We’re having some warm sun in recent days and if you’re out
of the wind your ears won’t blow off. Cathy with a little chuckle called it
Indigenous Summer.
What gives political correctness a bad reputation is that
people usually just slip up, not even knowing we have or only suspicious we might’ve. We didn’t intend our words to be damaging to anyone, yet we are being corrected and we’re not sure what the reason is. It’s no wonder some think
political correctness has gone too far. What are we supposed to say now?
When did it change? Why?
Often people don’t even ask those questions. We aren’t
particularly interested in the answers. We might have to practise empathy and
respect in an unfamiliar way for someone whose experience we do not share or
understand. We might have to admit that we didn’t already know everything
about everything; that we weren’t, ourselves, above reproach. We might have to think about one more damn thing. Sheesh, don't we have enough on our plates already!
And then there’s cultural appropriation, a practice
considered harmful and yes, politically incorrect: a fancy term for being
pissed off over nothing, you big whiner.
That’s the attitude.
Recently I could not adequately explain why it’s now
politically incorrect to call a ball team, for example, the “Indians.” I only
knew that many First Nations people found it offensive, and that was good
enough for me. But why does it offend them?
I did a brief internet search for an explanation. HERE’S WHAT I FOUND.
Let’s be open-minded. Let’s educate ourselves instead of insisting that demanding political correctness is little more than a
platform for too-thin-skinned complainers. Let's listen and be willing to adjust our perspective.
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| These youngsters stared me down at the gate while their elders hightailed it to the place where Scott was putting a fresh bale out. They're curious about anyone new. They're not hostile but I'm nervous anyway. |
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My day so far has consisted of reading while drinking my morning coffee, mixing up a batch of bread for our household (the last two batches were sold and we were down to half a loaf this morning), doing yoga in the living room once the dough was on its first rise, making marinated tomatoes (that's the last of Scott's garden produce dealt with) and the inevitable dishwashing which, by now, goes without saying so why do I keep saying it. Maybe because it takes up so much time.
The wind on the step is nasty but I'll go out anyway as soon as the six loaves of bread come out of the oven. When I get back it will be time to think about supper. Oy. I don't want to. I might have food-prep overload.
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Doc MacLean is touring over in South Africa for the first time in his long career as a blues musician. He doesn't always have access to the internet but he's posted a good collection of photos at his blog: http://zuluskies.blogspot.ca/ .
