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PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   9418 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of June 1, 2026

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If you think keep your hands visible, voice neutral, and movements slow and deliberate is "so degrading to the non-police person that many self-respecting people simply cannot manage to engage in them" I think it stands to reason that you are part of the problem.

You have to think about the is the context of an honor culture person who perceived their honor to be challenged by the police officer. In this frame, any voluntary act of cooperation is a sign of submission and humiliation. Honor can only be satisfied by defeating the officer or frustrating his activities.

In past discussion, he has claimed that police officers in his area demand that citizens call them "sir". That definitely is degrading in the casual modern age, where people laugh at you for even calling your coworkers "Mr. Lastname" rather than "Firstname".

Maybe I'm just some backwater degenerate who's not plugged into modern norms, but using your "Sir"s and "Mam"s is not "degrading" it's basic courtesy.

I am very surprised to find a survey claiming that, in year 2012 (14 years ago), 76 percent of USAians would address a stranger at least 10 years older than themselves as "sir" or "ma'am". This article explains that in year 1980 (46 years ago) this practice was extremely regional—80 percent in the South but only 25 percent in the Northeast.

In my Northeast location: While working, I was considered a bit of a stick-in-the-mud for using "Mr./Ms. Lastname", as implied in my previous comment. And I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that, to the best of my recollection, I've never called anybody "sir" or "ma'am" in my entire 32 years. (Though I did once have occasion to call a judge "your honor".)

I'm about 10 years older than you and had courtesy drilled into me from a young age by my parents. I spent the mid 2010s in Silicon Valley where I was also considered a bit of a stick-in-the-mud for using "Sir/Mam" and "Mr./Ms." on a regular basis. Now I reside in "fly-over country" and feel like people would look at me funny if I didn't.

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