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Political Correctness Rears Its Ugly Head, Yet Again

Thursday, August 23, 2012 9:51

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Nothing gets my hackles up more then being told what to think, how to feel, how to speak or what language to use. HERE The idea of life is to try to be as respectful of another human being as possible, that’s it. I am so tired of everyone getting insulted over every little thing. If you don’t like how someone talks to you, just tell them. If you don’t like how someone refers to your disability just tell them… but lists of words and whether you can use them or not and how you can and cannot discuss them…seriously?…This is political correctness run amok.

Anyway this particular post is predicated from a discussion I am having on a blog about a list of acceptable words and terms put out by some autism-self-advocates. Now if this is how these individuals want to approach life, so be it…more power to them. However, I had the horrible nerve to disagree with them and was told point blank that I have to listen to them as they are the ones being disparaged. Well, no, no I do not.

I do not have to listen to them anymore than someone needs to agree with me on what is or is not antisemitism. OK, being Jewish you would think that my opinion on antisemitic literature, politicians and media, would matter but nope, it doesn’t. In fact some of the biggest problems I have had comes from some autism advocates who demand the right to tell others how to discuss and refer to autism and autistic individuals, but apparently on this subject of anti-semitism I am a hater, a name caller and completely ignorant. No I am not taking my annoyance out on the list-makers, I am just trying to make a point about obtuseness.

Honestly though, in the end what you have to love about political correctness is its sheer bullshit nature. Anyway, here is one of my comments:

Sorry this is more than mindfulness, {referring to the list of acceptable vernacular and word usage} which as far as I am concerned means to be aware of how your words can cause hurt to another. I am also tired of this ableist epithet.As the parent of two youngmen with aspergers you bet I will say what I think about autism and what should be done for them and I don’t need some permission from some autism tribunal somewhere. Who declared these people rulers in the world of autism? Baloney. It is one thing to be careful not to use a word inappropriately or to hurt someone’s feelings, its another to tell people how they are to think, feel and interact, including telling people what word order is politically acceptable and under what circumstances a word may even be discussed. Telling people what they can say and how they can say it is the thought police (political correctness as I said earlier). It is as if everyone is living in the novel 1984.

Also not everyone in every group agrees to every word, category or identification. Because one group decides how someone with a disability is to be referred to does not mean that everyone in that community agrees or quite frankly cares. I know for a fact when I asked my own college age sons, who are extremely intelligent and involved in human rights, about this list, they said they think this is ridiculous. In my oldest’s own words “who the hell cares?” Maybe these autism tribunals would like to shun him and his brother, marginalize them, denigrate them because they are not good little “autism-advocates.” They don’t follow the politically correct dogma.

We see this nonsense too often in our culture. Yes it is political correctness.
You use the wrong language therefore you are evil. You do not follow the path set out by some unknown self-appointed bodies you are excoriated. You dain to follow your own path you are repulsed and considered repugnant.

Language correctness does more to dehumanize people and destroys freedom in society. The reality is that whenever you chill freedom of speech that is what marginalizes human beings. This is why I left the “autism community” and ventured out on my own as I had done for all the years I was raising my sons, and why so many others feel as equally terribly unwelcome as I do. Something maybe these autism tribunals should think about..
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Oh I am certain I will get some responses and they will not be pleasant ones. You see I have left the politically correct autism world and “gasp” basically said in our household we can think for ourselves.

Until next time,

Elise