Seattle bans words 'citizen' and 'brown bag'. WOW

[woolfe9998]

OK I Googled "brown bag" and racism and the information I found is very interesting. The OP's linked article says that this was used by white people to screen out dark skinned blacks from entering their residences. Perhaps this is true. However, most of the information I found pertains to its use by black fraternities and sororities who used the test to exclude darker skinned blacks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_based_on_skin_color

Also, the racial connotations of "brown bag" are apparently well known to many black people even as of today. Perhaps the term is racially charged, but not necessarily for the reasons assumed.

 

[IronWing]

OK I Googled "brown bag" and racism and the information I found is very interesting. The OP's linked article says that this was used by white people to screen out dark skinned blacks from entering their residences. Perhaps this is true. However, most of the information I found pertains to its use by black fraternities and sororities who used the test to exclude darker skinned blacks.

Interesting. Is the term plastic bag offensive to sorority women?

 

[woolfe9998]

Interesting. Is the term plastic bag offensive to sorority women?

I don't understand your comment. Explain.

 

[CrackRabbit]

I don't understand your comment. Explain.

I have to assume that he is referring to both their personalities and the fact that some of them are likely to have had, erm, lets say enhancements done to certain parts of their bodies. :hmm:

 

[woolfe9998]

I have to assume that he is referring to both their personalities and the fact that some of them are likely to have had, erm, lets say enhancements done to certain parts of their bodies. :hmm:

I see. I would never have connected "plastic bag" with "breast implants" in a 1000 years, but if that's what he meant, that's what he meant.

 

[IronWing]

More on the personality side.

 

[cubby1223]

I see. I would never have connected "plastic bag" with "breast implants" in a 1000 years, but if that's what he meant, that's what he meant.

I would never have connected brown bag to minorities either, not in a 1000 years.

 

[Chaotic42]

The "someone" that you're talking about are employees of a certain city government. Employers - be they public or private sector - have an absolute right to control and police the communications between their employees and the public. And not only do they have the right, they exercise it all the time. The "rage" over this seems to be that these are particularly far fetched concerns over these specific words. However, the premise of what they're doing - telling their employees what they can and cannot say to the general public - is totally sound.

Like I said, it isn't like an ordinary resident of Seattle is going to get in trouble for using those terms. YOU are not prohibited from using these words. You're not even prohibited from using words like the "n-word" which actually ARE truly offensive to a lot of people. Hence why I don't get all the rage.

Well, first it's important to remember that just because someone thinks this is stupid, that doesn't mean they're raging.

Second, this is different because it's the government setting the rule (yes, for its employees). The government is supposed to represent the people, so it's my opinion that a government entity creating this rule is different and "worse", if you will, than a private entity.

Third, bluntly, I think the rule is stupid. Just because they can prohibit certain words doesn't mean that they aren't being absurd by doing so.

It's getting a lot of attention because it is considered an example of political correctness run amok. Perhaps not by you.

Edit: I may have been a little harsh.

 

[woolfe9998]

Well, first it's important to remember that just because someone thinks this is stupid, that doesn't mean they're raging.

Second, this is different because it's the government setting the rule (yes, for its employees). The government is supposed to represent the people, so it's my opinion that a government entity creating this rule is different and "worse", if you will, than a private entity.

Third, bluntly, I think the rule is stupid. Just because they can prohibit certain words doesn't mean that they aren't being absurd by doing so.

It's getting a lot of attention because it is considered an example of political correctness run amok. Perhaps not by you.

Edit: I may have been a little harsh.

I don't think I would quibble with "political correctness run amok," so long as we understand that they are trying not to offend anyone, not just groups which traditionally seem to be object of protection by PC, i.e. racial minorities. This is a hyper-sensitivity that seems to run across the board, whether it's immigrants, blacks, or religious fundies. Undoubtedly these particular policies were prompted by specific complaints they have received. So if it's PC run amok, it's difficult to ascertain if policies like these are more cause or more effect.

 

[shortylickens]

Remember: Thats the city which rearranged its public school curriculum to teach students that only whites can be racist.

 

[Thebobo]

Brown bag citizen Redskins

 

[Smoblikat]

Yeah "Brown Bag" is a new one for me..

I wonder if its like calling an ugly woman a brown bagger IE have to put a *brown*bag over her head to make her porkable ?

Youre thinking of double bagger 😀

 

[bradley]

Red Doper Diaper Babies.

Isn't that "Red *Diaper* Doper Babies"? Also a fan. <--------- 🙂

 

[Zaap]

I'm going to call bullshit

Careful now, that word is soon to be banned because a white guy once exclaimed it after not believing something a person of color was telling him. Therefore, it's racist.


By the way, serious question: why hasn't the NAACP been forced to change it's name yet? Isn't the term 'colored' racist in 2013?

 

[pcgeek11]

Snip~

Beyond that, I fail to understand why anyone should give a flying crap if a city government chooses to self-censor its employees from using words they think might offend someone. It must be a slow day for the right-wing rage echo chamber.

So you are for censorship?

 

[StrangerGuy]

So you are for censorship?

A prime example of the double standard scum that supports "I'm all for free speech, except when it offends me".

 

[futurefields]

it sucks you cant say fireman, or policeman, or manhole.

people get their panties twisted, i think they need to get lives.

 

[irishScott]

The memo in question is utterly ridiculous. However, another part of this story is that Seattle's Department of Education disallows the words "dinosaur," "birthday" and "Halloween" on tests administered to students, for the following rather interesting reasons:



http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/testforum.cgi?noframes;read=283775

It sounds like Seattle's government is a bit hyper-vigilant in trying to avoid offending their most sensitive residents. However, the attitude seems to cross over to just about any group who could be offended by just about anything.

Beyond that, I fail to understand why anyone should give a flying crap if a city government chooses to self-censor its employees from using words they think might offend someone. It must be a slow day for the right-wing rage echo chamber.

So it's all about the football game for you is it? You don't see a problem with banning words that the government arbitrarily deems "offensive".

This is not a matter of left-wing vs right-wing, this is a matter of common sense vs stupid, and apparently you don't care if politicians act stupid. That or you actually agree with the city of Seattle being technically able to fire its employees if they utter the word "Halloween".

 

[Zaap]

^ That's undergarments twisted. Don't want to be sexist.

Heh. manhole. Isn't not using that term homophobic?

PC is such insanity, but always good for laughs.

 

[Yreka]

Youre thinking of double bagger 😀

Oh yep, that was it lol.. I got nothing then 😉

 

[boomerang]

I cannot wait for the political correctness bubble to burst and for a huge backlash against it, and liberalism, to sweep through western civilization.

I just hope that's even possible at this point... and that it happens before it's too late.

It's going to happen. Think of it like prohibition. It's the progressive left forcing their mores on the rest of us. They become more emboldened as time goes on and eventually the backlash will become too great.

One can also think of it in terms of organized religion. The progressive left is totally against it.[1] Which, in this country they can be. What they don't see is that their beliefs are wholly akin to religion and that they have no qualms forcing it upon others. Theirs is the righteous path and the rest of will be forced to capitulate - for our own good of course.

They'll flame out.

[1] With of course the exception of the Islamic faith.

 

[StrangerGuy]

It's going to happen. Think of it like prohibition. It's the progressive left forcing their mores on the rest of us. They become more emboldened as time goes on and eventually the backlash will become too great.

One can also think of it in terms of organized religion. The progressive left is totally against it. Which, in this country they can be. What they don't see is that their beliefs are wholly akin to religion and that they have no qualms forcing it upon others. Theirs is the righteous path and the rest of will be forced to capitulate - for our own good of course.

They'll flame out.

Right, more like only to religions they know won't threaten back with violence. Try something like Islam and they will bend over like the morally spineless cowards they are.

Hah! I was editing while you posted. You'll like it!

Now brace yourself for overwhelming_exceptions.jpg and two_wrongs_make_a_right.jpg from our P&N superstar disingenous poster regarding this subject.

 

[boomerang]

Right, more like only to religions they know won't threaten back with violence. Try something like Islam and they will bend over like the morally spineless cowards they are.

Hah! I was editing while you posted. You'll like it!

 

[MrColin]

The phrase ‘brown bag’ is offensive for its having been used as a verb during racial segregation in the United States. When deciding whether or not a black person was light-skinned enough to enter a private residence, servants would ‘brown bag’ them: using a paper grocery bag to gauge their skin tone.

I thought it had to do with making your mom wear a bag over her head to improve her looks during the sex.

 

[futurefields]

so the word "Citizen" is offensive to people who arent citizens

and im supposed to care?

lets ban everything that offends anybody

this is so stupid