Political Correctness, and how unfair it is. Options

[The Bobster]

It's not meant to sound pompous. I use it all the time and no one has accused me of being as such for it. Besides, it's never my intention to be pompous in the first place, so what does it matter?

If you really do use it all the time and nobody has accused you of being pompous, then I can only surmise that they must fear you in some way ... no, seriously, there are times when you want to speak with an air of authority and using "one" is a grammatical construction that lends itself to that - there are other times, possibly the majority of cases, when that will simply put people off and annoy them so much that they don't listen to the ideas you are expressing.

Sorry my comment came off as snide and insulting. I've been criticized elsewhere for being too verbose on message boards, and one reason I know I tend to use 7 seven paragraphs when one would do the job is that I can expalin my case in more detail and avoid the sort of bluntness that is likely to offend, which is more often likely to happen in posts when I try to do it one sentence.

I persist in thinking the root problem is one of trying to write abstract sentences when creating an example or building a scenario or offering anecdote from personal experience is a better solution for the writer.

[Righteous]

... no, seriously, there are times when you want to speak with an air of authority and using "one" is a grammatical construction that lends itself to that - there are other times, possibly the majority of cases, when that will simply put people off and annoy them so much that they don't listen to the ideas you are expressing.

Well, factor in my occasional seventies vernacular, skate slang, swearing and the hundreds of inside terms I use, my guess is people who meet me, especially upon learning at least part of who and what I am, disregard it as pompous and just see it as another odd part of me. That and I have an obsessive-compulsive personality and just want to have my English be as good as possible.

I persist in thinking the root problem is one of trying to write abstract sentences when creating an example or building a scenario or offering anecdote from personal experience is a better solution for the writer.

What makes you think I don't? I am a writer and do want to get my points accross so why not use an ecclectic mix of techniques?

If you really do use it all the time and nobody has accused you of being pompous, then I can only surmise that they must fear you in some way

Dude, you've never seen me. I'm a short, fat guy who alsmost always looks like a semi-organized haggard mess. When it comes to appearence and the general way I do my best for my friends and family and even cats I've only just met, I'm like a disheveled puppy-dog (with an occasional bad temper...). Spiffy, DOH and Aislinn can account for that.

Okay. Back to business.

In the abstract, sex doesn't matter.

Agreed, especially when one factors in that gender won't effect the outcome of the abstract situation.

I'll readily admit to being a left-wing, a liberal, and a potential civil-rights activist (do near-fistfights in social studies over gay rights count as activism?) and I believe... that people should be equal.

And I'm somewhere between a minarchist and an anarcho-capitalist and an all for civil rights (yes the near-fistfights count; I've been in a few myself). My question is, does political correctness help, hurt, hinder, both or neither? If so, whom?

[Greeneyes]

Some bloke told me last weekend that he'd read an article in a newspaper about the Postman Pat theme song. For those of you who are unfamiliar with his-postyness, the song goes:

"Postman Pat, Postman Pat, Postman Pat and his black and white cat"

Now apparently, this is rascist in some obscure way, and the theme song has to be changed. This is the most rediculous thing I have ever heard. I'm not entirely sure about the validity of this, since it was only told to me by someone else (that I had never met before), but it's a good example of going too far. Way too far. The cat is black and white, and that's a fact. In no way does it discriminate against anyone because of the colour of their skin. In my opinion, the fact that someone wants it changed is almost rascist in itself, as it is bringing up the issue where is no reason for it. This is not being politically correct.
I think the bloke also said that a gay character had to be introduced, which is stupid. From what I remember of Postman Pat there isn't a lot of focus on relationships in the story, so a lot of the characters could already be gay. I feel that emphasising things like this does not help the problem, if indeed there is any problem at all.

After all that, the bloke was probably wrong.

[Forever Unknown]

Maybe the ginger cats felt left out...? Were threatening to riot on the streets, that kind of thing.

I hear it happens a lot, is all...

I'll shut up now.