Gillard, what the hell!?

[logansrogue]

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/pm-wants-refugee-debate-without-borders-20100704-zvo3.html

When I hear people say, "Oh, let's not have to worry about political correctness" or "This is political correctness gone mad", I want to PUNCH FACES. I find that very distressing, because I'm a pacifist and I do not hit people.

Political Correctness = NOT BEING AN ASSHOLE.

So when you say, Ms. Gillard, "Let's not worry about political correctness," you're saying, "Let's exercise our institutional, long-standing white privilege in this discussion, regardless of the feelings of those that need our help or may already be here after seeking our help, for the benefit of those that are uncomfortable being confronted with that privilege or having that privilege challenged in the first place," or, basically, "HEY, FREE PASS TO BE A RACIST ASSHOLE, ONLY, YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY RACIST IF YOU'RE SCARED OF BROWN PEOPLE, LOL!"

I am so annoyed by this. I'd be disappointed, but I was more hopeful about Julia Gillard rather than convinced of her Leftness and expecting definite improvements in policy. She's doing what she can to keep Labor in government, I understand that. She's savvy and shit. I just wish people weren't such small-minded turdburgers that that sort of thing was necessary.

Looks like I'm hopelessly voting for Greens again.

Comments

[drbunsen.livejournal.com]

I'm not convinced it is necessary. A principled asylum seeker policy ought to be an easy sell for any party with the balls to sell it.

I'm also not convinced voting Green is "hopeless".

As to that loathsome trope, "political correctness", I've only ~ever~ heard it used by assholes whining when their license to be an asshole is challenged.

[holly-go-noor.livejournal.com]

So ridiculous - and so worldwide. IDK how much press Arizona's KRAXY new laws have gotten in other countries but uhhhhhhhhhhh they're pretty bad. In fact, this has nothing to do with said laws (at least not officially), but it goes to show you how people think:

http://wonkette.com/415809/arizona-school-demands-black-latino-students-faces-on-mural-be-changed-to-white

Nice.

I actually had a girl arguing with me over illegal immigration and why illegals had no right to social security because, "the drug cartels do not deserve any more American money!"

I loled, and defriended her.

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw that on a couple of the sites I frequent. Made me very bloody angry!

Yeah, there comes a point where people say things that are so offensive that it's not worth your energy to deal with that repeatedly.

[mirrorred-star.livejournal.com]

I don't get why a lot of people are so hung up about refugees, to the point where both parties feel the need to have a policy on them. They're just running away from bad places, after all.

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

There's a statistic here that at the current rate of influx, it would take TWENTY YEARS to fill the seating in the Melbourne Cricket Grounds with refugees.

[mirrorred-star.livejournal.com]

I'm Australian too. I live in Victoria :)

I feel that the people I know in person generally aren't as bothered by the thought of boatpeople coming here, but on the other hand I haven't specifically talked with everyone I know about the issue either.

I don't get it because I've heard that statistically there are far more people here illegally that have come on a plane and overstay their visas than asylum seeking boat people, and that they're refugees and we have signed a treaty that obligates us to take them in. It's like the general public have forgotten the definition of 'refugee'. And how insane would one have to be to voluntarily cross from Indonesia to northern WA or the NT on a small, possibly ill maintained boat. Either the public is massively stupid, or... I don't know. :(

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Now you're going to get MY rantlet *G*

Political correctness is supposed to be about not being an asshole in using privilege-laden offensive terms. Unfortunately, both P.C. and words are human constructs and, as such, people can be assholes about both. For example: When I see someone crying that the phrase "chink in his armor" offends her, I want to beat her over the head with a book of etymology. "Chink" in the context of a weak spot goes back nearly five centuries, long before it was ever used as a derogatory term for a Chinese person. Context is everything. Likewise, "to call a spade a spade" was around long before some racist dumbass thought to use "spade" for black people, and it involved the digging implement anyway, not the card symbol. In contrast, I stopped using the word "gypped" years ago when I thought about how it came about and what it means - I'm reasonably sure the vast majority of people who use it don't think where it comes from or why it's offensive, they only know what it means. Likewise, I haven't used "retard" since I was a kid (unless I'm referring to something being "retardant" such as flameproof, in the sense of an inanimate object that has a quality of repelling damage; and even then I usually use another word).

Words matter to me. I don't know everything, but I will look it up if somebody says "hey, that's offensive" and I don't already know it. If I learn it is offensive and has no other quality of meaning, I stop using it (obviously there are words that are offensive that I still use, simply because there are people who deserve to be offended sometimes, and the word itself doesn't insult another source - I mean, I guess donkeys could be upset by "dumbass" but I don't really care *G*). BUT - if it isn't and it's a legitimate word with a meaning that didn't originate as a slur, I reserve the right to continue to use it within proper context. And not be made to feel like a monster about it.

[countessdeweird.livejournal.com]

veronica_rich, you might be interested to read this article (http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2010/01/watch-your-mouth-part-2-reappropriation.html) about politically correct language and shifting definitions. What's the point of using language that offends people, whether rightly or not? May as well use words that haven't grown into new derogatory meanings and not hurt people.

logansrogue, I totally agree with everything you wrote above! I was also hopeful but not expecting improvements from Gillard, but I'm still pretty disappointed.

[countessdeweird.livejournal.com]

Whoops, linked the wrong article in that series. I meant to suggest this one (http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2010/01/watch-your-mouth-part-3-use-your-big.html).

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Are you advocating that we throw out perfectly good words that have been in use sometimes for hundreds of years - inoffensively and in their own right - because someone in the past century appropriated all or part of said words to advance their own offensive agendas? Rather than advocating that people take the step of educating themselves about what words mean before dropping them from their lexicon - and not dropping it if it turns out the cigar is just a cigar?

[countessdeweird.livejournal.com]

Yes.

In an ideal world where everybody enjoyed and had access to education about the history of our language and of particular words, I would agree with you. We do not live in that world.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I understand where you're coming from and I can even see the line of your reasoning. I just can't agree that a viable solution is to drop a word from vocabulary every time someone expresses offense at it. If I use a word someone doesn't know or like, they can ask and I'll explain the meaning or origin, or if I don't know and find out it does have offensive origins sufficient to drop its use, I will. As for the written word, if you're holding a book or paper, chances are you have access to a $4 pocket dictionary or a library, where they are free. The Internet has reputable dictionary and etymology sites if you can afford to be online reading or go to a library to do so (again, free reference books).

If you're referring to non-English speakers, then my part on the conversation is moot, because I certainly wouldn't expect speakers of Swahili or German to drop words that I don't understand simply because I don't know rheir origins - or meaning.

However, all you're advocating is personal choice to regulate one's own word use, and I am all for that freedom and commend you for having a philosophy that you've also given thought and effort to developing. Not everybody does.

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

You know, I'm so glad I have the sort of people on my flist that can have this sort of conversation without it devolving into wank. I love you guys. *hugs offered*

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Years ago, I was on the f-list of someone who regularly stood back and let some f-listers take shots at others with no lifeline, and sometimes joined in. I always said I wouldn't put up with it in my journal or try to do it in someone else's. But really, she was polite, so there's no reason I shouldn't be anyway. :-)

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

If it gets rough, I'll step in and say, "Woah, cool off, guys!" cause I love my lj mates and hate to see people tear each other new ones.

[countessdeweird.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to be able to have this sort of conversation. Hooray for well-mannered people on the internet :)

I was a little worried about starting the discussion in your space, and probably should have asked you if it was okay first. For future reference, do you generally prefer conversations not on the topic of your post to happen elsewhere, or are you not too fussed about this kind of thing?

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

As long as people are polite and civil, anything goes. :)

[countessdeweird.livejournal.com]

I can see your reasoning too, and to an extent I agree with you. I certainly agree that people should be able to choose how they use language, and I hate to drop cool words because other people misunderstand or misinterpret them. And I think it's great for people to be educated wherever that's possible. On the other hand, though, I've come to see that expecting people to have or even to want that education can be a bit problematic because of the way that expectation intersects with a lot of the privileges I have.

I've known a lot of people who use language differently to me, and conversations about our different usage of particular words usually boils down to an assertion of privilege on one side or the other. As a fairly privileged person who's had a great education, the person asserting privilege in that discussion is usually going to be me. If I insist that my way is the right way because it aligns with the historical way, or the way in the dictionary, it can have classist or sometimes racist overtones. The people whose words are typically recorded throughout history, the people who write dictionaries, and the people who complain about other people using or interpreting language incorrectly, are usually the people with privilege. Having the access to education to know that your (general you, not you personally) way of speaking and interpreting language is the "right" way because it aligns with a history shaped by other privileged people is a privilege in itself. It'd be nice if everybody had that access to education, but if everybody had that education and adhered to the rules of how to use language according to all the centuries of privileged people who wrote the rulebook, many idioms would die out. A valuable part of many cultures would be erased. The way we communicate, how we navigate through this world, can also be very important in shaping the way we think about ourselves as individuals and understand our own identities, and telling people that their understanding of language, rooted in the idiom of a particular group, is wrong or inferior can be quite a personal attack. Telling people who misinterpret my words as meaning something offensive that isn't in the dictionary that they're wrong and I'm right and here's the academic proof, can have all kinds of layers of privilege and crap to it. That's not something I want in my interactions with others.

Meep, what a long comment this is!

Shorter version, in case of tl;dr: aside from generally not wanting to use words that I know will hurt people, issues about education and "correct" language use are often influenced by class and race in ways that can't easily be dismissed and that I'm not keen on perpetuating.