[Husker] Neal's account of the slur (fwd)

[Steve Reichenbach]

> I tend to agree that the PC folks have made it impossible to use
> certain words, regardless of context.  I'm less sure if that's a
> positive development in society.

Less sure that things are better because PC has imposed a negative
judgement on the use of certain words?

Mike, I suggest you go back and read how public discourse used to be
conducted before PC.  I was watching a show on NETV about the history
of Hawaii.  They showed headlines and read from the Hearst newspapers'
coverage of accusations of a white woman against some native men.  It
isn't difficult to find such racism, bigotry, and hatred in the popular
media because it was so pervasive.

Many people today don't want to admit how bad racial attitudes were.
Things weren't much better in most of the country until 50 years ago
and in much the country until more recently.  Henry Fonda's
recollections of Omaha's racial attitudes in Omaha and the popularity
of the KKK always struck me that things weren't much different in
Nebraska.  Even today, there are folks whose real attitudes haven't
progressed --- they just feel more constrained about how they talk
about women, blacks, jews, homosexuals, latinos, catholics, native
americans, etc., etc., etc. --- and because they can't say those words
whenever and wherever their poor judgement would let them without
negative consequences, they complain about the "unreasonableness" of
PC.

So, Mike, I'm absolutely certain that the PC regarding such talk as
unacceptable has been an extremely positive development in society.
I think if you'll reflect on this, you'll also be sure it has been.