The Texans owner had to apologize for saying, " we can't have the inmates running the prison " in reference to his team. Somehow that was racist and the players were deeply offended. All I could do was shrug my shoulders and shake my head. Those little phrases that we use, called idioms, come in many flavors that I won't deny, but that one is just making a statement of the obvious. Just how it could be construed as racist is beyond me. Someone of every color and nationality has been in prison at some point. Could it be that some of those people took it personally because they had been in prison themselves ? I don't know who the players are and really could care less. It just struck me as ridiculous that the players were threatening a walkout. Is everything a crisis these days ! If that is the case we might as well all just give up, head for the safe spaces and scream at the sky ! Can I still say it's raining cats and dogs ? Isn't that animal cruelty ? How insensitive a statement, and what about the other animals, don't they deserve recognition ?
I suppose it is all because I haven't had sensitivity training. I know, I know, it was never provided to me by any employer. I was expected to exercise common sense and good judgement. When I slipped up and said something insensitive I was informed of that ; by the one I offended ! I don't recall a massive threat to walk off the job, or anyone being traumatized. The only trauma I recall was a punch in the nose. I remembered after that to not use that particular expression or idiom when talking to that individual. Truth is, I already knew what would upset them, trigger we say nowadays, and that is why I said it. I assumed the consequences of that choice, sometimes regretting the choice. Well, I never was one to keep secrets, I usually let the cat out of the bag. Uh oh, why was that cat in the bag ? Don't alert the SPCA it is only an expression. And when I offer you a penny for your thoughts it isn't meant as a solicitation. I won't really give you a penny. Don't sue me.
Oh my, what about when the pot calls the kettle black ? Is that alright ? Guess that would depend upon whether the pot was aluminum and the kettle cast iron. In that situation one might be offended. That's the problem with these literal translations of idioms. You do have to have common sense to understand what is being said. And common sense is getting to be a rare commodity. When you live in a litigious society , where folks are unreasonably prone to go to law to settle disputes, you must speak in that fashion. You have to be clear, concise and specific. No thinking about it, say exactly what it is you want to say.
The lawyers will argue about what that means. That's why they are arguing today about exactly what the Constitution and Bill or Rights say. A statement like, " the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed," isn't clear enough. No, we must list and categorize every instance of that. First we have to determine what is meant by the word right. Let the discussion begin. Who has that right, what is that right, is that right the same right as the right that was right ten years ago ? Are arms guns ? It doesn't say they are guns, it says arms. It is all so ridiculous.
Are those idioms an illegal expression of thought ? We are litigating what you may or may not think these days. We are litigating whether something you say is hateful, and it's a crime ! Never mind the first amendment, that isn't what free speech means. You can't say something to hurt someone's feelings ! We can't have the inmates running the prison ! OMG, how insensitive, racist, and hurtful can you be. The inmates have rights you know ! Yes, we should make the " inmates " as comfortable as possible and provide a nurturing environment. Don't be mean !
I suppose it is all because I haven't had sensitivity training. I know, I know, it was never provided to me by any employer. I was expected to exercise common sense and good judgement. When I slipped up and said something insensitive I was informed of that ; by the one I offended ! I don't recall a massive threat to walk off the job, or anyone being traumatized. The only trauma I recall was a punch in the nose. I remembered after that to not use that particular expression or idiom when talking to that individual. Truth is, I already knew what would upset them, trigger we say nowadays, and that is why I said it. I assumed the consequences of that choice, sometimes regretting the choice. Well, I never was one to keep secrets, I usually let the cat out of the bag. Uh oh, why was that cat in the bag ? Don't alert the SPCA it is only an expression. And when I offer you a penny for your thoughts it isn't meant as a solicitation. I won't really give you a penny. Don't sue me.
Oh my, what about when the pot calls the kettle black ? Is that alright ? Guess that would depend upon whether the pot was aluminum and the kettle cast iron. In that situation one might be offended. That's the problem with these literal translations of idioms. You do have to have common sense to understand what is being said. And common sense is getting to be a rare commodity. When you live in a litigious society , where folks are unreasonably prone to go to law to settle disputes, you must speak in that fashion. You have to be clear, concise and specific. No thinking about it, say exactly what it is you want to say.
The lawyers will argue about what that means. That's why they are arguing today about exactly what the Constitution and Bill or Rights say. A statement like, " the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed," isn't clear enough. No, we must list and categorize every instance of that. First we have to determine what is meant by the word right. Let the discussion begin. Who has that right, what is that right, is that right the same right as the right that was right ten years ago ? Are arms guns ? It doesn't say they are guns, it says arms. It is all so ridiculous.
Are those idioms an illegal expression of thought ? We are litigating what you may or may not think these days. We are litigating whether something you say is hateful, and it's a crime ! Never mind the first amendment, that isn't what free speech means. You can't say something to hurt someone's feelings ! We can't have the inmates running the prison ! OMG, how insensitive, racist, and hurtful can you be. The inmates have rights you know ! Yes, we should make the " inmates " as comfortable as possible and provide a nurturing environment. Don't be mean !
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