I come across the whole attitude of why is this pc crap necessary, why do we have to use these stupid new terms. So I am going to ask this question.
Do you want to go back to referring to people as:

"Men" and "ladies" - not women
Grown men being called "boys" and grown women being called "girls".
Calling people of different races by hurtful epithets, e.g. the n word in America and the k word in South Africa.

PCPhrases.com - Politically Correct Terms

I was going to put the list here but it is too long, some terms are really stupid and others make sense. What do you think?

An example: in order to avoid using the term "waitress" in South Africa, our clever people have come up with the term "waitron" my particular dislike, why can they not all just be "waiters"?

Do the words mean more than just the word or are there really further implications - some deep insight about this please.

I don't really jive with the idea of political correctness. Sometimes I wonder just who in the hell these people think they are to say, "You can't say _______, you have to say ______ now." I'm not all about offending people for the hell of it (unless they deserve it of coarse), but if I don't happen to know what PC term someone would prefer me to use for their "special demographic" and it pisses someone off, then nuts to them, I don't really care.

I would like to know when we, especially here in America, became a bunch of whiny little pussies. "Oh no, you hurt my feelings, blah, blah, blah." So what. People have been getting their feelings hurt for thousands of years. Just laugh it off or at least come back with a clever comment. I think that when people make up these rules for being politically correct, when they come up with a new term that is acceptable for people to call them, they're basically advertising their insecurities and how they can't manage them on their own.

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Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their altars. ... I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. I ask no one to live for me, nor do I live for others. I covet no mans soul, nor is my soul theirs to covet.

Ayn Rand, Anthem.

I heard that the governor of New York State has started calling illegals "international citizens." I guess migrant worker has become too offensive too.

If this shit weren't real, I don't know if I'd believe it. It is damn sure too stupid to make up.

__________________
Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their altars. ... I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. I ask no one to live for me, nor do I live for others. I covet no mans soul, nor is my soul theirs to covet.

Ayn Rand, Anthem.

OK I get what you're saying but I don't think people who have problems walking like to be called 'gimp', 'cripple'.
But blind is blind - I know I going that way (an old age thing, it happens) - but my vision is impaired - I hate it so I say - I'm going blind.
Handicapped - hell what's wrong with that - physically challenged or is that wrong now.
That stuff I agree is nonsense. But I must admit I don't like labels - I heard the other day some woman doesn't like her son to be called autistic - he has autism. She says that her child is not the disease, ok I can accept that. But not when you have to say a whole sentence and it means the same thing. FGS, people have enough trouble remembering all their passwords how are we supposed to remember long sentences to explain something that can be said in one word.

So when we are told that we can no longer say midget and must now say "little people" it is because of a right wing conspiracy to stifle criticism?

__________________
Neither am I the means to any end others may wish to accomplish. I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their altars. ... I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. I ask no one to live for me, nor do I live for others. I covet no mans soul, nor is my soul theirs to covet.

Ayn Rand, Anthem.

So it's all a right wing plot?

I will give you an example of a series of sensitivity training sessions that I was forced to attend, along with all of my colleagues, as part of my job.

We saw a series of short films intended to increase our "sensitivity". In all of the films, without exception, the villain was a straight white man in a suit and tie. (surprise!) I happen to be one myself, and it is interesting to see how white men in suits are transformed into cartoon characters. The various special guest "victims" in the films included a woman abused by her harrassing boss, an African American man, a homosexual woman and a young latino man who was also a (gasp!) "communist" (!!!!).

Yes, a communist. This is 2007, and we are being given lectures on being sensitive to young communists, especially if they are not white. He "confessed" his communist "leanings" in a monologue that produced a great deal of laughter in the audience. It was utterly absurd, beyond parody, incredible.

But the laughter was not acceptable to our "guest lecturer", a woman representing one of those left-wing legal foundations who spoke to us about the importance of "respectful listening". (Hillary would be proud....)

Then we had two speakers who talked about being homosexual and how painful it all is - one woman and one man. The man's "lecture" included details about his personal life that I found sickening, including references to his "sugar daddy" which were so ludicrous (and indeed pathetic) that all of us were looking everywhere except at him. But what I think - what anyone thinks - means nothing. The intent is to desensitive us to the values, beliefs and traditions that are in conflict with the assumptions of political correctness.

Who in the future will believe that our society has become so brainwashed, so fearful, so childish, so lacking in common sense? What happened to personal responsibility and mature behavior? Why are the emotional responses of a few people treated so seriously? Self-pity, self-righteousness and self-absorption are the ruling values. They should not be encouraged, let alone rewarded.

The one moment of genuine humor came during the very tense "discussion" section afterwards. I felt like a member of a cult. But one very young man who was trying very hard to be acceptable to the woman in charge, said; "You are so right about stereotypes! I would never have thought that guy was a communist!" We all laughed, just out of relief.

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Our fears in Banquo stick deep; and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares; And, to that dauntless temper of his mind, he hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour to act in safety.

Macbeth 3:1

I think, like with many things, "political correctness" get's bandied about and applied in more cases than it actually fits.

For instance, it's not being "politically correct" to be respectful of others--that's just ethical. So, if I'm not taking a biggoted stance and degrading minorities with words like "chink" "spic" "ni*ger" or "skirt"--it's not because of anything as shallow as adhereing to some PC standards--it's just flat out disrespectful and ethically, I won't use those labels.

So when Imus called the Rutgers women "nappy headed hoes" the arguments against his use of such derogatory terms weren't about being "PC" they were about disrespect and slander.

I have no problem using a "PC" term if someone requests I do. If I inadvertently make a blunder, I would hope that someone would say, "Hey, I prefer this term" so that I might show them respect when addressing them. The same way some women prefer to be addressed as Mrs., Ms. or Miss, or a doctor might prefer to be called Dr. Turner or Dr. John (as my kids pediatritian suggested.) It all depends on the person and respecting them.

So if I were talking about someone with a disability, I might as, "How would you like me to refer to your condition when we talk about it?" Sincere respect is almost always recognized and appreciated. I know I appreciate it when it's offered to me.

What possible value, belief or tradition could a person hold that would be in conflict with respect? (The core value inherent in PC.)

It's not just the words, it's how some people act. My brother is retarded (or "metally disabled" if you swing that way ) and when my mother takes him out in his wheelchair on walks or to go to the saturday market, little kids (like 5 - 10 years old) would stare in curiosity. Once their parents saw that there kids were staring, they would instantly tell their kid to "stop staring, it's rude." My mother always incourages young kids to learn, if they go through their whole life being hidden from the truth, they're going to become just as mistaken about disabled people as their parents.

Many people like to speak for disabled people, because they think they know what the disabled people want. But very often they are wrong. My life has been totally emmerged in working and volunteering with with the handicapped. ever since 5th grade I've worked in the "Special Ed" class (and yes, I got to ride the short bus home with my brother, and even got to use the controller for the wheelchair lift), Hippotherapy in Issaquah, WA, and teaching other highschool students at my HS about the myths and facts about genetic and phyical brain damage.

The belief that human beings are, first, individuals and not merely symbols of a group.

The belief that good and evil really do exist, and that relative morality is not presumed to be true.

The belief that masculinity and femininity are not social constructs, but have transcendent meaning.

The belief that Western civilization is not merely a history of the victimization of certain self-defined "victim groups".

The belief that self-pity, self-righteousness and self-absorption are not to be encouraged, but to be challenged.

The belief that we are, as individuals, responsible for our own actions.

Shall I go on?

I do not require (and will not accept) lectures on "respect" from people who do not know me. The code of a gentleman, of being an honorable Christian man who respects others, is enough for me.

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Our fears in Banquo stick deep; and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares; And, to that dauntless temper of his mind, he hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour to act in safety.

Macbeth 3:1