This just over the transom in response to a post from yesterday.
Your terminology is technically correct, but what is incorrect with the statement "Muslim extremists attacked us on 911"?
One does not have to be ‘politically correct’ to have a desire not to invite misunderstanding of a statement (that it equals: " Muslims-as-a-group attacked us" ) or to desire to avoid a perceived implication that there is something about the ‘essence’ of ‘Islam’ that is responsible for 911.
Nothing is wrong with 'Muslim extremists attacked us on 9/11.' But there is also nothing wrong with O'Reilly's statement, "Muslims attacked us on 9/11." After all, the first entails the second. No one maintains that every Muslim attacked us on 9/11 or that Muslims as a group attacked us on that day.
My correspondent is missing the point, which is that inappropriate offense was taken by Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg when they stomped off the set in protest. That inappropriate offense taken at an objectively inoffensive remark is what shows that political correctness is at work.
This is just one more example among hundreds. Remember the man who was fired from his job for using the perfectly innocuous English word 'niggardly'? And then there was the case of some fool taking umbrage at the use of 'black hole.' See Of Black Holes and Political Correctness and Of Black Holes and Black Hos.
And then there was the recent case of Dr. Laura who pointed out the obvious truth that some blacks apply 'nigger' to other blacks. This got her in trouble, but it ought not have. After all, what she said is true! And let's recall that she had a reason for bringing up this truth: her remark was not unmotivated or inspired by nastiness.
Please note that I am talking about the word 'nigger,' not using it. This is the use-mention distinction familiar to (analytic) philosophers. Is Boston disyllabic? Obviously not: no city consists of syllables, let alone two syllables. Is 'Boston' disyllabic? Yes indeed. Confusing words and their referents is the mark of a primitive mind. In the following sentence
'Nigger' has nothing semantically or etymologically to do with 'niggardly'
I am mentioning both words but using neither. "But what if someone is offended by your mere mention of 'nigger'?" Too bad. That's his problem. He is in need of therapy not refutation.
Recent Comments