"We did not invent PC but we can fight it"

I'm with him all the way.

PC is great when it makes people think twice about making comments that might be gratuitously insulting or give offence. But the pendulum swung too far and it has become an instrument of oppression and a bar to free speech from whence ideas and progress flow.

When I was in SW in the 70s and 80s it all got crazily out of hand. We were not allowed to use words like blackboard or black coffee; and for some entirely obscure reason brainstorm was a no-no. And I was pulled up (very pleasantly I have to say) on here for appropriately using the word negro when discussing ancestry. If someone described me as caucasian I would be entirely unmoved.

It has come to a point where any appropriate term could be construed as an insult by one person and it snowballs and becomes general taboo for no sound reason.

Exactly, Luckygirl
And the new PC is virtue signalling.

Exactly,very often the people who spout PCness at you are the only ones who see any offence.Usually because they are jumped up insecure little pr--s

I got pulled up on here for calling my Birth Mother my real Mother.
As I pointed out to those who decided what she should call herself those were the exact words she used in the first phone call she made to me, and if that suits her it is no one elses business.

I agree with all the posts on here so far.

The article that is linked is very good indeed in my opinion, and seems to be the start of the turnaround.

pc has made some subjects taboo, and I dont think that any subject should be taboo.

Is there not a difference between discussing any subject and using names which has long been accepted as offensive ?

We speak about illegitimate children but not bastard children or base children

Same with negro , it is offensive because it was used to insult for many years as was n****r , Caucasian is describing skin colour as is black

Negro describes a set of physical characteristics that apply to a certain race - it is not just skin colour. You can be black and not a negro. It is a scientific term that refers to a specific racial grouping within which are shared physical characteristics.

Equally the word caucasian does not refer simply to skin colour, but also to other characteristics (skull shape, facial features, hair colour and texture etc.)

The idea that the word negro is derogatory implies that this group of people are in some way inferior, a view that I do not share.

Annie I don't think the word was used as an insult or offensive in the past - Martin Luther King used the word Negro to describe his people in a number of speeches.

These days its use is deemed old-fashioned, IMO, although anthropologically correct.

I stand corrected

I have recently had a heated debate on fb recently about the use of the word negro. I used the same description as Luckygirl, and was shot down in flames. I think that PC is taken too far by some people. Honestly, you wouldn't believe the abuse I've had. (You probably would) .

I'm sorry to hear that hilda - so unnecessary.

If a word offends then it cannot be right to use it surely ?

I think the point is,there are people who are determined to be offended.Its like,at the moment you will be hard pushed to find a nativity scene,some think that offends,apparently.I thought that was what Christmas was all about.

Yes..... It's called ' Winterval' by some PC councils.

Words evolve as time passes.

Negro is not used much these days. The. correct language should come from the people being described as such. People of SE Asian origin do not like to be referred to as Paki even if they originate from Pakistan. So the word is not good to use.

I am overweight and don't want to be called fat. We will live in a more harmonious world if we listen to others.

Children need to understand this in our mixed world striving for harmony. Hope this doesn't come across as smug.

Exactly,very often the people who spout PCness at you are the only ones who see any offence

^^ this

I think people are quite shocked to hear the term negro or the other 'n' word these days as they have been 'worked out' of our vocabulary. I was watching the film "Guess who's coming to dinner" earlier this afternoon - a great favourite of mine - and I hadn't realised (I haven't watched it for ages) how freely both terms are used in the script. It sounded so alien. The film was made in 1967.

So if people feel genuinely offended perhaps we need to be more careful.

rosesarered which councils are using the term 'Winterval'?

Just out of interest with regard to Greyduster's post:

www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/25/us-census-bureau-negro-respondents-race

We shouldn't be afraid of positive language. Just look at how the language for homosexuality has changed since the 1960 and how attitudes have changed with the language.

I agree LullyDully, children need to understand it is now a mixed world and I think they do unless taught differently by adults who want to continue using words which offend under the pretence of free speech . Who but a homophobic would call a homosexual a poof now, negro is linked to slavery so it offends , why would anyone choose to use such words knowing they offend and hurt people.

Winterval is apparently an urban myth according to Google. However I do.seem to remember it was a notion in Birmingham in the 1990s.

It covered all the winter festivals from Oct onwards. There was still the German Christmas market in Victoria Square which spreads every year. Brum did not forget Christmas just added every thing else in to keep the decorations up longer.

It has stuck in minds as typical PC which it well may have been.

Like that annoying Christmas ad for coca cola we get every year which insists that 'Holidays are coming, Holidays are coming...'