Actually, it is more like not being allowed to talk about the elephant (...in the room. See what I did there?). Not talking about a subject is much easier than not thinking about it. And because everybody knows that talking about the elephant will cause you to be called an elephant hater and nothing good whatsoever will come of it in 95% of cases, the only people who continue to talk about elephants are people who care so strongly about the subject that they are willing to be called an elephant-hater just so that they can be heard. So that leaves people who either really hate elephants, and people who really can’t stand being told that they’re not allowed to say something (and super-dedicated elephant scientists I guess, but there’s not very many of those).
The most difficult part of not talking about the elephant is when someone suddently says: “There is no elephant in this room, and we all know it, don’t we?” Interpreting the rule as forbidding to talk about the elephant, but not about the absence of the elephant.
Specifically, if there is a rule against mentioning genetic differences—and the goal is to avoid the discussion about genetics, not to assert that there are no differences—the rule should equally forbid saying that there are genetic differences, and that there aren’t genetic differences.
The rule should make very clear whether its intent is to 1) stop both sides of the debate, or 2) stop only one side of the debate, letting the other side win. Both options make sense, but it is difficult to follow when it is not sure which of these two options was meant.
Actually, it is more like not being allowed to talk about the elephant (...in the room. See what I did there?). Not talking about a subject is much easier than not thinking about it. And because everybody knows that talking about the elephant will cause you to be called an elephant hater and nothing good whatsoever will come of it in 95% of cases, the only people who continue to talk about elephants are people who care so strongly about the subject that they are willing to be called an elephant-hater just so that they can be heard. So that leaves people who either really hate elephants, and people who really can’t stand being told that they’re not allowed to say something (and super-dedicated elephant scientists I guess, but there’s not very many of those).
The most difficult part of not talking about the elephant is when someone suddently says: “There is no elephant in this room, and we all know it, don’t we?” Interpreting the rule as forbidding to talk about the elephant, but not about the absence of the elephant.
Specifically, if there is a rule against mentioning genetic differences—and the goal is to avoid the discussion about genetics, not to assert that there are no differences—the rule should equally forbid saying that there are genetic differences, and that there aren’t genetic differences.
The rule should make very clear whether its intent is to 1) stop both sides of the debate, or 2) stop only one side of the debate, letting the other side win. Both options make sense, but it is difficult to follow when it is not sure which of these two options was meant.