That was not what my gripe is about. Over the years we have always referred to the orang-utan as "The Old Man of the Forest". The article by this person (yes, she was female) called the orang-utan "The Person of the Forest"! Now, I ask you have you ever known political correctness to be so ridiculously overdone as it was here, or am I just being pedantic?
It IS ridiculous. People are so afraid of calling a spade a spade these days it is sad. Let's not call it "Christmas" it might offend someone. Let's alternate he and she when referring to God. Oh, don't call her a "post woman" she's a "post person"....honestly. You have to think so hard before opening your mouth a good many of us have decided to keep our mouths shut. Okay...I'll get off my soap box now.
ReplyDeleteI am not religious but when I keep seeing the term "Happy Holiday" instead of "Merry Christmas" it does make me cross and then communities where decorations are now allowed in shopping malls etc. Words sometimes fail me. I will always go along with John Lennon's words in "Imagine". There are so many things that people are so 'precious' about these days which to me causes more problems than it takes away.
DeleteYes and no. Sometimes it does go too far, but it is often better (though clumsier) than the alternative. As a person with a disability I resent being called disabled - there is more to me than that. Onto one of my soap boxes, calling someone with schizophrenia a schizophrenic is common. Yet we would never describe someone with cancer as a cancer.
ReplyDeleteLabels are powerful.
And perhaps, just perhaps, she was thinking of the female orang-utans as well.
Keep using the phrase that you are comfortable with, knowing that you mean only respect and affection.
I certainly see your point about the 'disabled' label. We have diabetes but are labelled 'diabetics'. All lumped together under the one label and yet we are all different.
DeleteIf the orang-utan was female why not "LADY of the forest".
It's like the discussion about whether Bronwyn Bishop should be called 'Madam Speaker' or just 'Speaker'. With a lady of her standing I feel 'Madam Speaker' would be more polite and appropriate. I noticed in the 43rd Parliament the blue side still nearly all said 'Madam Speaker' whereas the red side nearly always said merely 'Speaker'.
Gosh, when you begin to think about it one could go on forever finding fault with everything but I stick with my comment about the orang-utan. No offence meant.
You're not being at all pedantic. Political correctness has gone way overboard. it's crazy the way everything is reduced to gender neutrality. It's like some people don't want to acknowledge there are two different sexes. To them there are no men and women, we are all persons. :-(
ReplyDeleteTo them I blow raspberries, much like an orang-utan would.
We older persons (note persons) see things in a different light to younger persons, of that I'm sure.
DeleteI still see people as people first, gender second and colour third which I feel is how it should be. I still like being called a lady rather than a woman although maybe that is a distinction without a difference.
Oh! I heard that raspberry right over here. : )
Hari OM
ReplyDelete.... what River said! I totally agree with EC as I have a neice who has about all the disability it is possible to have yet fights an excellent fight and is something of a musical celebrity in Scotland. Even she, though, draws the line at some of the overuse of gender sensitivity!!! YAM xx
Seems we are all at least 75% in agreement, if not more so, and being someone who has disabilties doesn't prevent that person doing so much with their lives. I take my hat off to anyone who has physical or mental problems that still makes a contribution to their community as so many do.
ReplyDelete