Is it "PC", or common curtesy?????????

[SeniorBen]

I am not much for political correctness, but I do try to practice common courtesy.

Some times that courtesy includes doing and saying things I don't completely agree with or understand, so maybe that's what some would call PC.
A good example is the confederate flag, I grew up seeing it as a symbol of southern pride, and sometimes still feel that way a little. However I now know that for reasons I only partially understand some see it as racist and an insult. Rather than sort all that out I don't display or approve of displaying the stars and bars. No big loss to me, and hopefully it makes others feel a little better.

I have mixed feelings on the statues, best not to forget our past, but honoring the defense of slavery isn't what I want. New Orleans used to have a monument to white supremacy, the Battle of Liberty Place Monument. Last time I saw it was in the 70s and it was a gathering place for black folks protesting, somewhere I have a picture of the monument with people, who looked like black panthers, doing the black power salute. They wanted me to take pictures. Seemed to me the monument was serving a useful purpose, a sign that things were getting better, but not denying our past. Its now long gone - I'm not sure that's for the best.

I think courtesy to others is important, PC not so much...

We definitely shouldn't have government sponsored racism, which is basically what statues that celebrate the Confederate Army are when they're in public parks.

 

[Lilac]

You are posting nasty comments about me that aren’t true. I have never posted a nasty comment about Old Salt. I just pointed out that women’s rights movements are about women in general - not about his personal relationship with his momma. And I might point out the same thing about you.

@seadoug, is right about @Old Salt not posting negative comments about women. I didn't see anything in Seadoug's post that was bad about you either. He only asked two questions that I was also wondering about.

These two gentlemen were raised by their mothers to be respectful to women & I have no reason to doubt this. Who better to instill in men that women are their equals than their own mothers, who also happen to be women by the way.

Whenever economic equality for women comes up, some old guy will always bring up the specter of men not opening doors for women as though that is a huge leverage men can use to frighten women who want equality.

I'm still trying to figure out how a man being courteous by opening a door or pulling out a chair for a woman to sit down is a power-broker move that is supposed to threaten that woman & keep her in her place. I don't find those actions a threatening act at all & as a matter of fact, I find it very nice.

IMO, when someone shows respect & courtesy to another person, it lets them know they are equals. It doesn't matter if this is between man-to-man, woman-to-woman, man-to-woman or woman-to-man.

Being disrespectful & discourteous is biggest tell-tale sign you don't consider them your equal.

 

[davey]

right can I go home now??

 

[Alligatorob]

We definitely shouldn't have government sponsored racism, which is basically what statues that celebrate the Confederate Army are when they're in public parks.

I certainly agree that we should not honor racism, but there is an important difference between remembering the past and celebrating it. I think some of the statues can be used to keep our memory of an unpleasant history alive. Here is one good idea: How to Repurpose a Bad Statue https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/how-to-repurpose-a-bad-statue/537447/

As a note there are probably more statues of Robert E Lee than any other Confederate but he himself did not support building these monuments. Lee said:

“As regards the erection of such a monument as is contemplated: my conviction is, that however grateful it would be to the feelings of the South, the attempt in the present condition of the Country would have the effect of retarding, instead of accelerating its accomplishment; & of continuing , if not adding to, the difficulties under which the Southern people labour. All I think that can now be done, is to aid our noble & generous women in their efforts to protect the graves & mark the last resting places of those who have fallen, & wait for better times.”

https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/memorialization-of-robert-e-lee-and-the-lost-cause.htm

Lee died in 1870, before all the statues were built.

 

[TabbyAnn]

I didn't see anything in Seadoug's post that was bad about you either. He only asked two questions that I was also wondering about.

I'm still trying to figure out how a man being courteous by opening a door or pulling out a chair for a woman to sit down is a power-broker move that is supposed to threaten that woman & keep her in her place. I don't find those actions a threatening act at all & as a matter of fact, I find it very nice.

If you don’t see anything wrong with Seadoug resorting to petty personal attacks during a discussion about mass concepts and movements, and calling someone nasty and belligerent, I don’t know what to say to you except you may want to learn to communicate with more objectivity. And you may want to hone your reading comprehension skills. My post said some men think the specter of NOT opening doors is power leverage. But you are absolutely right it is not power leverage with intelligent women and it’s silly of men to think it is. It’s something people can engage in or not depending on whether they enjoy it or not.

 

[TabbyAnn]

The vast majority of men are not as you perceive them. They love their partners and treat them with respect!

Not sure where your data on the vast majority comes from? With countries full of men who don’t respect women and want to kill American men, and prisons full of American men who assault and kill women and girls, and a billion dollar porn industry that disrespects women and ultimately degrades men, and hordes of men in Ukraine blowing each other’s brains out, it’s hard to see where your majority statement comes from.

Nevertheless, I have no objection to seniors relegating the nation’s problems to just “some” in a small minority and pretending all is love, light and respect with the male psyche. It may not solve the nation’s problems and the outcome may not be pretty, but I’m not out to control anyone’s choices.