Look out, She’s off.

I’ve just been sitting here pondering about things. One of my absolute bugbears in these modern times is the way political correctness has invaded our society - for the worse!

Okay, I can see that it started out with the best intention in the world. The old saying of “sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me” doesn’t apply anymore in this era. We are all fully aware that names can hurt - especially if they shame, ridicule and humiliate someone, and especially when it is connected to such things as race, gender, weight, religion or physical ability. Let’s face it, no-one likes to be called names that are mean or disrespectful.

Obviously, though, there seems to be another category of name-calling that is also mean and disrespectful, usually spouted from the same mouths as those who place themselves on a pedestal as a beacon of light when it comes to being virtuous about political correctness - Yes! I’m referring to those that throw some of these same names around at the drop of a hat - even here on OFF!

How many of us at one time or another have had the same label, accusation or insinuation of being “Racist” “Sexist”, “Homophobic”, “anti-Semite” and my all-time favourite, “Bigot” aimed at them in posts by some, when only trying to put their point of view across? Half of the people who do this probably don’t even realise what the labels they so casually throw about, even mean.
Surely these are cases of Kettle and Pot as they probably know all about PC, but by letting these names drip so easily from their lips at others, are doing exactly what political correctness was intended to stop!

However, it particularly ticks me off when these usually sane people have become so infected by PC, they use political correctness itself as an excuse to accuse perfectly innocent people, perhaps because what they said was eagerly taken out of context to suit the label hurled at them, or maybe they made a clumsy attempt at humour? Or as in sometimes generational errors, said something in complete innocence that in the poor bewildered accused person's eyes, had never meant to be hurtful or wrong. But instead of quietly
and discreetly putting them right about what is suitable and unsuitable in their behaviour, instead,in some cases, the action taken against them has been out of all proportion and sometimes completely destroyed their careers.

No, I personally think political correctness, although intended to ensure that different cultures working together as colleagues did not unintentionally insult them or their culture, has in my view, made things much worse! I should imagine that people have surely become so afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing it's probably made things much more difficult as I should imagine a lot of work colleagues of different cultures would be more likely to avoid each other through discomfort, rather than bonding as they would definitely would have done in the years before political correctness became the norm.

With my sense of humour, I doubt if I would last a month in a job!!

I honestly think that political correctness has become more of a problem than the reason it was originally intended to address.

What say you?

A list of 100 politically correct words and phrases:

Homosexual – Gay
Homeless – Outdoor urban dwellers
Insane – Reality challenged
Perverted – Sexually dysfunctional
Prostitute – Sex worker / Sex care provider
Stupid – Intellectually impaired / Unschooled
Dishonest – Ethically disorientated
Dustbin Man – Sanitation Engineer
Insult – Emotional rape
Bisexual prostitute – Equal opportunity prostitute
Poor – Economically marginalised
Immigrant – Newcomer
Illegal immigrant – Irregular immigrant / undocumented worker
Right wing protest – Riot
Left wing riot – Protest
Drunk – Inebriated / chemically inconvenienced
Terrorist – Freedom fighter / rebel / protester / insurgent
Global warming – Climate change
Job losses – Job restructuring
Criminal – Behaviourally challenged
Broken Home – Dysfunctional family
Caretaker – Site engineer
Fat – Metabolic overachiever
Slum area – Economically deprived area
Foreign food – Ethnic cuisine
Housewife – Domestic engineer
Jungle – Rain forest
Natural disaster – Global warming incident
Sex change – Gender reassignment
Tramp – Homeless person
Unemployed – Economically inactive
Preferential treatment – Affirmative action
Racist – Someone who disagrees with the far-left
Nazi – Someone who disagrees with the far-left
Fascist – Someone who disagrees with the far-left
Husband – Partner
Wife – Partner
Dictator – Leader who refuses to obey the UK government
Tyrant – Leader who refuses to obey the UK government
Regime – Government that refuses to obey UK government
Crime rate – Street activity index
Robbery – Wealth redistribution
Vomiting – Unplanned re-examination of recent food choices
Lying – Economical with the truth
Wanted criminal – Person of interest
Patriot – Troublemaker / pest / nuisance / agitator
Promiscuous – Sex addict
Chairman – Chairperson / Chair
Fireman – Firefighter
Merry Christmas – Season’s Greetings
Blackboard – Chalkboard
Illegal voter – Undocumented voter
Bribe – Public service bonus
Christmas – Winter Festival
Lies – Alternative facts
Printing money – Quantitative easing
Immigrants – Labour supporters
Illegal subletting – Irregular subletting
Shoplifting – Irregular shopping
Black sheep – Outcast
Blackmail – Extortion
Postman – Mail carrier
Manhole – Utility hole
Blacklisted – Banned
Murder – Unauthorised termination of life
Rational fear – Phobia
Uneducated – Unschooled / Lacking a formal education
Flip chart – Easel (Flip is a derogatory word for Filipinos)
Mexican – Hispanic
Dustman – Sanitation engineer
Ghetto – Economically deprived area
Housewife – Domestic engineer
Illegal aliens – Undocumented migrants
Ugly – Visually unfavourable
Lazy – Motivationally deficient
Unemployed – Unintentionally at leisure / non-waged
Smelly – Nasally disturbing
Best man for the job – Best person for the job
Man in the street – Average person
Waitress – Server
Failure – Non-traditional success
Forefathers – Ancestors
Man-made – Artificial
Manpower – Human resources
Mankind – Humanity
Right-hand man – Chief assistant
Christian name – Forename
Sportsmanship – Fairness
Tax man – Tax officer
Workmanlike – Efficient
Steward – Flight attendant
Stewardess – Flight attendant
Deaf – Hearing impairment
Disease – Disorder
Businessman – Business person
Actress – Actor
Manageress – Manager
Spinster – Bachelorette
White lie – Lie
Plastic surgery – Cosmetic surgery

A list of 100 politically correct words and phrases:

Homosexual – Gay
Homeless – Outdoor urban dwellers
Insane – Reality challenged
Perverted – Sexually dysfunctional
Prostitute – Sex worker / Sex care provider
Stupid – Intellectually impaired / Unschooled
Dishonest – Ethically disorientated
Dustbin Man – Sanitation Engineer
Insult – Emotional rape
Bisexual prostitute – Equal opportunity prostitute
Poor – Economically marginalised
Immigrant – Newcomer
Illegal immigrant – Irregular immigrant / undocumented worker
Right wing protest – Riot
Left wing riot – Protest
Drunk – Inebriated / chemically inconvenienced
Terrorist – Freedom fighter / rebel / protester / insurgent
Global warming – Climate change
Job losses – Job restructuring
Criminal – Behaviourally challenged
Broken Home – Dysfunctional family
Caretaker – Site engineer
Fat – Metabolic overachiever
Slum area – Economically deprived area
Foreign food – Ethnic cuisine
Housewife – Domestic engineer
Jungle – Rain forest
Natural disaster – Global warming incident
Sex change – Gender reassignment
Tramp – Homeless person
Unemployed – Economically inactive
Preferential treatment – Affirmative action
Racist – Someone who disagrees with the far-left
Nazi – Someone who disagrees with the far-left
Fascist – Someone who disagrees with the far-left
Husband – Partner
Wife – Partner
Dictator – Leader who refuses to obey the UK government
Tyrant – Leader who refuses to obey the UK government
Regime – Government that refuses to obey UK government
Crime rate – Street activity index
Robbery – Wealth redistribution
Vomiting – Unplanned re-examination of recent food choices
Lying – Economical with the truth
Wanted criminal – Person of interest
Patriot – Troublemaker / pest / nuisance / agitator
Promiscuous – Sex addict
Chairman – Chairperson / Chair
Fireman – Firefighter
Merry Christmas – Season’s Greetings
Blackboard – Chalkboard
Illegal voter – Undocumented voter
Bribe – Public service bonus
Christmas – Winter Festival
Lies – Alternative facts
Printing money – Quantitative easing
Immigrants – Labour supporters
Illegal subletting – Irregular subletting
Shoplifting – Irregular shopping
Black sheep – Outcast
Blackmail – Extortion
Postman – Mail carrier
Manhole – Utility hole
Blacklisted – Banned
Murder – Unauthorised termination of life
Rational fear – Phobia
Uneducated – Unschooled / Lacking a formal education
Flip chart – Easel (Flip is a derogatory word for Filipinos)
Mexican – Hispanic
Dustman – Sanitation engineer
Ghetto – Economically deprived area
Housewife – Domestic engineer
Illegal aliens – Undocumented migrants
Ugly – Visually unfavourable
Lazy – Motivationally deficient
Unemployed – Unintentionally at leisure / non-waged
Smelly – Nasally disturbing
Best man for the job – Best person for the job
Man in the street – Average person
Waitress – Server
Failure – Non-traditional success
Forefathers – Ancestors
Man-made – Artificial
Manpower – Human resources
Mankind – Humanity
Right-hand man – Chief assistant
Christian name – Forename
Sportsmanship – Fairness
Tax man – Tax officer
Workmanlike – Efficient
Steward – Flight attendant
Stewardess – Flight attendant
Deaf – Hearing impairment
Disease – Disorder
Businessman – Business person
Actress – Actor
Manageress – Manager
Spinster – Bachelorette
White lie – Lie
Plastic surgery – Cosmetic surgery

Now own up - how many of those have you just invented?

You all want to march backwards don't you?

I'm not sure that's not a bad idea!

Your sentence above just proves my point. You are so obviously in favour of all that is PC, you have made it clear of your desire to refuse to acknowledge any fair points made in the opening thread, and posters agreeing that the original aim of political correctness has gone too far. Instead, in order to make your usual sarcastic remark, you nitpicked, found a word or a sentence, and thought...Yes! that fits the bill of being politically incorrect!

You're so funny!.

Hi

A personal view, yes it has.

Decades in Enforcement, had a few kickings, still suffering from some, losing my sight in one eye.

There is a difference between then and now.

They came after me, not my family.

The Radical Muslims are different, very different.

They tracked me down and came after me and my family in my house.

That I will simply not accept, it is a Game Changer.

They lost, I won, but subject to intense interrogation as to how I won.

I find this so, so wrong.

You employ people like me to protect you, and yes, at times we are not nice people, we are complete arses, but that is the nature of the beast, we get them before they get us.

We are not infallible, sometimes we get it wrong.

You can sound off with 20/20 hindsight, decisions have to be made then and there, it is not easy.

Once you get Corbyn and Abbott in power you can forget it.

You will be on your own, nobody in their right mind will work for them.

It is a recipe for disaster.