# Political correctness/I weep for humanity



## MathewB (Jun 27, 2012)

My dad told me today that he heard on the radio today that we're not allowed to call pets (cats, dogs, reptiles etc.) pets. We are now supposed to call them 'Non human companions'. Political correctness at its best, this is in the same league as the black sheep fiasco. What is wrong with people? Has anyone heard anything like this or any stories? 

I weep for humanity


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## -Peter (Jun 27, 2012)

I have a bridge here in Sydney for sale, quite reasonable. Are you interested in buying it?


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## ZsaZsaGaboa (Jun 27, 2012)

I'm too afraid to post in this thread, everyone is offended by something these days. 

(Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if someone found this post offensive )


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## Wally (Jun 27, 2012)

An artillery shell intentionally fired at an area populated by civilians makes me weep..... not what I'm asked to call the dog.


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## shell477 (Jun 27, 2012)

Is it just me or is everyone moody tonight?

MathewB, I think its pretty ridiculous too.


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## Wrightpython (Jun 27, 2012)

jajagaboa said:


> I'm too afraid to post in this thread, everyone is offended by something these days.
> 
> (Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if someone found this post offensive )


Can you stop offending people


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## Wally (Jun 27, 2012)

Far from moody shell 

Just a little perspective is all.


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## Darlyn (Jun 27, 2012)

If the word pets can be removed just like that, then maybe you will soon be weeping for the multi coloured , many shaped homo sapiens of earth.

By the way I used to work in radio, sometimes they report rubbish, save your tissues : )


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## ZsaZsaGaboa (Jun 27, 2012)

Wrightpython said:


> Can you stop offending people



I'm offended that you take offence.


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## Crystal..Discus (Jun 27, 2012)

jajagaboa said:


> I'm offended that you take offence.



I'm offended that you took offence to Wright telling people to stop being offended by offensiveness. 


Can I have a cookie?


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## Boidae (Jun 28, 2012)

Darlyn said:


> By the way I used to work in radio, sometimes they report rubbish.



Sometimes?


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## Fuscus (Jun 28, 2012)

MathewB said:


> My dad told me today that he heard on the radio today that we're not allowed to call pets (cats, dogs, reptiles etc.) pets. We are now supposed to call them 'Non human companions'. Political correctness at its best, this is in the same league as the black sheep fiasco. What is wrong with people? Has anyone heard anything like this or any stories?
> 
> I weep for humanity


Don't you have something real to worry about?


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## Rissi (Jun 28, 2012)

Yeah and it's incorrect to call your bf "boyfriend" these days too...Now you have to say "man-sized pain in the ***" or "cookie-devouring human shaped monster"


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## AirCooled (Jun 28, 2012)

So now we can all rent anywhere,we now have no pets to complicate renting,just alot of 'Non human companions'


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## Recharge (Jun 28, 2012)

tell your father to stop listening to right wing radio stations haha
no one anywhere has suggested this name change, it's sensationalist rubbish from some silly buggers on some silly station, the fact some of you took it as real is very telling :lol: oh my, side slapping indeed 
some people will believe anything! say, I have this bridge for sale, send me your fathers phone number


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## slim6y (Jun 28, 2012)

Next you know, they'll be letting them dark skinned folks on the public transport system... Oh the humanity... 

Maybe we should all move to Uranus....


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## moosenoose (Jun 28, 2012)

I'm just patiently waiting for the political correctness thing to benefit me!  

It's gotta come around some time!


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## TheCheshireCat (Jun 28, 2012)

These are the same people who claim you can't "own" a pet.
Just moronic,misguided people with too much time on their hands.


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## Jungletrans (Jun 28, 2012)

I am a member of the most discriminated against , under represented minority in Australia . White , heterosexual male ;]


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## sarah_m (Jun 28, 2012)

I'm sure the animals don't care what we call them!

(and the snakes don't get a vote in this cos they can't hear what we call them anyway)


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## Chanzey (Jun 28, 2012)

sarah_m said:


> I'm sure the animals don't care what we call them!
> 
> (and the snakes don't get a vote in this cos they can't hear what we call them anyway)



Nah they lip read.


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## Darlyn (Jun 28, 2012)

boidae said:


> Sometimes?




Trying to let them down gently. I'm a softie : )


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## Mo Deville (Jun 29, 2012)

lol


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## MathewB (Jun 29, 2012)

Fuscus said:


> Don't you have something real to worry about?



I'm not worried just saying that it's ridiculous 



Recharge said:


> tell your father to stop listening to right wing radio stations haha
> no one anywhere has suggested this name change, it's sensationalist rubbish from some silly buggers on some silly station, the fact some of you took it as real is very telling :lol: oh my, side slapping indeed
> some people will believe anything! say, I have this bridge for sale, send me your fathers phone number



I'm not sure how you make out the radio station to be right wing, regardless to whether or not the report is true it wouldn't be all that surprising if it were. They changed the common name of the Fairy Penguin to the little penguin. And what is this telling of me?


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## slim6y (Jun 29, 2012)

MathewB said:


> I'm not sure how you make out the radio station to be right wing, regardless to whether or not the report is true it wouldn't be all that surprising if it were. They changed the common name of the Fairy Penguin to the little penguin.* And what is this telling of me?*



Fairies don't exist?

I don't usually say something serious after making a semi coherent 'funny' - but here goes:

"Apart from Little Penguins, they have several common names. In Australia, they are also referred to as Fairy Penguins because of their tiny size. In New Zealand, they are also called Little Blue Penguins, or just Blue Penguins, owing to their slate-blue plumage, and they are called Kororā (pronounce core-roar-rarr) in Māori."

I don't think they've lost their fairyness at all...


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## Bluetongue1 (Jun 29, 2012)

They still look like Fairy Penguins to me!

I am uncertain whether to define the word "gullible" or to define "discerning". 

Amazing how it only takes one person out to have a bit of a lark to start these myths.

Now if you want to read an excellent true story about thepower one person on radio can exert, check out "Orson Welles and War of the Worlds" broadcast.

Anyway, it's back to the penny jar and counting for me. I like the sound of Peter's bridge.


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## Fuscus (Jul 1, 2012)

MathewB said:


> They changed the common name of the Fairy Penguin to the little penguin.


The only official name of any species is its Latin name. Government departments have preferred common names but that is about it. It isn't like they will fine you $250 for calling a penguin a fairy.


MathewB said:


> And what is this telling of me?


More to the point, what is this telling us about you?
I just looked up a book from 1992 ( Encyclopaedia of Australian Animals - Birds - The Australian Museum ) and - lo and behold, the common name that they use for _Eudyptula minor_ is little penguin. They also state it is widely known as the fairy penguin


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## Bluetongue1 (Jul 2, 2012)

Fuscus said:


> More to the point, what is this telling us about you?
> I just looked up a book from 1992 ( Encyclopaedia of Australian Animals - Birds - The Australian Museum ) and - lo and behold, the common name that they use for _Eudyptula minor_ is little penguin. They also state it is widely known as the fairy penguin


I would say it says more about common names that about any given individual and their use thereof. I now live in WA and _Tiliqua rugosa _is primarily referred to as "Bobtail" whereas in Sydney, where I grew up, it was always called a "Shingleback". On a visit to Orange, it was referred as a "Bogeye" and in South Australia I have heard it called "Sleepy Lizard" and "Stumpy Lizard" “Stumpy-tailed Lizard”. I have also heard it referred to as a “Deaf Adder” by a farmer but I cannot recall where.

Without wishing to open Pandorea’s Box, I believe common names have an important part to play in assisting the general public to become familiar with some of our herpetological fauna. As soon as you start quoting scientific names to the totally uninitiated, you have lost them. 

I will also add that during the 60’s and 70’s on TV and in the newspapers, whenever “Little Penguins” were featured, they were invariably referred to as “Fairy Penguins”. That is the common name I grew up with and was not aware of a push to refer to them otherwise. Taronga Park Zoo always referred to them as Fairy Penguins in their displays. That, however, may have changed by now.

Blue


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## MathewB (Jul 3, 2012)

Bluetongue1 said:


> Taronga Park Zoo always referred to them as Fairy Penguins in their displays. That, however, may have changed by now.
> 
> Blue



I know last time I went to Sea World they had changed the signs and a lot of people got really annoyed. I also went on a penguin tour on Kangaroo Island recently and someone asked why we couldn't call them Fairy Penguins anymore, the tour guide basically said that "we have to call them little penguins now"


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## Leasdraco (Jul 3, 2012)

Wasn't there a zoo/park in QLD that had some fairy penguins and two of them,both males,paired up together.i think animal rights lobbyists protested when they wanted to separate them.now they are only separated for the purpose of breeding.


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## borntobnude (Jul 3, 2012)

fairy penguins may of been so named due to a colony of them in sydney harbour just near obelisk beach -middle head - ( a gay nude beach) I could be wrong !!!


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jul 3, 2012)

Its only a matter of time before a snake will no longer be called a snake.
Could it be a non legged scaled human companion, (only the captives of course)???


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