Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros • Hacker News Board

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#51

Post by tosseraccount » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:11 AM UTC

nefitty wrote: post #3

I'm curious to know what other HN readers think about this topic. I was born and raised on the left side of the spectrum, and continue to be so. I can empathize with my fellow millenial's struggle to push for a true egalitarian and respectful culture in the name of liberalism. I'm torn though. I see some of these actions moving the left to eventually begin embracing seemingly-fascist policies and aesthetics. What cou…

"I see the role of government as necessary, especially in a free market system."

So it's not especially necessary in a command economy?

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#52

Post by colanderman » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:11 AM UTC

lazaroclapp wrote: post #36

vasilipupkin wrote: post #23

I am sorry, perhaps I am being obtuse. Why do you need to party with sombreros? When you wear a sombrero, what is that supposed to mean? why is it funny or amusing?

It means nothing. Hell, I am Mexican and if I wear a sombrero (which, literally just means hat, any hat), it just means either its really sunny outside and I don't have a cap for some reason, its an old-fashioned town party or I just felt like wearing a hat. A sombrero is not a yamaka, it has no religious or deeply symbolic meaning beyond that of a baseball cap or a pair of overalls. Nobody needs to have a party with…

Really, yours is the only comment that should be made on the article (and most of the article itself shouldn't have been written either, since the author didn't seem to care to find a Mexican to interview). The only thing relevant in any PC incident is what actual people from the possibly-offended group actually think and feel. It behooves the rest of us to just shut the hell up.

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#53

Post by gherkin0 » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:12 AM UTC

Someone needs to put some mature, level-headed adults in charge of these schools. There needs to be someone to remind students when they're being unreasonable and foolish, and then put a stop to it if needed.

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#54

Post by mobystrip » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:13 AM UTC

fweespeech wrote: post #2

> The statement deemed the party an act of “cultural appropriation,” one that “creates an environment where students of color, particularly Latino, and especially Mexican, students feel unsafe.” The effort to purge the two representatives who attended the party, via impeachment, soon followed. > The school’s reaction seems especially arbitrary when you learn that — on the very same night of the “tequila party,” just…

Why is it assumed all people from Mexico are "people of color"? Mexico has amazing diversity much like the USA. One could not call "USA a people of color" without downplaying all those who are not. Additionally, there is no "hispanic race" which everyone wants to use. It is very difficult being latino and having fair skin. Spanish is a European Language. Let's not forget that.

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#55

Post by justin_vanw » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:16 AM UTC

Meh, liberal arts college does stupid stuff, has stupid faculty. I wonder if Mr. Ripley will add it to the next edition of his book.

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#56

Post by douche » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:20 AM UTC

free_speech wrote: post #4

fweespeech wrote: post #2

> The statement deemed the party an act of “cultural appropriation,” one that “creates an environment where students of color, particularly Latino, and especially Mexican, students feel unsafe.” The effort to purge the two representatives who attended the party, via impeachment, soon followed. > The school’s reaction seems especially arbitrary when you learn that — on the very same night of the “tequila party,” just…

Well, why don't you first try a party where everybody shows up like an inbred redneck with some missing teeth and no Tshirt? Or a bunch of Polo wearing blond guys walking like they have ants up their ass? Try that and then come back to report.

That party is down the road a piece in Brunswick, where the locals are hanging out in a gravel pit, unironically drinking PBR, lighting shit on fire, and shooting at beer bottles, in the time-honored Mainer tradition.

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#57

Post by gherkin0 » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:22 AM UTC

danharaj wrote: post #42

If there's an issue, it's that university administrations are fundamentally authoritarian bureaucratic institutions. But being outraged about political correctness is more emotionally satisfying than wondering whether university power structures could be rethought in order to be more democratic, i guess. free speech is not threatened by people with opinions you disagree with; free speech is threatened by power. peopl…

> satisfying than wondering whether university power structures could be rethought in order to be more democratic

University power structures shouldn't be entirely democratic. The students need to be clearly subordinate to their teachers.

I think what's happening here is that, through fear of student power or laziness, the administration is using its power to appease the overreacting students rather than control and moderate their overreaction.

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#58

Post by gherkin0 » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:26 AM UTC

colanderman wrote: post #52

lazaroclapp wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It means nothing. Hell, I am Mexican and if I wear a sombrero (which, literally just means hat, any hat), it just means either its really sunny outside and I don't have a cap for some reason, its an old-fashioned town party or I just felt like wearing a hat. A sombrero is not a yamaka, it has no religious or deeply symbolic meaning beyond that of a baseball cap or a pair of overalls. Nobody needs to have a party with…

Really, yours is the only comment that should be made on the article (and most of the article itself shouldn't have been written either, since the author didn't seem to care to find a Mexican to interview). The only thing relevant in any PC incident is what actual people from the possibly-offended group actually think and feel. It behooves the rest of us to just shut the hell up.

We live in a liberal society, and neither a particular group nor "the rest of us" should be expected to "shut the hell up."

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#59

Post by vasilipupkin » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:26 AM UTC

lazaroclapp wrote: post #36

vasilipupkin wrote: post #23

I am sorry, perhaps I am being obtuse. Why do you need to party with sombreros? When you wear a sombrero, what is that supposed to mean? why is it funny or amusing?

It means nothing. Hell, I am Mexican and if I wear a sombrero (which, literally just means hat, any hat), it just means either its really sunny outside and I don't have a cap for some reason, its an old-fashioned town party or I just felt like wearing a hat. A sombrero is not a yamaka, it has no religious or deeply symbolic meaning beyond that of a baseball cap or a pair of overalls. Nobody needs to have a party with…

Did I say anything about banning anything? I am not advocating banning or not banning anything. I just don't get why wearing sombreros is in any way amusing or interesting or funny. It does seem somewhat unnecessary. The context of why people typically used to wear sombreros is because they used to think looking like a Mexican ( or a crude caricature of a Mexican ) was funny.

Re: Political Correctness Devours yet Another College, Fighting Over Mini-Sombreros

#60

Post by colanderman » Sat, Mar 05, 2016, 5:32 AM UTC

gherkin0 wrote: post #58

colanderman wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really, yours is the only comment that should be made on the article (and most of the article itself shouldn't have been written either, since the author didn't seem to care to find a Mexican to interview). The only thing relevant in any PC incident is what actual people from the possibly-offended group actually think and feel. It behooves the rest of us to just shut the hell up.

We live in a liberal society, and neither a particular group nor "the rest of us" should be expected to "shut the hell up."

I didn't say we are expected to, I said it behooves us to.

Anyone who argues about the PC-ness of some action related to group X without actually asking anyone from group X about it is doing nothing but talking out of their ass. (How could they do otherwise, without the cultural knowledge that comes only from being part of group X?) If they wish not to look like an uninformed idiot, it behooves them to shut up until they know what an actual person from group X thinks. Anything else is pretentious.