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Halloween Politically Correct - Page 5

While dressing up as either a morally incorrect character, or a maturely incorrect character is wrong, being politically incorrect is fallacious. If you intend to offend, then there are many costumes out there that qualify. If I saw someone dressed up as a terrorist and they were a friend of mine, I’d say geez man that’s in bad taste. Just as at an office party the owner had an ice sculpture made that had gravestones marking all the fired employees. I said to the boss that I thought that was in bad taste as well. That being said, dressing up as anything these days Will offend someone, somewhere. Myself I prefer to dress up as something fun that would bring a smile on average.

Correct Politically Halloween

I'd want them to do it, actually (Of their own free choice, and with non-hateful intentions obviously). People need to realize that they (Society at large) are ascribing intentions to "Harm" and then actively seek out retribution on people for having some harmless fun. Art, humor, and fun ALL are based in part in breaking taboos and making light of tragedies, which means that you can make *anything* offensive.

A costume is a lot like a flag - I don't care what others see and feel about it, I'm the one wearing it (Or flying it, in the case of any given flag). I care about what it means to me. That is to say, a lot of people see a costume like this and get mad and automatically assume it's bigotry, or hate, or whatever buzzword they prefer - when it rarely is based in that. 9 time out of 10 it's intended as harmless fun. And that other 1 time out of 10 it's **still** harmless (Harm is defined as that which does damage that, in turn manifests itself in physical way).

There can be no compromise here, to protect the first amendment we need to have a first amendment culture. And means people wearing whatever they want, in good fun - and also defending people who may be rude and intentionally insensitive. As soon as you start drawing a line on free speech, you're setting a precedent that will lead to that line becoming ever more restrictive. It was black face and Indian princesses a couple years ago. It's suicide bombers now. What's next? No costumes that relate to Christianity, particularly in a mocking way? No costumes that mock the left/rightwing? No cowboys an police, for promoting violence and "Oppression"? No princess costumes because they often have a European style, and are therefore Eurocentric? I know many people who voted aren't in favor of thought policing, and simply find it distasteful (And it can be, if some guy is running around yelling slurs), but honestly those who would find that guy's actions distasteful are exactly the type of people who should be wearing this because their intentions would be more pure than the aforementioned example.

Sorry for the rant, I had this debate last night with some intellectually dishonest people who ignored every point I made and kept coming back with nonsense. Not saying people can't, or shouldn't be offended when it's not done out in a cruel way - but that they shouldn't try to tar and feather people who weren't dressing up out of malice, and then making assumptions about their intentions.

Edited: rabve on 24th Oct, 2017 - 10:17pm

Halloween Politically Correct History & Civil Business Politics

Let me throw a wrench in this. Imagine its Halloween and the house you are approaching dressed as a terrorist is the home of a widow with two young children. Her husband died in Afghanistan after a terrorist wearing explosives killed him just a month or two ago leaving her to raise those children by herself with no income. Will you really want your child going to that house? Give me an honest answer.

Page 5 Correct Politically Halloween

I don't take them trick-or-treating. This town has outgrown itself and there is no community spirit left. Hypothetically speaking though, if I knew them I would just skip that house. If I didn't know that woman, given the statistical improbability I do not feel it would be immoral because it's a tiny number of cases (Compared to the total population, in raw numbers) where that scenario would be applicable. Given that I am not meaning make them think of their loss, it is unintentional, and therefore not an unkindness. It's the intent that matters, insofar as morality is concerned and if we're going to be shamed into a society where intent does not matter then that's not somewhere I would want to live. It's stifling to worry about every possible action and reaction and how everything can be perceived. I watched my father die before my eyes, before I was even a teenager - I don't hold it against people when they make dad jokes. They don't know me, and they have no responsibility to know every facet of my life and the lives of everyone else too. Anyways, I feel that I'm digressing.

Outside of that rare circumstance, where there's a recently widowed military wife whose story I do know, I really don't care what people think because I suspect that most of it is virtue signaling.

Correct Politically Halloween

I understand what you are saying Rabve and do agree that people are getting offended over everything. I do however feel that suicide bomber costumes are just over the top right now. They are killing our troops with great frequency. It is one of the main weapons of our enemies. This would be akin to children dressing up as Hitler during WW2 while our soldiers were fighting the Nazi's overseas. It Is tasteless.

This isn't really a free speech issue to me. The first amendment protects the citizens free speech from the government, not from fellow citizens. I'm not calling for any of these costumes to be banned in anyway and I don't know of anyone else that is. People are free to do what they want just as I'm free to be disgusted by their actions.

Edited: Kyrroeth on 25th Oct, 2017 - 12:06am

Halloween Politically Correct

Kyrroeth, if they're dressing up to support them I could see your point about equivocating it with dressing up as Hitler, during WW2. However, that's still the rightwing reflection of what the left does by calling it "Racist/xenophobic/islamophobic". You're assuming intent. And even in the rare case that the person genuinely does support ISIS, in a general sense (Not fighting for, supporting financially, or spreading overt propaganda), it's still a free speech issue. Every action has an equal an opposite reaction, and to be principled is to extend that to people you vehemently disagree with. The reason why is that when the left goings on defamation campaigns against people who they accuse of mean-think, they'll attempt to get them fire - failing that they'll attempt to get the business shutdown, by flooding them with fake reviews. There's a case of that now with a dental place. They're attempting to destroy livelihoods of real people, US citizens, over what was intended as good spirited fun - and then they're willing to destroy the livelihood of their employers, because they *only* reprimanded them, and didn't outright fire them. Unlike dressing in a costume that may be distasteful to some, that *is* manifesting physical harm. People will be evicted from their homes if they can't pay rent - kids will go hungry. And careers and all plans for retirement will be dashed. Where is the government protecting those innocent people? The job of the government, outside of collective defense, is to ensure that our rights are upheld - and they're standing silent and letting the radical left do their best to destroy not only those rights, but lives as well.

Edited for clarification about what I mean about people potentially supporting ISIS.

Edited: rabve on 25th Oct, 2017 - 1:11am

Halloween Politically Correct - Page 5

Oh, I agree with you on most of it. It is frightening how people are destroyed in their personal lives solely because of their beliefs. We have a witch hunt mentality in this country. I'm merely speaking from a personal level and I feel that anyone who wears a suicide bomber costume is being very insensitive.

However, I wouldn't try to harm them financially or any other way. They do have the right to wear that. The main problem behind intolerance now is that people feel they have the right to not be offended. People shouldn't be able to express distasteful opinions. This is terrifying for the future of this nation.

Edited: Kyrroeth on 25th Oct, 2017 - 1:28am

Halloween Politically Correct Politics Business Civil & History - Page 5

The only thing I will say is if we think this is bad what about the people who dress up as murderers covered in blood with eyes / brains falling out isn't that just as bad and most of that is part of Halloween.