I hate my Ethics Class

[Jenny_Jackson]

Dear God!! I can't believe Anthropomitry still lives on in America. Now the blacks are using it to prove themselves.

 

[cloudy]

Dear God!! I can't believe Anthropomitry still lives on in America. Now the blacks are using it to prove themselves.

It's anthropometry, and WTF are you talking about?

 

[Jubal_Harshaw]

Jubal, can I quote you on that first comment? I actually liked it immensely.

Quote anything you like, but if it gets you poked in the eye I'll deny everything.

 

[StormRising]

Quote anything you like, but if it gets you poked in the eye I'll deny everything.

Hence the reason not to play leapfrog with unicorns, non?

 

[StormRising]

I'm reading the book "Blink" about making snap decisions. So far it is all about how the subconscious mind works to influence those decisions. One of the studies it points to is the Implicit Association Test. I remember taking one while I was in college. The most widely known one is about race, but there are others as well:

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/selectatest.jsp

It kind of rankles me as a traditionalist to see political correctness running amok. But as someone who understands on a very fundamental level the importance of associative connotations, I can't argue as strongly as I would otherwise.

For instance, to me, that correct term for the people who serves drinks and such on an airplane are "steward" and "stewardess". Over the years, the word stewardess has become associated with brainless bimbos and sex objects. Using a new word, you break those unconscious associations. The problem is that as long as there are brainless bimbos and sex objects serving drinks on airplanes, whatever word you use to call them, will become associated with those behaviors, appearances, etc. So changing the word is only a short term fix, and you need to address the reason the associations are formed in the first place.

Another example that is especially pertinent to me is the word "fraternity" as opposed to "frat". Many people in fraternities are taught the phrase, "You wouldn't call your country a cunt, so don't call your fraternity a frat." They take away the concept that shortening the word is where the insult lies. In fact the insult is from the association of "frat" with Animal House behavior, hazing, and all the other negative stereotypes. Meanwhile the term "fraternity" doesn't have all of those negatives associated with it. Maybe stuffy, white, conservative, but not drunk, hazing and womanizing.

Of course, I had the benefit of growing up in a home with parents who had large vocabularies and who knew the important differences between seemingly synonymous words. I also had a few good English teachers who furthered my understanding of the language. It can be subtle and powerful when used correctly.

I purposely didn't actually address race, because I consciously know that subconsciously I have prejudices. And those prejudices are very complex.

We had to take those for this class (yes, I know I'm logged in as the wrong user ) and I actually came out with some pretty amusing result. absolutely no preference in race and skin tone, but i prefer gay people over straight and muslims over other religions. Not sure why, but there you have it.

 

[Jubal_Harshaw]

Hence the reason not to play leapfrog with unicorns, non?

No. That one's just a common sense thing.

 

[harv069]

Jubal, can I quote you on that first comment? I actually liked it immensely.

And if you want to hear this really cool story about color-blind kids, I think PapaSki9p was the one who told me about the two kids in Germany. They were outside playing, and when the one little boy came in, his mother asked him if he had been outside playing with the black boy.

"I don't know," the boy replied. "I didn't look to see."

The kid involved was my eldest son. He has a younger son and two younger daughters. All of them grew up color blind because i would have it no other way.
All of their children are color blind as well. If we all raised our kids that way, including all races, there would be no discrimination problems, except for rich vrs poor. That will never go away.

 

[cloudy]

The kid involved was my eldest son. He has a younger son and two younger daughters. All of them grew up color blind because i would have it no other way.
All of their children are color blind as well. If we all raised our kids that way, including all races, there would be no discrimination problems, except for rich vrs poor. That will never go away.

My oldest daughter is a member of a future race, I swear. I'm Choctaw and white, and her dad is Creek and black. She's absolutely gorgeous, and no one has ever been able to correctly place her ethnic heritage. That's just a little background, on to the tale...

One of my friends here is married to a black guy (she's white), and has two boys: one 10 (or around there), and the younger one is the same age as my youngest, six. At the time this happened, the two younger boys were 4 or so.

One day we're all going to the store, she and I in the front (I was driving), and the three boys in the back. I made some comment that C (my son) just absolutely does not see skin color. Maybe from the way he was raised, or the fact that my family is so multicultural, or whatever.

She turns around, and asks C, "C, what color are K and J? (her two boys)

He looks up at her, this expression on his face like she's the stupidest adult he's ever seen, and then goes back to playing after he says, "You're so silly."

 

[Skip1934a]

My oldest daughter is a member of a future race, I swear. I'm Choctaw and white, and her dad is Creek and black. She's absolutely gorgeous, and no one has ever been able to correctly place her ethnic heritage. That's just a little background, on to the tale...

One of my friends here is married to a black guy (she's white), and has two boys: one 10 (or around there), and the younger one is the same age as my youngest, six. At the time this happened, the two younger boys were 4 or so.

One day we're all going to the store, she and I in the front (I was driving), and the three boys in the back. I made some comment that C (my son) just absolutely does not see skin color. Maybe from the way he was raised, or the fact that my family is so multicultural, or whatever.

She turns around, and asks C, "C, what color are K and J? (her two boys)

He looks up at her, this expression on his face like she's the stupidest adult he's ever seen, and then goes back to playing after he says, "You're so silly."

rousing applause.

 

[nici]

This can all be summed up in two words; "Political correctness".
It's just code for Anti-White.
If you take a stand against it then be prepared to be labeled a Nazi, just like myself and many others.
If you are strong you will take this stand, if you are weak then you will sit there and say nothing.

Why not just admit to the emotions you are feeling and not try hiding them behind aggressive behavioral patterns? Admit that you feel through “Political Correctness” to be losing ground.

Examine, that your fear (expressed through hatred or disgust) of “Political Correctness” is in fact nothing more than fear of change, fear of somehow being subjugated, fear of losing inherited position.

If you are into power exchanges then you should already have realized the difference between assertive behavior and aggressive behavior. Your later comments seem to leave a bitter taste of passive aggressiveness. So, you want to be called Master? No, that is spelled with an N and an O… no. Assertive males are special, but aggressive are a dime a dozen and pretty clichéd.

 

[only_more_so]

Why not just admit to the emotions you are feeling and not try hiding them behind aggressive behavioral patterns? Admit that you feel through “Political Correctness” to be losing ground.

Examine, that your fear (expressed through hatred or disgust) of “Political Correctness” is in fact nothing more than fear of change, fear of somehow being subjugated, fear of losing inherited position.

If you are into power exchanges then you should already have realized the difference between assertive behavior and aggressive behavior. Your later comments seem to leave a bitter taste of passive aggressiveness. So, you want to be called Master? No, that is spelled with an N and an O… no. Assertive males are special, but aggressive are a dime a dozen and pretty clichéd.

The problem with political correctness is that all too often it doesn't serve to elevate those who have been historically low, but to lower those who have been high. That is why many people see it as an attack against whites and men, and that is why it is so bitterly attacked.

In other words, there are people who seek parity by cutting down the peaks, others try to fill in the valleys.

Quality of life is not a zero sum game.

 

[rgraham666]

The problem with political correctness is that all too often it doesn't serve to elevate those who have been historically low, but to lower those who have been high. That is why many people see it as an attack against whites and men, and that is why it is so bitterly attacked.

In other words, there are people who seek parity by cutting down the peaks, others try to fill in the valleys.

Quality of life is not a zero sum game.

No it isn't. But people with power imagine it to be. Which is why they play the game so viciously.

 

[Pure]

i don't think 'political correctness' can be discussed in the abstract; it's a term used by those objecting to certain decisions that (apparently unfairly) disadvantage them or their group.

let us take an example. a woman was just appointed President of Harvard University. this is a first. perhaps some males will cry 'political correctness,' if their favorite candidate, a well qualified white male did not get the job. we'd have to look at the outcome, however, to see if it was unfair. in the case in question the woman is outstanding and published in her field and apparently has leadership potential. the last president, Summers, (white male) got into a lot of controversy.

there are unfair or unwise decisions, but one has to look at specifics.
to take anothe example: GWB appointed the Hispanic, Gonzales, as Attorney General. Was that 'political correctness'? The man is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and appears competent (if misguided). I could object to his right-wing authoritarian philosophy, but since Bush gets to appoint his cabinet, I'm not sure I'm in a position to object to the man's being Hispanic (i.e., perhaps Bush thought, 'it would be good to have a[nother] Hispanic in my cabinet.)

--
i disagree with Jubal and a couple others, that the laws must always be color blind, and that organizational procedures must be*. it's an old argument for 'affirmative action,' but I agree: where there are past inequalities, in a transitional period affirmative action is justified, i.e. taking into consideration race, gender, whatever, in the manner of 'tipping the balance' between approximately equal candidates. BUT the person chosen 'affirmatively' must be well qualified (capable) for the job and not substantially less capable than those rejected.

i suppose affirmative action will be faulted as 'political correctness,' but i'd argue that specifics of each case must be brought forward; for example, one must inquire as to the qualifications (capabilities) of the person chosen.
---

*at the personal level, i'd argue it's a different story: i admire parents who, in practicing color blindness, succeed in raised 'color blind' kids, as apparently Cloudy has.

 

[StormRising]

People-colored

My favorite kid phrase ever. They can tell the difference from a bay and a chestnut, a buckskin or a dun, but ask my three year old what color his skin is and he says "people-colored." It's cute. Alternatively- when we were at the beach last week, he said "Mommy, you're a pink person now!" and then asked if Uncle Neil (who is a little bit this side of ebony) could turn pink too. He thought it was a neat trick.

 

[CeriseNoire]

I am quite grateful for my parents raising me not so much to be "color-blind", but teaching me not to care about color. Honestly, I never spent much time thinking about being black until I moved to the States. I actually have an old class picture posted in my classroom, and my first year teaching, one of my students pointed at it and said,

"Miss, you're the only black kid in the class. Was that weird?"

"Not really," I answered, " actually I never noticed until you pointed it out.

I found it kind of sad that it seemed such a big deal to her.

 

[only_more_so]

No it isn't. But people with power imagine it to be. Which is why they play the game so viciously.

It's funny that you say that, since I was thinking of it the opposite way, that those who start off on the lower side are always looking to take power/money away from those who have it.

 

[CharleyH]

Yeah - Law - ever thought that that was the point of the class?

And I'm going to tell you why.
It's a crock.
It's bullshit.
The entire way this class is presented is the diametric opposite of the STAED purpose of the class. We're supposed to be studying and learning how to balance the world, how to end the color and sex and orientation and culture barrier.

Every single questio is basically a hamer blow to the skull if you happen to be white. They go so far as to warp history so that ONLY Blacks were enslaved, and if you are white, male and gods forbid working class, you are the AntiChrist. I'm getting more and more angry as I do my homework... and I had to rant.

So, here's today's Discussion Question. I would absolutely love to see what the Litizens make of it.

• Post your response to this question: Consider racial imbalances in education, the economy, family life, housing, criminal justice, health care, and politics. Of these societal challenges facing modern African Americans, which do you think are most difficult to overcome, and why?

 

[Pure]

i reiterate: it's hardly surprsing that a course, esp. in philos, dedicated to 'diversity' or 'racism' or 'oppression' should focus a lot on the sufferings of non white folks. it's inevitable that white students are going to feel uncomfortable, though I don't agree with the prof personally attacking them as malefactors (if that has been done).

if you want comfort, falling, study banking at a business school employing bankers.

as to rg vs. only. i don't rich folks think 'how can i oppress the poor today,' and most don't think about the poor that much. otoh, i would not say working people are necessarily consumed with 'class hatred,' though of course you're going to see anger at injustice.

if A is sitting comfortably on the back of B, having done so for a while without incident, it's kind of obvious the it's B who may have the greater interest in questioning the arrangement. in that way i agree perhaps a bit more with only moreso.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I think you should point out that the only things black guys have going for them is the size of their cocks. And that they really like to share their diversity with white girls.

That'll shut his ass up

 

[Jubal_Harshaw]

I think you should point out that the only things black guys have going for them is the size of their cocks. And that they really like to share their diversity with white girls.

That'll shut his ass up

I must be more white than black according to you. Funny, you'd never know it ny looking.