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crazyjane'Political correctness'. When I hear those two words it's likely to trigger a fit of near-uncontrollable rage. I'm sick to death of hearing people bleat about how terrible it is to be 'politically correct', and how oppressed they are and how outrageous it is that they can't have 'free speech'.
And by 'free speech', they mean the right to say anything they like, no matter how racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise insulting, and not be called on it. They mean the right to tell jokes that cut others deeply, or even sting a little, and no one is allowed to object to that. Their rights are all-important, and how dare anyone say otherwise?
Well, you know what? Sure, you have the 'right' to say what you like. And I have the right to call you out for being an unfeeling, vicious asshat. I have the right to cry 'Shame on you!' when you hide your callousness behind laughter, and then have the temerity to mutter that people 'can't take a joke' when someone is offended by what you say.
I have the right to refuse to listen to you generalise about people based on their gender or sexual orientation, and the right to subject you to withering scorn and ferocious argument for your casual racism when you claim you're 'only calling it how you see it'.
I have the right to name your speech for what it is - hatred.
'But I don't hate gays/women/Aboriginals/Muslims ... some of my best friends are ... I've got a friend who is (insert stereotype here) and he doesn't care if I say those things ...'
Et fucking cetera.
These people never stop to think that the 'best friend' who doesn't object to the racist jokes, or the gay stereotyping, or the casual sexism, might be keeping silent. They don't consider that behind that smile might be hurt, or regret, or shame. And they apparently don't realise that even if one person does find their bigotry acceptable, that person doesn't speak for everyone.
So yes, I will call you out when you make a disgusting, racist joke. I will object when you resort to stereotyping and hurt someone for whom I care deeply. I will make a point of forcing you to confront the damage you do. And when you decide you want to poke 'fun' at someone who's called you on that behaviour by attacking them where they're most vulnerable, I will, by god, rip you up one side and down the other.
And if you want to whine about how fucking oppressed you are, or flounce around proclaiming your superiority because you have 'more important things to worry about than someone's precious feelings'? You had better not do it near me.
Because I will enumerate, point by point, every single time you've been hurt and come crying to me or gone whining on Facebook or LJ about the unfairness of others ... every time you've cried because someone's attacked you for simply being a particular race, or religion, or gender ... every time you've demanded your right not to be stereotyped by a television show ... and I will explain to you in minute detail how far you are responsible for perpetuating a world in which that can happen.
Don't cry to me if someone attacks you about being mentally ill if you're the type of person who makes casually racist jokes.
Don't complain that someone has discriminated against you for being a pagan when you've denied others a place in your circles because of their gender.
Don't try and engage my sympathy when you refuse to exercise even a shred of empathy or integrity because you think you have a 'right' ... or worse, because you're just too fucking lazy to think about other people before you flap your mouth.
It's not 'political correctness' to refuse to perpetuate a harmful stereotype ... to excise racist words from your vocabulary ... to show a little goddamn care.
It's being a decent human being. And it really isn't that hard.
(Oh, and for the record ... if you hear/see me saying something racist, homophobic, etc? Call me on it. Tell me what I've done. Because I know damn well I'm not entirely free from this behaviour - but I want to be.
And if I've offended or hurt you because of that? Then I'll damn well apologise unreservedly. And try like hell never to do it again.)
And by 'free speech', they mean the right to say anything they like, no matter how racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise insulting, and not be called on it. They mean the right to tell jokes that cut others deeply, or even sting a little, and no one is allowed to object to that. Their rights are all-important, and how dare anyone say otherwise?
Well, you know what? Sure, you have the 'right' to say what you like. And I have the right to call you out for being an unfeeling, vicious asshat. I have the right to cry 'Shame on you!' when you hide your callousness behind laughter, and then have the temerity to mutter that people 'can't take a joke' when someone is offended by what you say.
I have the right to refuse to listen to you generalise about people based on their gender or sexual orientation, and the right to subject you to withering scorn and ferocious argument for your casual racism when you claim you're 'only calling it how you see it'.
I have the right to name your speech for what it is - hatred.
'But I don't hate gays/women/Aboriginals/Muslims ... some of my best friends are ... I've got a friend who is (insert stereotype here) and he doesn't care if I say those things ...'
Et fucking cetera.
These people never stop to think that the 'best friend' who doesn't object to the racist jokes, or the gay stereotyping, or the casual sexism, might be keeping silent. They don't consider that behind that smile might be hurt, or regret, or shame. And they apparently don't realise that even if one person does find their bigotry acceptable, that person doesn't speak for everyone.
So yes, I will call you out when you make a disgusting, racist joke. I will object when you resort to stereotyping and hurt someone for whom I care deeply. I will make a point of forcing you to confront the damage you do. And when you decide you want to poke 'fun' at someone who's called you on that behaviour by attacking them where they're most vulnerable, I will, by god, rip you up one side and down the other.
And if you want to whine about how fucking oppressed you are, or flounce around proclaiming your superiority because you have 'more important things to worry about than someone's precious feelings'? You had better not do it near me.
Because I will enumerate, point by point, every single time you've been hurt and come crying to me or gone whining on Facebook or LJ about the unfairness of others ... every time you've cried because someone's attacked you for simply being a particular race, or religion, or gender ... every time you've demanded your right not to be stereotyped by a television show ... and I will explain to you in minute detail how far you are responsible for perpetuating a world in which that can happen.
Don't cry to me if someone attacks you about being mentally ill if you're the type of person who makes casually racist jokes.
Don't complain that someone has discriminated against you for being a pagan when you've denied others a place in your circles because of their gender.
Don't try and engage my sympathy when you refuse to exercise even a shred of empathy or integrity because you think you have a 'right' ... or worse, because you're just too fucking lazy to think about other people before you flap your mouth.
It's not 'political correctness' to refuse to perpetuate a harmful stereotype ... to excise racist words from your vocabulary ... to show a little goddamn care.
It's being a decent human being. And it really isn't that hard.
(Oh, and for the record ... if you hear/see me saying something racist, homophobic, etc? Call me on it. Tell me what I've done. Because I know damn well I'm not entirely free from this behaviour - but I want to be.
And if I've offended or hurt you because of that? Then I'll damn well apologise unreservedly. And try like hell never to do it again.)
(no subject)
Date: 2011-09-15 02:49 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-09-15 05:01 am (UTC)