So who isn’t allowing “Merry Christmas” in stores?
Nope, do you have links to actual articles showing this happens in many places? Because the schools I’ve seen around here (Chicago) still have tryouts for cheerleading, sports, choir, plays, etc.
Whether they have tryouts or not, I’ve still seen at my schools, people who are unqualified make the team just so as to not offend them… (i.e. cheerleaders who can’t kick their leg up or even move because of their weight, football players who cannot run, block, or kick the ball, etc.) Those tryouts are just for show.
But my middle school and high school did not have tryouts, and took the first however many people got there.
Depends on the context: if we’re talking the Dallas Cowboys, I suspect we’ll not see any disabled folks in that cheer-leading squad any time soon. But if it’s merely a high school gig, then what’s the qualifying criteria - that they can cheer? Tick.
That’s not mandated. That’s stores trying to sell to the widest audience.
So you do think high school cheerleading squads should accept people who cannot cheer just so as to be fair and include everyone?
If that’s not what you imply, I apologize. I am just curious. Personally, if you cannot cheer and cannot kick up your leg or even move, then you’re not “cheering”, nor will you be able to get people excited about the game, which is what cheerleading is about.
I guess it’s horses-for-courses: I’d refer to which ever holiday it was and use that one instead of grouping them all together.
Define “cannot cheer”? If shouting support for you high school team and waving your arms around is the entry-level requirement, then the kid would have to be a quadriplegic with no voice to truly not qualify. And why shouldn’t kids who maybe aren’t Barbie-wannabes not be allowed to cheer for their team?
I disagree: it’s only a school gig - it’s not the NY Jets’ Silicone-Enhanced XI
Why should we have to choose between two strawmen arguments?
This is the first time I’ve ever encountered anyone thinking that this sort of thing falls under the umbrella of political correctness.
This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this happening. Cite?
I have never heard of stores being forbidden from having Merry Christmas signs. I’ve heard of stores choosing not to have Merry Christmas signs despite the fact that their right to have them has never been disputed, though.
You have strange ideas about the nature of political correctness.
From what I can remember someone’s President referred to a Christmas Tree as a Holiday Tree just this last Christmas. Yeah right.
It does. It’s the idea that we have to tell everyone they are special and talented even when it’s not true (which does fall under political correctness). To reject them from sports teams would be to imply they are not talented.
More about the Christmas tree discussion;
I can’t vote in the poll because I’m not quite sure what PC is. I know the far right seems to think that PC is this movement to oppress them, but other than in the fevered imagination of someone like Rush Limbaugh, it doesn’t seem to exist.
Beginning in the 90s, there was a cultural shift within our society to try to be more inclusive of all Americans and to acknowledge that not everyone is a white Christian. Somehow, that cultural shift has been interpreted as the work of a shadowy cabal.
What it comes down to is that old bigots suddenly are getting called on their bullshit for the first time in their lives. This comes as a shock to them and they are unwilling or unable to reexamine their narrow view of the world. Essentially, some people have become cultural dinosaurs and they want to blame anyone but themselves.
I voted totalitarianism. I would have preferred a middle ground choice in the poll.
I’ve seen too many well meaning people say the wrong thing on tv, print interviews or even in a private conversation that gets reported. The media frenzy just destroys them.
There’s a big difference in remarks made by a skinhead racist and a celebrity or athlete that sticks his foot in his mouth. The media and the viewing public seems to have forgotten that.
I’ve seen interviews with Average White racists from the 1950’s. People who were outraged at the demonstrations, the lunch counter sit-ins etc. The stuff they said then would never, ever get on the air today. Yet, hearing those comments helped sway a lot of people into the civil rights movement. Just like seeing Joseph McCarthy during his televised commie trials. His own words brought his downfall and the end of his political power.
False dichotomy; no vote for me.
I submit that while not saying it doesn’t make people feel less hostile, saying it over and over with no response makes people feel they are in the right.
And some of the things you say are just wrong. Kids still celebrate birthdays in school - both of my coworkers celebrated their kids’ birthdays. Also, there is still exclusion in sports and even in things like girl scouts.
And I still get wished Merry Christmas. I don’t say it; I am not Christian, but I do get wished it, even in stores. Only in the States do we have a a giant fucking CHRISTMAS TREE with ANGELS all over it in every store and [some] Christians complain that we are attacking Christmas.
I’ve always defined political correctness as attempts to be non-bigoted or racist that go so far in the other extreme it can even end up being racist, or at least nonsensical.
Like the city decides that queer is a hateful slur and starts harassing gay bars to change their name.
Or telling telling parents of mixed race kids that talking about how to care for hard hair is racist.
It is like something has gained a life of its own and no longer even has a relation to the real world.
I remember when Political Correctness was new…
But I realize that irony, satire & sarcasm won’t fit into the little minds of the Far Righties. So they get angry when people consider them white trash for using the N word. And concoct ridiculous memes like The War on Christmas.
Tough.
Hey, the US doesn’t have all the Idiot Righties!
If political correctness can protect us from terrible poll options, I’m all for it.