Dear Kipp,

You are gay, and I think there is nothing wrong with that. You should be treated with respect as should all humans. However, calling someone a 'redneck' is still name-calling.

'Redneck'? Anyone who disagrees with the authoritarian left.

I suppose when you've always identified with the bullying and aggressive majority, it's a matter of course to accuse victims (usually in a minority) of creating a "victim industry" - whenever they attempt to stand up for themselves.

Why appeal to "PC" to justify racist behaviour? The reasoning appears to be: if you call a behaviour "PC" then, clearly, you should not conform to it. Not making racist remarks is "PC", therefore it should be ok to make racist remarks. Poor reasoning, but nonetheless it is the reasoning employed by some.

What is "PC"? Where does this concept come from? Why would anyone invoke this concept of political correctness? The "PC" argument appears nothing more than a red herring to me. Political Correctness is a meaningless concept: it means anything that anyone wants to attribute to it.

A much more authentic argument would look at the value of name-calling, certainly in situations of unequal power. How does name-calling by those in a position of power contribute to any of the people involved, let alone to the wider society?

Racism is not about race, like rape is not about sex: it is about the abuse of power.

One cannot but wonder if these apologists also would like to be called 'ape' by their boss, or if they condone their children being called 'apes' at school by the majority of children and teachers.

But rather than addressing the issue from such a, more authentic, perspective, apologists for racism invoke the ghostly demon of "political correctness" which somehow forces everyone to conform to some grey existence where nothing can be said and which therefore must be resisted. Alternatively, they simply dismiss it, which is very easy to do when you are not the one affected by racism.

It is a simple trick: if we put the label of 'political correctness' on reasoned arguments, then we have dismissed the argument and do not need to do the difficult bit, such as addressing the argument itself.

Maybe it was also political correctness that ensured the end of slavery, or is that too inconvenient an interpretation?

What is political correctness?

Below is one of the great speeches of American rhetoric and in the link can be heard as it was delivered to the graduating lawyers at Harvard. Text is also given.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/charltonhestonculturalwar.htm

Mitch@T4R - When is a comment or name-calling racist? The answer is of course when that remark or slur specifically refers to the race of the person to whom it is addressed.

So if I were to address my work colleague as "dirty black bastard" - that is blatantly racist. If he were to reply calling me "ugly whitey a-hole" that would also be racist.

If I called him 'dirty pig' and he replied 'ugly a-hole' the worst either of us could be accused of is RUDENESS and insulting behaviour.

Hence my taking umbrage over the "Ape" word. If "Ape" was a race specific insult I would be on the footballers side. If he had been called "N1gger" or any other derogatory term specific to his colour (which could be described as olive or swarthy) or aboriginality - but no, a kid called him "Ape"! Not Black Ape, N1gger Ape, Abbo Ape - just Ape.

Now I've called a few and heard a lot of men called "Ape" - none because of race but their appearance or behaviour. Sometimes in derision, sometimes in the same irreverent manner one calls one's friend "bastard".

Beating up a simple generic insult from a child into a major racial vilification incident is just one way to set back the fight against racism.

And what about the treatment of that juvenile? If she suffers psychological damage over the aggravated public humiliation (bullying?) by her accusers and in the media - who is responsible?

The footballer who pointed and yelled and carried on like a 5 yr old? The media who broadcast her image and played and replayed the incident ad nauseum? Not only here but overseas ...

If she were to suicide like other young people have done in the face of such attention - what then? Remember a British nurse who killed herself over a prank call made by 2 Australian Radio jocks impersonating members of the Royal Family?

All because some big hairy faced overpaid hyper-sensitive 'sportsman' chucks a hissy fit over an everyday heckle?