But over the long run, the stress on sensitivities probably set back cultural understanding as much as it advanced it. For one thing, it permits people to blur the distinctions between mere thoughtlessness and antipathies that run deeper in the heart. It’s only insensitive when Michael Steele uses “honest injun” — he probably never gave the expression any thought before. But there’s a moral obtuseness in talking about the insensitivity of carrying a sign that depicts Obama as a witch doctor with a bone through his nose. A lack of sensitivity is the least of that person’s problems.
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| — | Geoff Nunberg, Maybe We All Need Some ‘Sensitivity’ Training (via nprfreshair) |
