Steve Nelson wrote:
So let me get this straight..they "sanitize" the comments of servicemen, but they proudly display a plane called the "Strawberry Bitch?" (my personal favorite, btw) Seems like a bit of a double standard to me.
Interesting point Steve. IIRC Mustangdriver mentioned a complaint by some priss about the name on
Strawberry Bitch 'needing to be sanitized' to avoid offending her or her class some time ago. Both the name of the aircraft and the comments on the wall are aircrew choices and remarks.
Of course senior officers have often had sense of humour failures as much as junior staff pander to their own more earthy choices. Neither's 'right'.
BTW, I've yet to see anyone actually promote anything called PC - it's usually a whipping boy for another view. Thomas Bowdler pre-dates anything called PC by some period.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bowdler
It's always gone on. SFW (and I don't mean 'safe for work)
However
this site censors the word 'H e l l" which I've never regarded as a problem, not culturally here or in the UK. Therefore I can't post the correct name for A-20 'H e l l & Pelican' here without a childish work-round.
I do tours at an aircraft museum and the F word is written in large letters on the runway marker board. When touring with kids, I usually point it out, say we can all act like adults and not get all hung up about it, and we discuss more interesting inscriptions. However difficult or immature the group might otherwise be, it's
never been a problem (we don't do that bit with the tinys, of course). It's only interesting because it's forbidden. Today's taboo words are tomorrows so what's.
However I don't use four letter words as part of the tour - it's good manners, and professional for the organisation I represent. I also work hard not to insult any person or group with casual or historical insults - it's again, poor to do so, and that's where the concept of trying a bit harder not to be offensive should come in IMHO. The days of treating people or groups really badly are sadly still with us - but we don't
have to act like that -
if we can manage to be civilized and tolerant.
It's a big bad world out there, and most people just need to be allowed to make their own choices. Whenever anyone sets themselves up to choose what others can see or should see watch out. The Romans spotted the issue with that one.
If you are wondering around a museum that promotes some of humanity's most effectively destructive machinery and your issue is with the F word, not war, maiming or killing, perhaps a pause for thought as to priority is in order.
Just some random thoughts.