Your Take on Political Correctness at School ....an example

reply to post by pavil


Were the students wrong? Absolutely not! Why should they be lambasted for something they had no hand in doing? It's fine to remember history, in fact it's down right important. But let's not forget that minorities were also part of the problem in the majority of the ill doings in the past. Yet, we skirt around those issues as it's not PC.

These kids had every right to text what they did. Instead of apologizing for them, I think the school should think about how they're presenting the information. The old, "Blame whitey" is getting worn out and way overused. And as time goes on, more and more people will start to resent such presentations and create more problems.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Playing the blame game never ends well and people have the right to point out when they're being unjustly accused of something they had no hand in doing.

All I can say is that I am extremely glad to see these kids responding this way, and I hope that this sort of thing continues to happen. These kids are one hundred percent right.

They did nothing, they are doing nothing, and it is good to see the PC line backfiring spectacularly.

When you teach your children to not see color, expect them to not see color in both directions.

Advantage

zeroBelief

Advantage
If we would ask kids WHAT THEY THINK. and no punishment or repercussions for answering in a way that isnt what we want to hear... and if we would LISTEN to the kids we would be a hell of a lot better off. Kids will let you know what they need, think, and even require IF we listen to them. PC be damned. Children should learn to be sensitive to their audience, polite, taught some social graces... but demands of PC and demands that they NOT think for themselves much less voice their own thoughts.. its murdering the growth and eventual bloom of the childs mind itself.

Unfortunately, I think this is a situation where we absolutely have to teach, and to lead, by example.

Political correctness is a blight. It's a crippling form of thought. It's one thing to be abusive towards another with words and thoughts, but another entirely to handicap yourself to the point of not only limiting your ability to communicate effectively but also to act effectively.

Simple fact is, if I am talking about a black man over in a corner, and need to point him out to people who don't know him by name, I'm going to say "Yeah, Paul, over there. The black man standing in the corner." I am a big guy. 6'3. People ALWAYS refer to me as "the big guy". It's only logical. It doesn't offend me in the slightest.

And damn it, people need to grow a thicker skin to a healthy degree. Stop letting every single perceived slight as a personal attack.......

You and I agree on this.

So many people are looking for something to be offended over. Theyll even make things up to feel persecuted and victimized. Weirdest thing Ive ever seen.

aLways nice to know people agree with your viewpoint

Thanks!!!

I should add that this is not a public school nor a Private Religious School. It's just a very, very, very nice Private school where the School encourages the Students to find their own path in regards to what they want to become in Life. Students are required to do Volunteer work ( I know an oxymoron, but good for High School Kids) and most of them do it in disadvantaged areas. These are very well educated young men and women, well above the average school, who are taught the basics of critical thinking. I was just surprised by the Diversity Group being......well not very Inclusive or Diverse. They came in with a propaganda piece portrayed as "The Truth", which they got called out on by a few of the students.

Given the reactions of the kids and replying just to the OP material here?

I'd say it shows even kids have a limit for being force-fed political correctness indoctrination ..and they're finally reaching it.

It's about time.

Auricom
reply to post by pavil

 

Were the students wrong? Absolutely not! Why should they be lambasted for something they had no hand in doing? It's fine to remember history, in fact it's down right important.

I absolutley agree with you here. There is no right or wrong within the environment of learning. However..

But let's not forget that minorities were also part of the problem in the majority of the ill doings in the past. Yet, we skirt around those issues as it's not PC.

This is where I have an issue.

Where I disagree with you, is by the defensiveness you show by assuming that showing a film of slavery (which existed and is all the information we have to go on from the OP) necessitates you to put out a retort to essentially nothing. Its a retort to a slavery film being shown. Why would any reasonable person have a problem with that. That is just plain history. Schools are for learning. Its an appropriate place for such a film to be shown.

I would be curious to know how 'minorities were also part of the problem in the majority of the ill doings in the past' - when we are talking about the showing of a slavery film - it doesn't make any sense to me for you to make that comment. I don't understand the context.

Are you saying that it was their fault they were enslaved? Or are you referring to something else?

These kids had every right to text what they did. Instead of apologizing for them, I think the school should think about how they're presenting the information. The old, "Blame whitey" is getting worn out and way overused. And as time goes on, more and more people will start to resent such presentations and create more problems.

I don't see within the OP where, 'Blame Whitey' is alluded to. Did I miss something?

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Playing the blame game never ends well and people have the right to point out when they're being unjustly accused of something they had no hand in doing.

Lets flip the tail on its head and talk about male privilege. It has undermined women in the workplace for centuries and is still present today. I think we can all agree on this. The people who perpetrated this were.... men. I'm a man and was and am still a part of oppression of women. It makes no difference whether its intentional or not, the same result happens to women.

Why?

Because, I take my privilege for granted. If I don't listen to women's experiences, if I undermine their experiences or say that they are 'Blaming Blokey' - you know what I'd sound like? A sexist.

Likewise, I have no problem with schools teaching their students about sexism, feminism etc and its roots and how women continue to be marginalised, sexualised, underpaid and undervalued within society. It doesn't hurt me to do this and I don't get defensive about it and throw out strawmen arguments. To me, that's the mature way of dealing with people who are discriminated against.

You can replace women with Blacks, disabled people, latinos etc etc - all experience systematic discrimination and/or racism. By acknowledging it, it doesn't make you a racist, a bigot, a sexist etc, it just makes you a person trying to make this place a better place for everyone.

Teaching our kids about unfair advantages that exist is part of that and as adults, we need to not be the ones throwing tantrums, but being the adults in the room.

reply to post by spacedog1973


Thank you for this response!

reply to post by pavil


It sounds to me like they had some kids willing to stand up and refuses to be blamed for their skin color. Those students were right; that IS racist. There is no "white privilege", and that schools are trying to teach such nonsense, all the while claiming to be for "equality" is beyond ridiculous. Anyone that wants to argue this with me had better be ready to explain where the high-paying jobs, college funds, and so forth are for a lot of my family members. People that have nice things WORKED for them. No one handed them anything based on skin color. The schools ought to be ashamed. Kudos to those kids willing to stand up and tell them how wrong they are!

spacedog1973
Where I disagree with you, is by the defensiveness you show by assuming that showing a film of slavery (which existed and is all the information we have to go on from the OP) necessitates you to put out a retort to essentially nothing. Its a retort to a slavery film being shown. Why would any reasonable person have a problem with that. That is just plain history. Schools are for learning. Its an appropriate place for such a film to be shown.

I would be curious to know how 'minorities were also part of the problem in the majority of the ill doings in the past' - when we are talking about the showing of a slavery film - it doesn't make any sense to me for you to make that comment. I don't understand the context.

A film about slavery where, showing what slaves? My guess is only black slaves in the United States. The simple fact is that every race that is has been enslaved at some point or another, and has held and traded in slaves as well. Did the film show that? I'd bet a ton of money it didn't.

It's also a fact that a lot of the racial issue we have are caused from people of all colors. All the race problems in this country are not as a result of slavery, and pretending that they are is illogical.

spacedog1973
Lets flip the tail on its head and talk about male privilege. It has undermined women in the workplace for centuries and is still present today. I think we can all agree on this. The people who perpetrated this were.... men. I'm a man and was and am still a part of oppression of women. It makes no difference whether its intentional or not, the same result happens to women.

As a woman, I have to call "bull" on that one. There was a time this was true, but in our society today, white men are the most marginalized, demonized, discriminated against people. Women are given promotions because they are women, and not because of their qualifications, the same as some racial groups are given jobs and scholarships, based on their genetics, instead of their skills. To correct a wrong, you can't simply turn around and to the wrong to the group that was doing it in the past. Simply put, two wrongs don't make a right.

LadyGreenEyes
A film about slavery where, showing what slaves? My guess is only black slaves in the United States. The simple fact is that every race that is has been enslaved at some point or another, and has held and traded in slaves as well. Did the film show that? I'd bet a ton of money it didn't.

Here you are guessing, making assumptions. But, lets say you are correct? - That this group focused on black slavery.

Whats the problem with this? If they were a history teaching group and spoke about world war 2 and the Nazi's, would you complain because they weren't talking about the numerous other wars in history? Why should a group have to encompass every known example of what they are teaching in a single session?

The argument, that 'well others did it too' didn't wash when we told it to our mothers when caught in the act, and it sure doesn't work as adults here.

Chatel slavery was what was implemented in American Slavery which also for a period included Irish slaves who were treated similarly for a time. The difference in earlier European and African Slavery was that the slaves were still considered human. This was a recent invention; that slaves were without any rights, status or humanity and had not existed generally before throughout human history.

They could be killed, tortured, raped (and were on regular occasions) and most importantly because this bares repeating - were not considered human.

It's also a fact that a lot of the racial issue we have are caused from people of all colors. All the race problems in this country are not as a result of slavery, and pretending that they are is illogical.

Here you go from a film about slavery, to hundreds of years to the present. You are now talking about social inequality and for some reason, feel that this is relevant to the OP. I do not, and don't see the reason for referring to it as it is a completely different issue to a discussion about whether or not to show a film to children in an educational setting. It would require talking about the years after slavery and what occurred then which is a completely different subject.

LadyGreenEyes

Lets flip the tail on its head and talk about male privilege. It has undermined women in the workplace for centuries and is still present today. I think we can all agree on this. The people who perpetrated this were.... men. I'm a man and was and am still a part of oppression of women. It makes no difference whether its intentional or not, the same result happens to women.

As a woman, I have to call "bull" on that one. There was a time this was true, but in our society today, white men are the most marginalized, demonized, discriminated against people. Women are given promotions because they are women, and not because of their qualifications, the same as some racial groups are given jobs and scholarships, based on their genetics, instead of their skills.

You can call 'bull' all you want. Statistics don't lie. Its a simple fact that women are disadvantaged in society. Laws don't change opinions as this website can attest. Does having the right to vote, having equal pay and other rights enshrined in law help even out the playing field? Of course. But to suggest that this means that everything is fine now in all areas is naive and quite simply, wrong.

In respect to other groups, we have ethnic minorities, disabled, sexual orientation - the list goes on. To suggest that 'everything is fine now' for each of these groups, is frankly blinkered. I can't convince you otherwise and won't attempt to.

To correct a wrong, you can't simply turn around and to the wrong to the group that was doing it in the past. Simply put, two wrongs don't make a right.

I think you misunderstand what it is that groups who try to even the playing field are attempting to do. They are not 'turning around to the group that was doing it in the past' - this would achieve nothing. They are trying to educate people about what occurred in the past, so that understanding can occur of how to avoid this in the future: To avoid history repeating itself. Its a pretty common practice applied to most heinous crimes against humanity in all areas, where all countries who have been involved in them make it a practice to teach it to their people out of humility and respect to those they victimised.

But of course, these groups don't do this by itself. They seek to equalise the playing field. To make an analogy; We have in the US, people who have started the race and about 3/4 around the track, then enact laws to allow everyone else to run. You are essentially saying that because now everyone is running, everyone has a chance to win. Affirmative action's purpose is to compensate for the disadvantages in the race.

Again, it requires a willingness to understand, this can't be enforced on people who have an automatic defense against this way of thinking and these groups can explain this better than I can.