Neil Postman Quote

"Make no mistake about it:
the labeling of someone’s language as ‘sexist’
involves a political judgment and implies
the desirability of a particular sociological doctrine.
One may be in favor of that doctrine (as I believe I am)
but it is quite another matter to force writers
by edicts and censorship into accepting it."

by:	Neil Postman
Source:	quoted in Free Speech for Me – But Not For Thee (Nat Hentoff) 1992
Rating:
Categories:	Censorship, Sexuality, Speech
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We change our ways of thinking all of the time. When the airlines were getting rid of Stewardesses and instead hiring Flight Attendants, they took the sexy part out of flying. At the same time Hooters was putting sex into eating a hamburger. That society and culture swings between behaviors and attitudes is a fact.Tthe way that we do it in The States is the way that it should be done, not via some Ayatollah or moral dictator. That government does these things I believe is a lie. Government only comes in after the fact and is benign. In a free society such as ours changes are made freely and over time.  -- Waffler, Smith
Odd. The quote is about the freedom to speak without having ones speech forced by edicts and censorship into political correctness. Changes like stewardess to flight attendant resulted from free market influences, as it should be, not by the force of edicts. You cannot state that "In a free society, such as ours, changes are made freely and over time." and simultaneously defend the government force used against the minority by the majority. That is not the freedom to change. That's the freedom to obey or be punished. It is true; In a FREE society changes are made freely and over time, but in ours, change is decided at the ballot box and then forced on everyone else. There's nothing free about that.  -- Bryan Morton, Stuart, FL
The quote is also about the writers love of freedom even though he believes sexism is bad, worong or evil or at least against his value system. We have decided in this country that the market is not free to lie for example about the benefits of tobacco etcetera. Of all the laws on the books about killing and stealing etcetera one I would like to see is one about lying. Again the writer states he believe in a sociological doctrine but also believes in the right of free speech. I agree wholeheartedly except maybe in the case of holocaust deniers and liars about facts like tobacco.  -- Waffler, Smith
"Of all the laws on the books about killing and stealing etcetera one I would like to see is one about lying." Hmmm, I guess the Waffler hasn't heard about the laws against fraud. What a moron! If you looked up "ignorant" in the dictionary you'd probably see a picture of the Waffler.  -- Bryan Morton, Stuart, FL
Are their any laws about lying Bryan, fraud is only prosecuted when the hurt is very real and financially measurable, here I am talking about the soft lies of deceitful people that undermine our entire social fabric. Your lack of intelligent repartee is shown by your inane name calling. It is sad very sad that men can reach "maturity" and still be such holes. Sadly this site seems to attract them.  -- Waffler, Smith

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