Originally posted by: charrison
People should get the respect they deserve, no adult should called a boy or girl in such a disrespectful manner. However, we do recognize our differences.
Why is not PC to say that men are more capable at math and engineering?
Why is not PC for a woman to put motherhood ahead of career?
Why is not PC for us to accept that some groups are better at some things than other groups?
Why must gender be watered down for something to be PC. Why must to be PC, women must be as capable as men in all categories.
This is the problem I have with PC, we are all different with different talents that as a whole make us better. We need to embrace the difference not pretend we are all the same so everything is fair and equal.
Then stop attacking respectful speech as 'PC', and attack the specific issues you think are excessive.
To answer your questions:
A reason not to say that men are more capable at math and engineering:
First, I'm no expert on the biological differences, so my answer doesn't assume either way.
- Because there's a long history of pushing women out of those fields, and that hurts them beyond any 'natural' issue.
- Because there are plenty of women who are far better at math and engineering than you, so the differences are slight enough that pointing them out serves only to damage
- Because pointing out a difference like that is often an excuse for some sort of misogyny, trying to 'keep women down' more broadly (no pun intended)
Why is it not PC for a woman to put motherhood ahead of career?
You have left the topic of PC language, and crossed into some other issue you have.
You exaggerate the issue, for a start - many women do put motherhood first, and are supported in doing so.
- There's a history of women being pressured and denied opportunities they want, to make them have to choose motherhood. That's a problem.
- Again, the 'motherhood' issue is used by some as a 'put-down' to women, implying that only men are to be taken seriously.
You don't make at all clear what your issue there is - it's like a rehash of the 1970's debates on feminism trying to make all the choices available to women.
You ask why it's not PC to point out that 'some groups are better at some things than other groups'.
The answer includes:
- Because nearly all of the time, such discussions are cover for bigotry. 'Blacks sure do like that fried chicken and watermelon' is a fun comment for anti-black racists, as it's said in a sort of put down way to make the speakers feel they've somehow made themselves superior by noting an alleged racial trait. Why do they care about black diet? They don't, they just like being able to talk about 'those people' in a nudge nudge wink wink put down.
- Because the reasons, between nature vs. nurture, are typically far from understood, and such discussions usually are nothing more, again, than a sort of defense for bigotry.
The very act of trying to look for and talk about such traits is to box people into a group, and prevent them from having their other attributes recognized equally.
Imagine a business meeting where the chair tells the woman present she looks very nice. It may be and probably is true, but it has an implied message, 'you're female'.
It has a negative effect on her standing in the group, without saying it it creates a division and second-class status for her, much of the time.
So, you just don't do it, out of respect for her.
No one seemed to catch my earlier use of the word "womyn" as an example of PC gone too far, when some wanted "women" changed because it implied they're just a form of "men".
Attack the specifics you don't like, and show respect to people. Respect I don't see much in your posts now, frankly, which are all about how you don't like PC, not any concern.