politically incorrect

[Gr8Scout]

Let's start here, to find the origins and meanings of the word:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickaninny

OK then... and here is the knife and a scan from BRLevine's #4. Cute little knife, huh? Ugly little word.

Let's not get into a nasty discussion of the dangers and risks of being too politically incorrect in todays world. I just show this to illustrate how times have changed, how the world has changed. Oh, yeah, and how manufacturers market their products. Knife makers in this case. No longer are photos of wide-eyed Black children used to advertise watermelons, nor is the name appropriate for a pocket knife.

[glennbad]

I have a knife book, not handy right now, and I was somewhat shocked to see toothpicks referred to as "ni**er chasers" in one older advertisement.

I am glad, however, that this book had this included, similar in nature to seeing KKK or Hitler knives included. It is sad to see this, but I also feel vitally important to knife history as well.

Good work, Phil.

Glenn

[Gr8Scout]

Thank you, Glenn. Yes, I have seen the advertisement you describe.

At one time, even our beloved Schrade cut offered knives with the KKK emblem. See the reprint of the old catalog E, page 68. LT, do you have any of those to show us?

Maybe I am splitting hairs, but I draw a distinction between those such knives from major manufacturers made 'back in the day', and those offered in the recent past by such people as Jim Parker and Stewart Taylor.

I'm happy to be living in more enlightened times.

Phil

[lt632ret]

I have been fed up with the practice changing history to what ever is in vogue at the present time. I am also fed up with people telling me what can or cannot say or believe. When I was a peace officer I was regularly called a pig, and numerous other odious names. I was told it was the right of those calling me that to do so. People came back from fighting wars for there country and were called baby killers by cowards who slunk away to other countrys to hide. I sat in services in prisons for decades and listened to supposed clergy demean and voment, in the name of free speech and called it religion. I watched and sat for seven years ( affirmative action) while people were promoted in front of me even though I outscored them on promotional tests. These people were promoted strickly because of there Race, color, creed, sexual persuasion, or gendre. These were civil service promotions not entry level jobs and testing related directly to the job why should anyone need extra points on a civil service test to know what a job entails after they had been doing it for 10 years regardless of what or who they are. Unless they are just plain stupid. Not all minoritys took these positions. Some said they would rather compete on an equal level and get the jobs fairly. I was offered a sgt position. I do not talk about my lineage often in fact when people ask I just say that I am an american I feel that is all that is needed. I also do not like prefixs like Italian american, or afro american. However that is up to the individual. My Great grand father on my fathers side was out of Arkansas (English Irish cajun French ) married a full blood cherokee in the Okla terr my grandfather was a half breed as was his wife of irish cherokee heritage. On my mother side they were romaniam Jews. I have English, Irish , scottish, cajun french, indian, and european and Russian Jew . That I know of. Even though my indian lineage gave me enough blood line for affirmative action I waited 7 years for a chance to take a test I could be appointed on and then scored 100 (others claiming minority points got as many as 20 points on that test) and still I had to wait 3 more years until they reached my name ( since all 100s were lumped together). During that time I had to take orders from these people and do there work for them since they were incapable ( which is why they have tests ). These minoritys included as i said those promoted and installed not only because of race but also because of sexual preference. ( Especially in female institutions ).

Ok why am I saying this, is it sour grapes? I have no problem with the law no matter how stupid or unfair it may be. That is why laws may be amended or corrected ( Although it is about as unwieldy process as ever devised ). I go by the rules. That is why I take intense umberage at people telling me what words I may use or changing what is and was history. I do not particularly like homosexuals however i believe they are entitled to live life the way they want I also feel that if i want to call them rope suckers, fudge packers, or dish lickers I have that right you see I also have the right to free speech and if they want to call me something well hell I have been taking it all my life in the name of free speech so they won't be getting no cherry. If you find me impolite well boo hoo the difference is I will fight for your right to say what you want while you simply want me to curtail my right. History is a montage of injustice that is no crime the crime is in not correcting the inequity rather than censoring or changing the truth. The answer to never having another Holacaust, slavery, the Alamo, 10 million in communist Russia , and so many other nightmares is not to say it is impolite to mention it or change it but rather to say this is the way it was. Never forget it, don't let it happen again. What is this N word s... the word was NIGGER and it was a term used a term still used by many, among blacks it is used in common expressions in regular conversation as normal. If you are white you must whisper it. Screw you they are only words and words are allowed whether someone gets offended by them or not so heres to the Niggers, wops, pollocks, kikes, dikes, broads, rednecks, honkys, Frogs, slopes. gooks, camel jockeys, Ricans and all other meaning less bullshit terms whose purpose is not to stash them away like some secret dirty joke but to remember in order to correct without out outlawing because they are still everyones right to use. No they must not leave because of censure they must leave because they just are not applicable any more. I still like to read the old books when to throw another faggot on the fire meant to put on another log, or Being gay simply meant you were happy.

Here is an example of a Taylor Klan knife from the seventys, I also included some pics of a set of Allen Knifes the only knife company ever headquartered in newburgh NY. About 12 miles from me still noted as a knife capitol you can usually get a good sampling of the knives by walking down the street at night usually wielded into your chest by the latest minority to inhabit the streets I grew up on. I also included a pristene pearl Schrade Double this one has a Mason insignia in the pearl similarily the Klan ones of the era had there insignia. You will notice the Allen ad has the dreaded ad using the N word ( ie NIGGER CHASER ). Strangly now most of the people presently chased in Newburgh are White. LT. PS I came about by stationing the Young half breed cherokee boy in sheeps head bay ( Brooklyn) during WWII where he met my mother the joung jewish girl. ( can you imagine how that announcment went over. ) I do consider my self a texan by injection since my mother claims i was conceived when she went there to be with him when he got stationed there. PPS Last but not least I suppose the only part of this old mans dissertation that should be remembered is that presently our nation is engaged in mortal conflict no matter who or what there backround all of those Americans and allies in harms way leaving limbs and lives in foreign lonely lands all bleed red and I will be damned if I will censure anything they ever want to say and i will defend there right to call me any God Damned thing they decide to. That is there and our right.

[W5RWU]

I leave you boys alone for just alittle while , and look at what you have gone and done!!
very very interresting
Randy

[CCBill]

Hi, Lt...
All the years I worked in Texas prisons, we were CRAMMED FULL of political correctness. I was called "honky", "cracker"and a lot of other names that I probably shouldn't mention.
I listened to Blacks, all day long, saying "nigga" this and "nigga" that. I told one of the Captains, one day, that I was thinking about filing some sort of legal claim against the State, because they were allowing Blacks to use racial slurs that were not to be used by staff. OH MY WORD!!! You would have thought I had killed somebody or something. I was called to the Wardens office, where I was questioned by him and Internal Affairs for over 2 hours. I was pretty much threatened with dismissal and possible legal action, for even THINKING such a thing. It seems it's only a racial slur when we of the "Caucasian Persuasion" use it. I feel that if we can't say it, they shouldn't either. Oh well. What do I know.
I wasn't raised to be predjudiced or racist. Small town. One of my very best friends was a Black kid named Kenny Eastman. We had NO idea we were different. I loved his Momma just like my own Momma. Working in prisons certainly was a srtain on me to keep my vision clear, but I don't think there is an inmate(of ANY color), that I ever dealt with, can truthfully say that I ever, intentionally dis-respected him, in any way.
Good to hear you have some Texan in you, Lt. I thought you might.
...CCBill...

[orvet]

An old friend of mine, a WWII veteran, (now deceased), spent 2-1/2 years in a German POW camp. After the Korean War he went back to Germany and was a liaison officer between the Army & the local German government due to his fluency in the German language, which he had learned while a POW. He was able to overcome any feelings of resentment he might have harbored from his brutal treatment as a POW. The man was full of some of the most interesting stories it has been my pleasure to listen to.

One story he told me was the story of the origin of the official US Army usage of the word "Wop."
Bear in mind the state of radio communication in WWII was rather crude by today's standards and communications were often unclear. This lead to a radio communication protocol, such as the words to represent letters of the alphabet; A= alpha, B= bravo, C= charlie, etc.
During the invasion of Italy someone in a headquarters unit had radioed to a forward scout unit and asked them what they saw from their position. The reply was "Nothing but a couple Italians." Due to the poor quality of the radio communications, the headquarters unit heard, "Nothing but a couple battalions." Thinking they were facing a major enemy force, the headquarters company ordered a massive artillery barrage, and scarred the living day lights out a couple poor Italian farmers.
At that point in time the command issued the order that from that point forward in all radio communications, Italians were to be referred to as "Wops."

I found this to be an interesting perspective on what some might consider an otherwise offensive word.

LT,
My folks just got back from Arizona where my mother spent some time with my brother digging around under the family tree. I have more Cherokee blood than probably anything else, but also have, Scotts, Irish, Welsh, German, Danish, Norwegian, French, Jewish and I think another Indian tribe or two.

"American" works just fine for me. I think we sometimes forget that what made this country great was that people came from all over the world, but once they were here they became Americans. Not English-Americans, German-Americans, etc, but just plain Americans. I think that if people today concentrated on being Americans and not X-Americans, we would be a much stronger country!

Just my humble opinion, which thank God, I am still allowed to have at this point in time.

Dale

[lt632ret]

Your story is a second chapter it was used as a term because early immigrants from italy at Ellis Island in NY coming into this country when asked for there papers and could not produce them. Since they were simply trying to survive by coming to the promised land . Had no papers. The term WOP was given to them stamped on there entry permits WITH OUT PAPERS. This was then associated with those of Italian heritage. It was then applied as a recognizable term for your later usage. LT PS Damn Dale no wonder we get along YA TA HAY MO FO. LT

[orvet]

LT,
ROFLMAO

It is good to know the first chapter to the story. Being from Oregon......................................it's a long way to Ellis Island!

[CCBill]

I've aways heard that Southern Italians were called Wops and Northern Italians were called Dagos. Anybody else heard that? I dunno...
...CCBill...

[johnnierotten]

Were I was from, they was called dead!! no I am just kidding,I couldn't pass up the chance to throw in a Foxworthy joke!!

[upnorth]

Sure, Bill
That's because they invented paper in northern Italy
And having Southern Italian ancestry, it's why I'm forced to use a computer; because I have no paper!

Charlie the WOP

[upnorth]

Who is Foxworthy, johnnie? Is he considered funny??????

[Hukk]

Who is Foxworthy, johnnie? Is he considered funny??????

Yeah, the redneck jokes guy, Jeff Foxworthy.

[johnnierotten]

He is a Southern comedian who got famous for his "you might be a rednecck if" jokes.

one of my favorites: You might be a redneck if you've ever been accused of lying through your TOOTH!!

[Hukk]

Politically correct = infringement on my first ammendment rights. If I want to say something, I will. I could go on but many of you could not handle the story of a country boy moving to the city and being bussed to an inner city school in peppar park during the black panther movement. May they all go to he**.

[upnorth]

Oh yeah, him. I guess I'm culturally deprived since I threw my television away 6-7 years ago. I have a lot more time for other things though! Knife collecting for instance.
Reading the last several posts, it seems that everyone would like to say whatever they want about whoever they want. I think the act of calling a statement politically incorrect, is itself politically incorrect! It stands in judgement of the person accused, and who is qualified to do that???
No-one on this earth can cast the first stone! When that is realized, there will be no political incorrectness. only pity for the sad state of some people.
Not judging our fellow humans is the toughest thing to do. It doesn't mean we have to put up with any abuse, it just means we shouldn't do any abusing.
Labelling people or calling names is a shortcoming in the namer/caller.
I've felt the sting of prejudice, and I've dished it out, along with a few punches, being from a second generation immigrant family. But over the years, I have decided that it just perpetuates our sorry lot to use names that judge others.