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over-sensi-sensitivity
- Thread starter buldog5151bass
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- Status
I was actually called over-sensitive today & ironically it was from the most sensitive member I've know
Members are often sensitive.
Sorry
Is there any way to say anything that doesn't hurt SOMEBODY? These days, with so many media choices to get your voice heard, odds are every single phrase you utter will offend somebody. So, should we then just not talk?
That's not an attempted jab. If the problem is always with the person who said something offensive, and virtually anything I could say would offend somebody, how then do we have civil discourse? The phrase "civil discourse" includes the word "discourse", not just "civil". "Discourse" is, in essence, debate. Many subjects need a good debate (the current topic is a great example). How do you debate without offending someone?
We arrived at Civil Rights through both civil and not-so-civil discourse. You think MLK didn't offend some people? Of course he did. But man am I glad he did! You think the Founders offended England? Yip. In an even better example, the Founders offended EACH OTHER. But they got the job done. And they used their similarities....their common ground.... to bring them together and force themselves to hammer out a document. I sure am glad that they weren't all that sensitive.
If it is the words we use rather than the intent or the big picture, how do we get passed disagreements? Just walk away and ignore people with whom we disagree? One side immediately caves in so as to avoid the offense? Pick one group that is always correct and only allow their point of view?
I'll give you an example that won't cross any lines. Flats. There are people here who are genuinely offended at the idea that one would not enjoy the tone/feel of flatwound strings. So, should we do away with the strings forum?
Nah. We should say (politely in most cases) what is on our minds and let the chips fall where they may. I don't go out of my way to offend people. But I also do go out of my way to hide hoe I feel on a given subject so as to avoid the slightest chance of offending someone.
To me, it all comes down to respect.....and the ASSUMPTION of disrespect. The words don't hurt people as much as the feeling that one has been disrespected by the very utterance of those words. Rather than asking the person who uttered the words about their respect or lack thereof, let's throw a brick through the window of Starbucks. That'll solve the problem.
Several people will be offended by this very post. I make no apologies. But I would welcome the chance to talk about it.
Lou Reed?
He changed those lyrics in later live performances:
And racist, bigoted, gay-bashing, misogynistic terms have no place in this world, or on this forum. It's always Straight White Males who complain about "Political Correctness."
I wonder why that is...
This is a DOG WHISTLE.
He changed those lyrics in later live performances:
And racist, bigoted, gay-bashing, misogynistic terms have no place in this world, or on this forum. It's always Straight White Males who complain about "Political Correctness."
I wonder why that is...
This is a DOG WHISTLE.
You think the racist portrayals in old Looney Tunes are FUNNY? I think they're horrible.
Hi mellow. Yes, I looked back on them and reflected how I felt when I watched at 5, 6 years old. Yes, I thought they were hilarious. I had no concept of racial diversity and didn't see what was being portrayed at the time. The animations and all are still funny and still illicit good memories of watching Saturday morning VHS tapes, but I realise they were not exactly meant to uplift African-Americans.
Is there any way to say anything that doesn't hurt SOMEBODY? These days, with so many media choices to get your voice heard, odds are every single phrase you utter will offend somebody. So, should we then just not talk?
That's not an attempted jab. If the problem is always with the person who said something offensive, and virtually anything I could say would offend somebody, how then do we have civil discourse? The phrase "civil discourse" includes the word "discourse", not just "civil". "Discourse" is, in essence, debate. Many subjects need a good debate (the current topic is a great example). How do you debate without offending someone?
We arrived at Civil Rights through both civil and not-so-civil discourse. You think MLK didn't offend some people? Of course he did. But man am I glad he did! You think the Founders offended England? Yip. In an even better example, the Founders offended EACH OTHER. But they got the job done. And they used their similarities....their common ground.... to bring them together and force themselves to hammer out a document. I sure am glad that they weren't all that sensitive.
If it is the words we use rather than the intent or the big picture, how do we get passed disagreements? Just walk away and ignore people with whom we disagree? One side immediately caves in so as to avoid the offense? Pick one group that is always correct and only allow their point of view?
I'll give you an example that won't cross any lines. Flats. There are people here who are genuinely offended at the idea that one would not enjoy the tone/feel of flatwound strings. So, should we do away with the strings forum?
Nah. We should say (politely in most cases) what is on our minds and let the chips fall where they may. I don't go out of my way to offend people. But I also do go out of my way to hide hoe I feel on a given subject so as to avoid the slightest chance of offending someone.
To me, it all comes down to respect.....and the ASSUMPTION of disrespect. The words don't hurt people as much as the feeling that one has been disrespected by the very utterance of those words. Rather than asking the person who uttered the words about their respect or lack thereof, let's throw a brick through the window of Starbucks. That'll solve the problem.
Several people will be offended by this very post. I make no apologies. But I would welcome the chance to talk about it.
Believe it or not I agree with some of what you say! I will try to answer when I am not at work and don't have to run to a band rehearsal after work...
slobake
resident ... something
I find humanizing animals offensive.
slobake
resident ... something
HEY!! Keep stuff like that to yourself!
Well done.
You guys were making my point beautifully right up until you annoyingly started getting along at the end!!!
Did you read this after you posted it? Did you even think about it before you posted it? I hope that there was some subtext that you failed to include in your post.
According to Brooks, it was Pryor's drug problem. He was Brooks' first choice for the role.
i want to agree with this statement, and endorse the OP before the thread explodes!
as and old guy: i find that i offend a lot of younger folks with a POV which is apparently unfamiliar territory to them...probably more like their parents, or their grandparents. out in the world, many find me likable, but profane (usually fun/funny). but some younger folks find me profane, therefore unlikable, and definitely not fun/funny. so there's a generational twist to some of this 'sensitivity', IMO.
it's hard to be a 67-year-old snowflake, but i'm trying: at my own pace!
i' try to avoid being a regular 'flake'.
Too much PC? Too much sensitivity? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Sometimes what we think of as PC is just being as reasonable and decent as we should have been decades ago, but weren't. And it's easy for me to tell you that I think *you're* being too sensitive if I say something you don't like. The fact is, though, that I don't know how you feel. Only you know.
So awhile ago I was in the grocery store checkout line, looking back and forth from my list to my cart. A tap on my shoulder. I turn around to a total stranger, who says 'F-ing pervert,' then walks off. I am fairly confident that I would have been well justified in having not just one but both of my feelings hurt. This was a jackass thing to do, no matter who did it to whom, what, when - and no, there is no 'why' that justifies it at all, period. This is a chap who decided, for whatever totally bogus reasons are in his head, that whatever I am (or whatever he thinks I am) is not something that should be allowed to participate in public life.
We can probably all agree that he was way out of line. But the problem is that my state rep has made the same decision: I should not be allowed to participate in public life. He's using nicer language, and going through a longer process than just calling me names. If he succeeds, though, the ramifications are going to be far greater than what some jerkwad in the store can do to me.
But since he's being polite, am I being overly sensitive to object, whereas I might have even legally got away with punching jerkwad in the face? I have objected, also politely, and he hasn't seen fit to respond (which is impolite). But he probably doesn't care it's impolite: I'm the person he wants to be rid of, so I'm not worthy of a response.
Eventually, he'll be on the wrong side of history. That's how these things go. And many times, being on the leading edge of the right side will get you labeled as too sensitive, or too PC, or too whatever. Maybe it isn't that. Maybe it's just being a better human.
Sometimes what we think of as PC is just being as reasonable and decent as we should have been decades ago, but weren't. And it's easy for me to tell you that I think *you're* being too sensitive if I say something you don't like. The fact is, though, that I don't know how you feel. Only you know.
So awhile ago I was in the grocery store checkout line, looking back and forth from my list to my cart. A tap on my shoulder. I turn around to a total stranger, who says 'F-ing pervert,' then walks off. I am fairly confident that I would have been well justified in having not just one but both of my feelings hurt. This was a jackass thing to do, no matter who did it to whom, what, when - and no, there is no 'why' that justifies it at all, period. This is a chap who decided, for whatever totally bogus reasons are in his head, that whatever I am (or whatever he thinks I am) is not something that should be allowed to participate in public life.
We can probably all agree that he was way out of line. But the problem is that my state rep has made the same decision: I should not be allowed to participate in public life. He's using nicer language, and going through a longer process than just calling me names. If he succeeds, though, the ramifications are going to be far greater than what some jerkwad in the store can do to me.
But since he's being polite, am I being overly sensitive to object, whereas I might have even legally got away with punching jerkwad in the face? I have objected, also politely, and he hasn't seen fit to respond (which is impolite). But he probably doesn't care it's impolite: I'm the person he wants to be rid of, so I'm not worthy of a response.
Eventually, he'll be on the wrong side of history. That's how these things go. And many times, being on the leading edge of the right side will get you labeled as too sensitive, or too PC, or too whatever. Maybe it isn't that. Maybe it's just being a better human.
This is a fine example of how things have changed. I grew up in a family that abhorred racism. As a white guy in the South, my Grandfather hated racism before hating racism was cool. I was brought up in his shadow (best thing that could have happened to me....I am still grounded by him today).
Some of those old Tom & Jerry episodes had an African American who was basically in "slave dress", had a head wrap, huge red lips, pretty much a caricature of all the bad stereotypes. Back then, I just thought the cartoons were funny. I wasn't taught to have a stroke every time I saw something that wasn't nice. I was taught to treat actual people based on the content of their character. These days, my girls love old Tom & Jerry cartoons.....even the ones with the "slave caricature" that calls Tom "Jasper". My girls are not racist. Three out of four of their teachers are African American and they all but worship those ladies. The youngest girl's best friend is African American. (My wife accuses me of flirting with her mother every time I see her....and my wife is not a jealous woman.
) But I must admit the caricature of that woman never crossed my mind until this conversation.Here's the thing. MY REACTION is what matters here. My girls will continue to be not racist. I will continue to be not racist. But I'm not going to turn off those old Tom & Jerry cartoons, throw the remote into the pool, and give my girls a good talking to about how horrible that is to depict African Americans that way. Therein lies the "too sensitive" part to me. They see how I act toward people. They have never been exposed to the racism prevalent in older generations "down here" (the South). Racist people are taught to be racist (or sexist, or whatever). Mine are not "learning racism" from those old cartoons. They are learning how to NOT allow racism into their lives from me.
The "too sensitive" part comes to play when groups advocate for the public burning of the file reels that contain that "offensive content that clearly promotes racism and the firing of any CEO that allows those cartoons to be broadcast on their stations".
Like many issues we can't agree on here in the US, it is MY JOB to teach them otherwise. It is not the job of any government, or any nanny group, to filter out the content that I "should see" ass too offensive to braodcast.
Some people are offended by the uniforms cheerleaders wear when NFL games are broadcast. Should we ban those?
Some people are offended by the violence on TV. Should we ban that too?
Some people are offended that moral/social/political views other than their own are allowed to be broadcast. Should we ban those too?
(Yes, I just went down the slippery slope. Sometimes the slippery slope is a valid argument.
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