Political Correctness going to far?

[Nanor]

Political Correctness going too far?

Or at least heading that way.

Check it out. An eight year old boy in Sweden has sparked outcry in Sweden because he didn't invite two boys in his class to his birthday party. Now back when I was a child plenty of children weren't invite to parties. Children fall out. It's life. But this whole everyone should be treated equally is going too far surely. It's really beginning to get on my wick.

I'm not alone in thinking this, right? You all think this is bullcrap too?

 

[thatbloke]

Heh, there was more outcry in my school when a guy in my year invited the whole year (about 60 kids) to a big birthday party he was having. We thought he was doing it just to get more presents

But I read this at the weekend. I'd leave the country rather than be ruled over by stupid fuckwits who haven't got a clue what they are doing. But there seems to be less and less countries that are actually using sommon sense now

 

[DocBot]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Well that school does have specific rules staing that you can, of course, invite anyone that you like to anything, likewise you can choose not to invite someone - but if you do this during class, openly, it amounts to bullying and as such is not allowed. The only consequence was that the little paper invite flyer thingies were confiscated. Imo it's the boys father who's making a big deal out of it (given the very specific nature of the rules, and the reasons for them)...

edit: to add:

Now back when I was a child plenty of children weren't invite to parties. Children fall out..

Yes of course that's quite alright. But to make a point out of inviting all but two guys? That's not nice.

 

[thatbloke]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Why should it matter if it's done in class or not?

So if the invitations are handed out in a playground, where, perhaps, MORE kids will be during break-times, is he supposed to invite the whole sodding school for fear of making someone feel bad because they didnt get an invite?

 

[DocBot]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

So you can actually not see the difference between inviting 28 out of 30 kids, and inviting 28 out of 300? (and I do think the same rules apply in the school yeard as well, during school hours)

 

[BiG D]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

It depends on the kid's attitude, and the article doesn't elaborate enough to be able to make a good decision. If he walked around to everyone's desk like "one for YOU, one for YOU, one for YOU, NONE FOR YOU, one for YOU..." damn right he's bullying, and good on the teacher for stopping him, and the school for having strict rules on the subject.

What's ridiculous is that both the school board and the father have tried to get the parliament involved.

 

[Nanor]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Yes of course that's quite alright. But to make a point out of inviting all but two guys? That's not nice.

The two weren't invited because they didn't get on with the person holding the party. Better not inviting them than having them sit in a corner not getting on with the other guys at the party.

Getting parliament involved is foolish no doubt but it's his party and can invite who he wants. The article could go further and state if the children thought they got bullied or are massively upset by the ordeal.

Mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[DocBot]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Perhaps my emphasis wasn't strong enough. I'll repeat myself with added such.

"But to make a _POINT_ out of inviting all but two guys? That's not nice"

 

[Nanor]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Perhaps my emphasis wasn't strong enough. I'll repeat myself with added such.

"But to make a _POINT_ out of inviting all but two guys? That's not nice"

Of course he made a point out of not bloody inviting them. He didn't like them!

 

[DocBot]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Of course he made a point out of not bloody inviting them. He didn't like them!

...So in your opinion it's quite alright to be mean towards people you don't like? Bully them, even? And if the school officials say you can't, that's excessive political correctness?

 

[Nanor]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

...So in your opinion it's quite alright to be mean towards people you don't like? Bully them, even? And if the school officials say you can't, that's excessive political correctness?

Do the people who weren't invited feel they were bullied? We don't know and probably never will. He didn't invite people he didn't like to his party. Do you really think that's bullying?

 

[BiG D]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Do the people who weren't invited feel they were bullied? We don't know and probably never will. He didn't invite people he didn't like to his party. Do you really think that's bullying?

Again, depending on HOW he chose to not invite them, YES it was quite possibly bullying.

 

[Nanor]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Again, depending on HOW he chose to not invite them, YES it was quite possibly bullying.

Quite possibly indeed. So until we know we're going around in circles.

 

[DocBot]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Do the people who weren't invited feel they were bullied? We don't know and probably never will. He didn't invite people he didn't like to his party. Do you really think that's bullying?

...It's that emphasis eluding you again, isn't it?

 

[DocBot]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Quite possibly indeed. So until we know we're going around in circles.

He handed out invites in the classroom. Unless the kids were very very stupid, that's about as obvious it can get. The kids felt excluded (no I don't KNOW that's how they felt, but according to the teachers that's how it went - and anyway it should be self-evident. No man is an island, especially not at age 8).

 

[Nanor]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

The kids felt excluded (no I don't KNOW that's how they felt, but according to the teachers that's how it went... )

Teachers can see the slightest thing as bullying. They know if a child is bullied they're gonna get in trouble for it.

For all you know the kids bullied they boy throwing the party. Now I don't KNOW that but while we're making accusations...

Kid's decision who he invites. I'm betting the kids don't care they weren't invited. The teacher has spied this, took the invitations, child goes home crying and so it begins. If the child felt bullied he should have told the teacher so.

 

[waterproofbob]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

I once invited a guy from my class who everyone hated and no one else invited to their parties, he came sans any gift or a thank you for inviting him and shot me in the face with a sticky dart.

I see nothing wrong with inviting all but 2 of a class, if I were hosting a party now and I was inviting 4 out of 5 ppl from a house or 11/12 from halls or whatever I'd not see anything wrong with it if I didn't get on with the remainder.

Everything is bullying these days it's absurd, man up life is hard the sooner you realise not everyone is going to like you and get over this the better. This is not to say that bullying didn't occur here. If the remainder had the invites held over them as a

"ner ner na ner ner you're not coming to my party"

Then I have an issue with that as it is just spiteful.

OK there may have a been a better time to hand out the invites, but let us remember that he is 8 he is excited cos he having a party and he doesn't like the guys being left out. Whether these invites are handed out in the classroom in the playground or to the parents of the children who are invited the kids who aren't invited are going to be a little bummed they aren't invited.

I strongly disagree with the teacher stepping in and intervening like that. In my opinion that was much worse than a slight amount of thoughtlessness on the part of the child in question. He is 8 and had it been dealt with professionally and quietly after class this wouldn't have been an issue and the child may have matured a little bit. As it is it was dealt with (it would seem) very badly and if anything by this being dealt with in this manor the teacher is drawing focus onto the children who are being alienated, all that can happen here is increase and intensify this alienation.

I'd be interested to see how this is resolved

 

[DocBot]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Right then, so if I'm not personally acquainted with the boys in question, you're going to assume you're right, any amount of evidence to the contrary notwithstanding. Fine.

So, the boys liked it. They enjoyed being singled out in front of everyone. Fine. It's still against the school rules and it's bad form. Everyone seems to forget it's against the rules. The written rules, that every child and parent reads and signs. So the teacher were not only in his right, he was required to act. Dad brings it to the justice ombudsman. Who's overreacting again?

 

[Nanor]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

Hold on, not inviting kids to your party is against the school rules?

"No! You blabbering Irish git! Bullying is!"

But they like it? They enjoyed being singled out.

 

[waterproofbob]

Re: Political Correctness going too far?

If it's in the rules for the teacher to act then fine, however as I said originally there are better ways to conduct this than what occured, I've dealt with situations in our school boarding house that almost involved higher powers due to the way they were handled. You have to judge how to instigate the rules.

I don't know enough here to judge obviously hence my fairly long winded reasoning above, but it does seem that it could have been dealt with better. I certainly don't think the parent should have taken the action he has as it is fairly ott. However I still feel the entire situation could have been avoided by a more diplomatic move by the teacher.