Comments | eagle243: On Political Correctness

eagle243

On Political Correctness

Dec 12, 2003 12:35

If it didn't mean that I could shop nowhere, I would gladly boycott stores that advertise using the phrases "Happy Holidays" and "for the holidays," instead choosing to support those that bid customers a "Merry Christmas."

It's a Fireman, Policeman, or Chairman, not Firefighter, Police officer, or Chair. Note that it's not Firepenis, Policepenis ( Read more... )

Comments 12

rhiannonstone December 12 2003, 09:52:46 UTC

You know my thoughts on it already. :)

And one word I hate is the word "actress." Feminizing words that aren't exclusively masculine to me implies that girls need a special word for it because we are different.

eagle243 December 12 2003, 10:11:26 UTC

Oh, and they're "stewardesses," not "flight attendants." ;)

But, hmm, maybe that one is rather accurate - they don't really steward anything anymore. They are really there as the government's proxy to make sure you sit in your seat with your belt fastened, dammit! ;)

meep December 12 2003, 10:29:46 UTC

I like the word "firefighter" -- it has more action in it. And it is internally alliterative. (Which is why "mailman" is better than "postal carrier". I believe in judging words on aesthetic grounds.)

But I agree with the others -- even though firefighters are the ones most likely to be men of all the other positions named. If you go to the Independent Women's Forum site, even though almost all the people in the organization are women, they have a Chairman (who is, of course, a woman). I like that.

I hate the term Xmas. I'd prefer "Holidays" over that.

eagle243 December 12 2003, 10:31:31 UTC

I respect any women's organization that has a female in the position of "Chairman" - very cool.

I'm with ya on Holidays over Xmas.

rhiannonstone December 12 2003, 10:58:42 UTC

I don't know anyone who actually pronounces "ex-mas," it's always been shorthand to me.

Of course, my grandmother disapproved, because she thought it was "crossing out the Christ in Christmas," but that's just the type of person my grandmother was.

fishsupreme December 12 2003, 11:06:42 UTC

I can understand why stores would prefer "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas" on greetings. As an atheist, I'm not offended by any religious greeting, but I could understand if, say, a Muslim or Jew found "Merry Christmas" a little uncomfortable. As businesses, they don't want to offend anyone... and I'd say "Happy Holidays" offends almost no one (well, other than you, obviously).

I consider "xmas" acceptable in a case where someone is looking for obvious shorthand -- say, when posting on LJ or typing in a chat room, where they're abbreviating words in order to type faster. But there's no point to it at all anywhere where that isn't a consideration -- like any sort of preprinted sign.

eagle243 December 12 2003, 11:08:22 UTC

Honestly I would be less offended if someone bid me a Happy Hannukah (sp?) or whatever.

And yeah, I'm probably one of the few who actually gets offended at that. :)

rhiannonstone December 12 2003, 11:20:00 UTC

I'm not offended by Happy Holidays, because I happily accept any and all greetings in the spirit in which they were given. I am merely annoyed that so many people and organizations feel it necessary to mince words to avoid offending people.

eagle243 December 12 2003, 11:21:31 UTC

Welcome to the United States of the Offended. :(

Thread 5

Yule ... btripp December 12 2003, 11:47:56 UTC

Frankly, I'd prefer "Have a Blessed Yule" to any of the above, but then again, I'm one of those wild heathen types that doesn't buy into the Roman-imported "Palestinian Death Cult" that seems so popular these days.

( ... )

yellowsarong December 25 2004, 06:20:34 UTC

Hey, but what about people who celebrate Festivus?!

;-)

I have a lot of Jewish friends so I send out cards that say "Happy Holidays." Don't see what's so bad about that.