From: Steve Peterson (peterson.steve@verizon.net)
Date: Wed Dec 17 2003 - 17:08:45 GMT
Hi Platt,
>> You seem to be properly angered by liberal political correctness, but have
>> no sensitivity for the conservative version of the same.
>
> I define liberal political correctness as the attempt to prevent anyone
> from saying anything that someone else might be offended by. The means of
> prevention is the establishment of "speech codes" whereby someone who
> violates the code is punished by expulsion from the group, by fines, by
> forced attendance at "sensitivity training" seminars and by other means of
> individual liberty deprivation.
>
> I await to be enlightened as to the conservative version of the same.
We don't have to agree to one another's definitions of political
correctness. Let me try again.
Can you agree to the immorality of playing "social level power games" for
deciding who has "enough status to exclude whom from the discussion"? I find
it immoral when liberals do it by demanding that to participate in
discussion and avoid labels of "racist," 'homophobe", etc, you must first
master the "speech codes." But I also find it immoral when conservatives
demand conformity to their standards for discourse at the threat of such
labels as "unpatriotic" and "un-American."
Both cases amount to ad hominem attacks. Rather than arguing ideas
intellectually, too often both camps choose the tactic of excluding the
other side from discussion based on social acceptability of views. Both are
putting social restrictions on the market place of ideas. Shouldn't we be
working for a free market to allow intellectual patterns to flourish?
In your letter to the editor, you said:
"It's high time you liberals got a taste of your own medicine. You don't
like being called unpatriotic? Tough. Those who live by name-calling die
by name-calling."
I don't understand why an intellectual would defend conservative
name-calling. Wouldn't it be better for liberals and conservatives both to
avoid name-calling?
Thanks,
Steve
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