One of the earliest politically correct commandments was that people are not "short" but rather "vertically challenged". I think that one got laughed to death, however. And its logical corollary for fat people -- "horizontally challenged" -- was never even proposed to my knowledge.
But the British police are something else again. They are no good at dealing with a huge upsurge in gun crime (even though guns are supposedly banned in Britain) but they are super duper at victimizing ordinary people for what they do and say. And they crack down on any mention of "fat". As the following press excerpt shows:
"When Mary Magilton told police a hit-and-run driver was fat, she didn't think she was being rude. To her mind, it was merely an accurate description of the woman who had run into her on the pavement before driving off. But to the police officer interviewing the mother of three about her traumatic experience, "fat" represented inappropriate language. And she astonished Mrs Magilton by giving her a ticking-off for using the word.
Staff in the officer's force, Greater Manchester Police, have to abide by a 16-page document listing words and phrases which they should avoid so as not to cause offence, with suggested alternatives. Terms such as policeman and spokesman are described as sexist while phrases such as "accident blackspot" and "a black look" are deemed negative....
It does not, however, cover terminology for referring to those who are overweight. And it tells officers that, even if a witness uses an inappropriate term they should record it, putting it in quotation marks. Yesterday, with the suspect still at large, 54-year-old Mrs Magilton said the nit-picking attitude of the officer - who was of average build - had left her feeling like she was the criminal"
Source
So even 16 pages of rules about speech are not enough. Politically correct attitudes are now so deeply ingrained in the British police that they add extra rules of their own. No surprise that the hit-run driver has not been found. She no doubt has become a "victim" for being described as fat.
"White" Unmentionable Again
I have previously mentioned this story -- where "white flight" was deemed to be a "racist" phrase that cannot be mentioned. Now we have more of the same. There is a city in Texas called "White Settlement" -- and you can guess the rest can't you? Here is a press excerpt:
"White Settlement Mayor James O. Ouzts says the city's name has turned off potential new residents and businesses. Now, with the city falling on hard economic times, voters will decide whether to change White Settlement to West Settlement, a name more inviting to outsiders. "One of the first things they say is 'What's up with the name?' " Mr. Ouzts said. "They have a negative perception, and you have to try to overcome that. You expend a tremendous amount of energy trying to explain the name."
Source
Maybe I am missing the point here but perhaps they could rename the place "Non-Black Settlement". "Black" seems to be an OK word these days -- as long as you don't use it too often, of course.
Just a passing thought: I wonder when people who are actually brown will start objecting to being called "black"? When they do, maybe "colored" will come back into vogue and "black" will become incorrect. What a merrygoround it all is!
