# What's too "Loony Left" for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 11, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503 "2022-08-11T18:54:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/241 "2022-08-16T17:15:04Z")
What the fuck? ETA: I’m not reporting your post because I assume I’m being whooshed or something, or missing some context. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/242 "2022-08-16T17:21:58Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > If you denounce it when you see it then it doesn’t matter who is doing more of it. I don’t think it is healthy to be concerned about it only when the “other” side does it. Why it is done is important. If someone’s speech if protested against because it promotes intolerance, do you think that it is equally valid to object to protesting against speech that promotes tolerance? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/243 "2022-08-16T17:33:38Z")
Moderating: > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > > [@Kimstu](#): > > > > Having a preferred specialized phrase to describe your own gender identity doesn’t mean that you are declaring that phrase to be some kind of officially recognized separate gender category. > > [MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/the-flash-star-ezra-miller-breaks-silence-after-a-time-of-intense-crisis/ar-AA10HM6T?ocid=entnewsntp&cvid=c765499999494233ae5efbb045e97738*The) Flash\* star > > > Ezra Miller has broken _their_ silence > > > Miller, who is nonbinary, > > Their and Non-Binary = too special for your normal ‘words’ = too loony I’d like to remind all posters that > [@Reorganized SDMB rules](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reorganized-sdmb-rules/968857/1): > > - Please do not state or imply that transgender people are mentally ill. We realize the question remains controversial. However, we’re not going to settle the matter here, and raising it tends to poison other discussion of transgender issues. Please keep your opinions on the subject to yourself. > - Do not deliberately misgender another poster – that is, refer to them by a pronoun or other sex-specific term indicating a gender other than the one they identify as. This applies only in cases where a poster’s gender identity is reasonably clear. Likewise, do not deliberately misgender off-board figures. “loony left” is pretty close to an accusation of “mentally ill”, and making a fuss about someone who is nonbinary and uses “they” pronouns is pretty close to deliberately misgendering an off-board figure. You are obviously free to believe whatever you like in the privacy of your own home. But everyone please drop these examples from your posts here on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/244 "2022-08-16T18:27:47Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Why it is done is important. If someone’s speech if protested against because it promotes intolerance, do you think that it is equally valid to object to protesting against speech that promotes tolerance? People have the right to protest against any speech that they don’t like. Validity is not something that comes into it. I was referring to surpression of speech (which includes protest speech) and I stand by my comment that we all should denounce it no matter what side is doing it. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/245 "2022-08-16T18:33:19Z")
Like I said, it’s less about _side_, and more about reason. If what you are saying is that those are inseparable, and that one side will always be preaching intolerance, then your more pessimistic than I. If that’s not what you are saying, then _sides_ don’t enter into it. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/246 "2022-08-16T19:06:53Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > If what you are saying is that those are inseparable, and that one side will always be preaching intolerance, then your more pessimistic than I. No, I certainly don’t think that. Intolerance comes in many guises, and a manifestation of intolerance is surpression by those powerful enough to do so. I think ee should be wary of our natural human tendency to either let it slide or even encourage it when it happens to be “our” side that does it. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/247 "2022-08-16T19:40:34Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > > [@amaguri](#): > > > > I heard a news story this very morning that people are pushing for replacing the word “inmate” with the term “incarcerated persons” because the former is considered dehumanizing… that kind of stuff, I truly cannot fathom the point of wasting any time or energy even thinking about it. > > Have you tried to understand the argument for such positions or do you just think people in prison aren’t worth caring about at all? Why do you think it’s a waste of time? well now that’s a bit of a leap from what i said… this has nothing to do with how people feel about prisoners or about how prisoners themselves are treated, and more to do with the fact that swapping one word for a different word has virtually zero practical impact. i would never claim to be an expert in this area but i don’t see anything objectively derogatory about the word “inmate.” it’s just a word. i might be in the minority but how some words get imbued with mysterious powers and other words are somehow deemed acceptable is just… unimportant (TO ME, i can only speak for myself…) i try to be respectful and call people whatever they want to be called but i will probably never understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/248 "2022-08-16T19:56:02Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Use of the term pedophile doesn’t mean requiring pedophiles to carry around a sign identifying themselves as such, and doesn’t deny them opportunities for professional help. It can and does however result in denial for many of them. From a distance it might seem reasonable to apply the one term to all in a group. But as a practical matter it might be likely to result in harm to use the same term for the worst kind of offender as one might use for (1) a juvenile offender who is amenable to treatment or (2) someone who has never offended at all. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/249 "2022-08-16T19:57:44Z")
> [@bump](#): > > monkey bars on playgrounds I personally haven’t seen monkey bars since the 1980s. They became less popular as they became a center for liability due to injuries. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/250 "2022-08-16T20:03:41Z")
Monkey bars can also refer to the horizontal ladder style, not just the bone-breaking boxy tower. So, there are still monkey bars and they are called monkey bars. ETA: [cite](https://www.trampolines.com/products/monkey-bars). ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/251 "2022-08-16T20:19:53Z")
Given that the virus is of African origin, > Monkeypox virus is carried by animals including primates. It was first identified by Preben von Magnus in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1958 in crab-eating macaque monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) being used as laboratory animals. The 2003 outbreak in the United States was traced to prairie dogs infected from an imported Gambian pouched rat from Ghana. > > Monkeypox virus causes disease in both primates and in other animals. **The virus is mainly found in tropical rainforest regions of Central and West Africa**. and, clearly, as noted above, isn’t just a ““monkey”” virus, let alone just a primate virus. And the fact that, > [@bump](#): > > there have been historical racist connotations with the word “monkeys” really raises the question of why one can’t suggest that monkeypox might be overdue for a name change without being called “left” let alone “loony”. I won’t suggest that even recognizing that _there have been historical racist connotations with the word “monkeys”_ puts you in the “”“looney left”“” according to some people @bump. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/252 "2022-08-16T20:38:03Z")
That’s what monkey bars were when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/253 "2022-08-16T20:40:07Z")
The fact of the matter remains that it’s NOT a racist name. Any name changes are either particularly lame virtue signaling, or absurd fear that someone, somewhere might possibly misconstrue the name. Neither is a good reason in my book for changing the name. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/254 "2022-08-16T20:40:11Z")
This is what they used to be: > **[monkey bars, Talk about old school playground equipment! We had one at my...](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/381046818447160428/)** > > Mar 14, 2013 - The most popular bodybuilding message boards! ETA: Why could you possibly care whether it’s called monkeypox or something else? What possible difference does it make to you? Are you doing your doctorate on it and may have to copy/replace it with something? If it offends enough people and it doesn’t matter to you, why the complaint? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/255 "2022-08-16T20:42:25Z")
> [@bump](#): > > The fact of the matter remains that it’s NOT a racist name. Any name changes are either particularly lame virtue signaling, or absurd fear that someone, somewhere might possibly misconstrue the name. Actually, the best reason to change the name is that it’s misleading. It’s not really a monkey virus, and doesn’t (or didn’t) spread especially well between monkeys, just as it wasn’t really a human virus. It was really a rodent virus that happened to be noticed first in a monkey. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/256 "2022-08-16T20:44:29Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Any name changes are either particularly lame virtue signaling I don’t see it as “lame” signalling, but rather, removing something that could be problematic. Not running down the road screaming the N-word is a form of virtue signalling, too. > [@bump](#): > > absurd fear that someone, somewhere might possibly misconstrue the na Or the very real concern that people will and have intentionally misconstrued the name for the purpose of denigrating others. > [@bump](#): > > Neither is a good reason in my book for changing the name. That’s fair, and a reasonable opinion. But the question isn’t, “What do you disagree is a good reason for changing a name?” but “What’s too ‘Loony Left?’”. And your claim here seems to be that it’s “Loony” to be aware that the current name for our latest pandemic could be problematic. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/257 "2022-08-16T20:45:21Z")
But I am going to go out on a limb and guess that those who are upset at the idea of changing the name of monkey pox are also unhappy about spongy moths, which used to be named with an ethnic slur. [Spongy Moth - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation](https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/83118.html) Having spent a lot of time removing the moth and its egg cases, “spongy moth” is, imho, an excellent name. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/258 "2022-08-16T20:47:01Z")
Was anyone offended? That’s my point- this is loony left, because it’s a name change because someone _might_ be offended, even though there’s no racist anything there. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/259 "2022-08-16T21:01:09Z")
Should we stop calling monkeys “monkeys”? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503/260 "2022-08-16T21:02:12Z")
Which is really funny since it isn’t the left that has the problem with the names of things changing :cough: Potatohead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-too-loony-left-for-you/969503.md?page=14)