Being somewhat conservative, I don't worry too much about being politically correct because I think that sometimes the P.C. crowd goes too far and victimizes far too many.
But I believe in being polite and sensitive to others, and in bringing about civility. I don't accept "well, it's all an inside joke/term of endearment/camaraderie" or the other lame excuses that are thrown about to excuse the use of derogatory terms.
I sat there in disbelief when poor Elisabeth Hasselbeck was making an impassioned plea toWhoopi -- how do I explain to my children that it's ok for some to use the n-word but not others?
"You don't understand," Whoopi said over and over, not really answering EH's desire to understand it. Yes, there is something about a community "taking back" a word and therefore diffusing it of its "power" to deride. But I say, why not just refuse to use it, acknowledge it, or give it any credence at all?
I had a Jewish friend who would say "He's such a Jew" if someone was careful about their money, but she didn't mean it as a compliment. Just because she is Jewish doesn't make it ok.
So now we have Prince Harry in another flurry, this time over demeaning names he used toward fellow soldiers. It has been explained that it was all a part of the camaraderie in the unit, that the names were said out loud by everyone to everyone's faces and that it was understood as a morale booster -- or something to that effect.
Now, I saw Band of Brothers and I understand that it's a tactic the military uses to help units bond. That by calling each member a name, you're making each one understand that there is no one among them who is any better than the others.
I'm all for embracing racial identity and boosting troop morale. But we're all grown-ups here. Can't we find a way to come together other than by calling each other names?
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