Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 8:48 am
Really interesting thread. It has drifted at some point to general chat comments but I won't move it just in case other mates want to give their say.
It was interesting because it deals with political correctness.
In Spain, we've been without inmigration for a lot of years, since in good part of XX century, XIX and XVIII century we've been in decay. 500 years ago, we expelled all the muslims and jews of the peninsula (although we "kindly", "offered" them to convert to Christianism).
Thus, there was not racism in Spain, because it's been us, mostly. Being racist in Spain is something very few would accept. It's seen as something bad. Only the 0.5% of the population would be racist.
Political correctness is useful for this kind of people, and don't tolerate their words.
But. There are others, and they're not few, that they're racist and they do not know it. I remember a mate of the uni that had the chance to go out with a sound black girl. She was hot. Absolutely hot. And he kept asking us about what we thought about her, he wasn't sure what to do. He was absolutely politically correct, and was using formulas thas has been imported to Spain RECENTLY to describe the good black race:
* "Black Skinned". Which is stupidly redundant
* "Coloured Skinned". Which is stupid anyway, because the only difference between skins is the amount of melanine (sp?) which we all have to protect from the sun.
And things like that. So what it has never been insulting, nor a bad thing "black", now despite not being bad, it's not politically correct. And that's new in Spain.
So a racist like that mate, who had prejudices to go out with a black girl just because their friends or they dad might think, only had to use those stupid politically correct expression to disguise his racism. And if you ask him if he's racist, he'll say a big NO NO.
My point, I don't know there but political correctness can be a double blade sword. It's useful against the most racist and aggressive, but it doesn't help in order "mild racist" realise they are. Words are important, but not that much.
Sorry for the off topic bit, but some things I've read here are very interesting and I wanted to say that.
It was interesting because it deals with political correctness.
In Spain, we've been without inmigration for a lot of years, since in good part of XX century, XIX and XVIII century we've been in decay. 500 years ago, we expelled all the muslims and jews of the peninsula (although we "kindly", "offered" them to convert to Christianism).
Thus, there was not racism in Spain, because it's been us, mostly. Being racist in Spain is something very few would accept. It's seen as something bad. Only the 0.5% of the population would be racist.
Political correctness is useful for this kind of people, and don't tolerate their words.
But. There are others, and they're not few, that they're racist and they do not know it. I remember a mate of the uni that had the chance to go out with a sound black girl. She was hot. Absolutely hot. And he kept asking us about what we thought about her, he wasn't sure what to do. He was absolutely politically correct, and was using formulas thas has been imported to Spain RECENTLY to describe the good black race:
* "Black Skinned". Which is stupidly redundant
* "Coloured Skinned". Which is stupid anyway, because the only difference between skins is the amount of melanine (sp?) which we all have to protect from the sun.
And things like that. So what it has never been insulting, nor a bad thing "black", now despite not being bad, it's not politically correct. And that's new in Spain.
So a racist like that mate, who had prejudices to go out with a black girl just because their friends or they dad might think, only had to use those stupid politically correct expression to disguise his racism. And if you ask him if he's racist, he'll say a big NO NO.
My point, I don't know there but political correctness can be a double blade sword. It's useful against the most racist and aggressive, but it doesn't help in order "mild racist" realise they are. Words are important, but not that much.
Sorry for the off topic bit, but some things I've read here are very interesting and I wanted to say that.