowboy, geisha, transsexual , ISIS fighter, Trump voting, evangelical atheist, Pakistani 7-11 operator, klan member who sailed with Columbus.
Will anyone get offended?
Will anyone get offended?
Everyone'll go as Trump anyway.
and Harley Quinn
There's definitely going to be a few viral photos of Trump grabbing Hillary by the pussy on Nov.1st
sexist!
Odd compulsory. Ours was WWII and Cold War.
It is a slippery slope when you start banning anything which offends someone. There is simply no end to such lists once you start them. And I speak this from experience in living in a country where any group or person files a petition in courts every other day to ban something. Heck, our SC is currently considering passing a judgement that will ban jokes mocking Sikhs.
Coming to the specific Halloween example itself, a Afro American person in US can say that people in police costumes offend them, someone with bad experience with medical professionals may want to ban Doctor uniform and so on.
IMO in a proper democracy, the right to not get offended does not exists while proper freedom of speech means that right to offend must.
Coming to the specific Halloween example itself, a Afro American person in US can say that people in police costumes offend them, someone with bad experience with medical professionals may want to ban Doctor uniform and so on.
IMO in a proper democracy, the right to not get offended does not exists while proper freedom of speech means that right to offend must.
Na, that's pan-international.
That's appropriating Romanian culture.
A dota mask would be even better.
Nah, this is the year of Harambe.
A few years ago, I read an article pointing out the growing segregation of students on University campuses and how it was not being driven by racist white people but by minority groups asking for separate spaces to live, to study. to even just hang out. Campuses that starting in the 60's had been moving towards eliminating the barriers between groups now find themselves supporting putting up barriers between groups of people. It's weird.
Outbreaks of Tobleroneism reported.
It seems incredibly retrograde alright. Physically separating people of different race or gender. Fairly sure that's been tried before...
It seems incredibly retrograde alright. Physically separating people of different race or gender. Fairly sure that's been tried before...
I had a thought about this as well. It would be a good counter to those wanting segregation to hang a bunch of these pictures in front of them and remind them a bit about history.
Oddly many of the people who were against integration and the end of "separate but equal" would go on about the how it would not be safe, it would make people uncomfortable, get in the way of learning, and of course a lot of other vile reasons.
It is just complete lunacy. What would people say (rightfully) if this kind of protest would happen the other way around?
The way that issues about race and gender seem to be all mixed up every time you read about the most extreme liberal nonsense in US universities is interesting. I fecking hate this myth that the straight white male is a victim in today's society but I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that gay black females are seriously stroppy cnuts...
Hopefully their punishment will be the same as it would be for that. Although I doubt it unfortunately.
Edit: This video about it was in my "recommended" ones on Youtube last night.
"Crybullies", I like that.
I thought we all came to the agreement some time ago that segregation is bad?
Also, this is why "reverse racism" doesn't exist. If this were white people blocking off "students of color" then the white students would for sure be sent to jail for hate crimes. Racism is racism is racism.
Delusional cretins.
A lot of students these days have the emotional capacity of children. Safe space... what the feck is that about?