Hi everyone,
DISCLAIMER: This is not a thread to rant on the ATAG administration, and it is not a thread to name and shame. I just want to have people's opinions on the matter.
It has been recently brought to the community's attention (especially on the Red teamspeak channel) that using bad language is strictly prohibited in order to maintain a friendly atmosphere. Sensitive topics like sex, politics, race and religion should be avoided at all costs. Nobody can disagree with that: it's a no-brainer.
However, I have realized that there are more and more people getting warned about the use of "inappropriate" language. Some words like the F-word, the N-word are not acceptable for obvious reasons. But now, you see people getting yelled at for inadvertendly slipping up words like "darn" or "damn" or "Gee" or "Jesus" or "Hell" or "Crap" on the basis that they are offensive to kids and religious people. I am not going to give names, but it is becoming a common occurence and it is not an isolated case. Slip-ups are slip-ups, and I am starting to see people get blamed for what would've been given a free pass a couple of months ago. Cliffs of Dover is a PG16+ game, not a Disney movie. People should be treated like they are grown men, not children. An occasional curse in the heat of action should not make someone eligible to being metaphorically lined up on a wall and shot.
My question is: where do we draw the line? Could the admins of political correctness give us a list of what we can or cannot say? Some words are deeply rooted in our vernacular depending on where we come from. Where I come from, using words like Jesus or darn are as harmless as saying "Yummy-Yummy Gummy Bear Pudding" (except if you're shouting them during a Church sermon...). In some cases, I deem it to be a cultural thing first and foremost. The flight sim community is as varied as it can be. What if a Mexican guy is named Jesus... will he have to stop using his name because it's the name of the Son of God and some people might find it offensive? This example is absurd, but it shows the underlying issue of moral relativism. What is deemed morally reprehensible for some folks might be harmless like apple pie to others.
I went to Church when I was a kid and I am well-aware of religious political correctness (even if I am not a religious person). But if I want to hear a sermon about whether or not I shall use the Name of the Lord's Son, I will go to Church, not to the ATAG teamspeak. Personally, I find that kind of moral high-horsing annoying, lofty, and quite frankly disrespectful. I do not tell people what is right or what is wrong; and I assume people will have the common sense and courtesy not to attempt to enforce their views on religious righteousness on me. It's a matter of mutual respect. Religion is sensitive and cultural, and as all things cultural should take into account that not everybody grew up in [insert-name-of-random-southern-us-state-where-people-are-deeply-religious].
I do not wish to tell ATAG what to do: it is their place and I am their guest. They owe me nothing at all. But if some of their staff members want to enforce a code of political correctness on Teamspeak, I suggest they make an explicit and thorough list of what can or cannot be said under any circumstances. Or tone down the language policing a notch. Whichever works best for everyone.
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