Political correctness.

The guy was entrusted to represent the police to the public. What he says in that setting reflects on them. Hence, they were the ones who spoke to him about it, in a meeting covering other things as well.
 
Gazpacho said:
The guy was entrusted to represent the police to the public. What he says in that setting reflects on them. Hence, they were the ones who spoke to him about it, in a meeting covering other things as well.
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In situations such as that, do you believe it is fair and proportional for people to notify the police?
 
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Doctor Plop said:
In situations such as that, do you believe it is fair and proportional for people to notify the police?
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From what I understand, the survey they took part in was organized by the police. If someone felt offended by his remark, who else should they have informed?
 
In this situation it seems appropriate to complain to the police, since it was their liaison meeting.
 
Noztradamus said:
I am amused that the Americanish language has the Never SayThe Name circumlocution "the N-word". Like The Fair Folk or The Scottish Play.
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I heard this a lot when I was in England in the 1970s. All I can say is that the folks who used the N-word in the USA gave it such a bad reputation that nobody wanted to be associated with them anymore. And that applies today to a lot of black people who use the N-word, just as much as it applies to white racists.
 
Ryokan said:
From what I understand, the survey they took part in was organized by the police. If someone felt offended by his remark, who else should they have informed?
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Gazpacho said:
In this situation it seems appropriate to complain to the police, since it was their liaison meeting.
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These replies niftily dodge the seriousness and potential consequences of making a complaint to the police about someone.
It is also not clear whether the complaint was made at the meeting. The councillor later had to go and meet the police, where there was talk of homophobia and potential prosecution.

"I went to meet a sergeant and an inspector who told me what I said could be homophobic and started giving me advice on what sort of humour I should engage in.
They put me through the mill and asked me to confirm what I'd said and told me that a complaint had been made and I could be prosecuted."
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I find this whole thing disproportional and unfair to the Councillor.
Any 'distress' caused to the transgender couple by what was clearly an innocuous joke - not specifically targeted at anyone - is not in the same ballpark as having to appear before the police and contemplate being prosecuted and labeled as a homophobe.

At the time, if any further action had been taken it would likely have been done under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986.

Here is an excellent article on said statute, by gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/peter-g-tatchell/public-order-act-repeal-section-5_b_1209096.html

Fortunately, it seems this section is about to be amended.
A victory of common sense and free speech over political correctness and the state's crazy attempts to protect people's feelings. Finally.
http://www.thecommentator.com/article/2449/british_insult_law_to_be_repealed
 
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psionl0 said:
That was a well researched refutation.
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Call it a healthy application of skepticism.

I looked at the course outline for a couple of nursing schools and a college paramedic course in NZ. I didn't find "Cultural Sensitivity" in any of the catalogs, nor anything that could be remotely construed as "cultural sensitivity" taking up 40% of the required coursework. I also find it highly suspect that Dr.s, EMTs, and Nurses spend 40% of their workday learning about this. This is why I asserted that he couldn't prove his claim, because I actually DID research it.

I also know for a fact that children are failed in NZ schools. Calling it "not achieved" is the same thing. They still don't graduate. Smartcookie is making the same equivocation that the political correctness crowd is, just the other way around. Oh, look, I actually DID research it. Hence the "BS" call.

The claim where I claimed to "smell BS"? Well, I find it highly suspect that a woman who's well educated enough to become the Headmistress of a school would make such a request. It sounds like a nascent urban legend.
 
I guess you can't knock political correctness when it gives you such wonderful new stuff....

Kids Schoolyard Games
Visually Impared Person's bluff
Personhunt
Postperson's knock
Caucasianhorse

Nursery Rhymes
Three Visually Impaired Rodents
The Muffin Person
Penis Robin
This Senior Person
The Senior Citizen who lived in a Shoe

and best of all

Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep

...and no BS, a school actually changed the words in 2006 because some overly PC idiots, in their eternal ignorance, thought that the "Black Sheep" bit had racist overtones, when in fact, any half educated 1st grader could tell you its because there are some sheep that produce black wool! The school later claimed they were teaching "phonics" to kids, a statement which to me, bears all the hallmarks of a CYA excuse.

Anyway, if they wanted to really do a good job of making this particular nursery rhyme Politically Correct, why didn't they go the whole hog and do it properly...

"Baa Baa (or any sound a wool by-product animal and/or animal with a speech difference may say) rainbow creature with a by-product of wool, their first product being that of life.
Have you any spare bodily features that might be organically and harmlessly taken from said creature with minimum stress?
Yes sir, madam or any other life form or race or being that is equal to all others, yes sir, madam, those of which are both equal in statutory rights and society, three (or any other non-offensive non-religious number) containers full.
One for the male who is equal in power to any other gender,
One for the female who is also as equal in power and not inclined to stay and do housework and produce offspring,
And another for the young male of no specific religion or origin, who, under the age of eight is not considered any lesser to a young male or femyle of more time since birth, and although lives in a narrow street, should not be stereotyped as non-wealthy, chemically-dependant or abusing, or in anyway lower in society to someone who may be older, younger, of other origin, religion, gender, or species."

(Credit to Andrea and Chelle of Quizilla)

So, in Politically Incorrect fashion I will sign off by saying....

 
psionl0 said:
How about a river in Egypt?
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How about some evidence for the claims? I failed to find any so you may feel free to take a crack at it.

I'm not sure why you would consider credulousness a virtue in a discussion on a skeptic forum.
 
joesixpack said:
How about some evidence for the claims? I failed to find any so you may feel free to take a crack at it.

I'm not sure why you would consider credulousness a virtue in a discussion on a skeptic forum.
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Calling for evidence or pointing out that a claim lacks evidence is one thing but when you say that a claim is false without providing evidence yourself then you are doing the same thing (regardless of the "rules" of debate).
 
smartcooky said:
I guess you can't knock political correctness when it gives you such wonderful new stuff....

Kids Schoolyard Games
Visually Impared Person's bluff
Personhunt
Postperson's knock
Caucasianhorse

Nursery Rhymes
Three Visually Impaired Rodents
The Muffin Person
Penis Robin
This Senior Person
The Senior Citizen who lived in a Shoe

and best of all

Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep

...and no BS, a school actually changed the words in 2006 because some overly PC idiots, in their eternal ignorance, thought that the "Black Sheep" bit had racist overtones, when in fact, any half educated 1st grader could tell you its because there are some sheep that produce black wool! The school later claimed they were teaching "phonics" to kids, a statement which to me, bears all the hallmarks of a CYA excuse.

Anyway, if they wanted to really do a good job of making this particular nursery rhyme Politically Correct, why didn't they go the whole hog and do it properly...

"Baa Baa (or any sound a wool by-product animal and/or animal with a speech difference may say) rainbow creature with a by-product of wool, their first product being that of life.
Have you any spare bodily features that might be organically and harmlessly taken from said creature with minimum stress?
Yes sir, madam or any other life form or race or being that is equal to all others, yes sir, madam, those of which are both equal in statutory rights and society, three (or any other non-offensive non-religious number) containers full.
One for the male who is equal in power to any other gender,
One for the female who is also as equal in power and not inclined to stay and do housework and produce offspring,
And another for the young male of no specific religion or origin, who, under the age of eight is not considered any lesser to a young male or femyle of more time since birth, and although lives in a narrow street, should not be stereotyped as non-wealthy, chemically-dependant or abusing, or in anyway lower in society to someone who may be older, younger, of other origin, religion, gender, or species."

(Credit to Andrea and Chelle of Quizilla)

So, in Politically Incorrect fashion I will sign off by saying....

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So two things strike me about this post, one it's claims are absolute fiction, and two, you didn't even read the story (which doesn't actually support your claim) to which you linked.

Thanks for your "contribution" to the discussion.
 
psionl0 said:
Calling for evidence or pointing out that a claim lacks evidence is one thing but when you say that a claim is false without providing evidence yourself then you are doing the same thing (regardless of the "rules" of debate).
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In other words, you can't back up the claims with any facts, as I stated above. I actually used google to try and find evidence of the claims. If you're so certain that the claims are true then you need to find some evidence. Fables and fiction don't make for sound arguments.

Again, why is credulity such a virtue to you?
 
Ziggurat said:
I never watched Dragonball Z. But I remember, rather vividly, an episode of Robotech where an important and likeable character got killed. It was a "holy ****!" moment for me as a kid.
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Same here (though I watched the original unedited Macross) but it was more like "Oh ****, now I'm stuck with these whiny, stupid kids..."
 
Doctor Plop said:
These replies niftily dodge the seriousness and potential consequences of making a complaint to the police about someone.
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Potential, shmotential. I'm not going to judge this case based on what didn't happen, nor am I impressed by the councillor's whining that the police should look after everyone else but him. ("Why didn't you stop that other car instead of me?"). The police followed up by speaking to the councillor and then he thanked them for the advice.

Doctor Plop said:
Any 'distress' caused to the transgender couple by what was clearly an innocuous joke - not specifically targeted at anyone - is not in the same ballpark as having to appear before the police and contemplate being prosecuted and labeled as a homophobe.
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If you're going to speculate on one side of that comparison then you can speculate on the other side as well, e.g. transgender people in the community having doubts as to whether the police will treat them fairly on account of their condition.
 
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psionl0 said:
That's not a response to what I posted.
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It was a much more comprehensive than this example;

psionl0 said:
How about a river in Egypt?
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which was the equivalent of "sez you".

A claim was made. I doubt the claim. I'd love to prove the negative for you but I'm so busy proving the non-existence of the God of Abraham that I just don't have the time. Perhaps you could do us the favor of simply backing up the suspiciously unsupported claims? It should be trivially easy if they're true.
 
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