Being “politically correct” has fallen into disfavor. Since the occupant has made inflammatory language acceptable again, people all over the country are asserting their right to “free speech” as a thin veil for judgement and hate speech. The occupant cited political correctness as a “big problem” in the United States. He further posited that he does not have time for being “politically correct” and neither does the country.
The pushback against being “politically correct” was captured in a poll by the Pew Research Center in which the majority of Americans thought people were too easily offended. Fewer than 40% of Americans thought people needed to be more careful about the language they use to avoid offending people.
The divisions of who thinks what are predictable. Among Republicans 78% say people are too easily offended and only 21% say people should be more careful to avoid offending others. Among Democrats, 61% think people should choose language more carefully and 37% say people are too easily offended. The occupant, in his penchant for dividing the country, has sharpened the lines by his use of inflammatory rhetoric and judgmental actions.
It reflects a growing lack of civility in public discourse. When the example set by the leader is judgmental and lacks compassion, it is only a matter of time before people follow the path set out.
It appears that the tide began to turn in the 1960’s when what Ruth Perry calls the “New Left Movement” used politically incorrect to describe people who were out of step with more inclusive and embracing language as a way of honoring diversity. Conservatives across the country leveled criticism at being “politically correct.” Instead of an invitation to be more open, it became a source of derision toward those advocated a more compassionate language about others.
Nowhere is the argument about inclusivity and honoring differences more obvious than in the shift away from Columbus Day to International Indigenous People’s Day. Cities and towns are re moving statues of Christopher Columbus and teaching a more balanced history of colonization. It is a hot topic and widely supported on both sides of the conversation.
Persistent in the midst of it all is the notion that Columbus “discovered” America. This assertion ignores the fact that what is now the United States was filled with tens of thousands Native peoples. They were systematically slaughtered, imprisoned and removed from their land. The history of how Native Americans were treated during the colonial period is appalling. It is a small thing to shift the focus from the colonizer to the people who were victimized by colonization.
Being “politically correct” is about intentionally choosing language that honors people who are different from you. It is a way of showing respect and decency, something that is in short supply in these days of the occupant’s verbal rampage through all that is compassionate and just.
There is much to be celebrated in being “politically correct.” It simply means to embody words and actions that avoid disparaging, insulting or offending people who belong to oppressed groups. There are many groups subject to discrimination, disrespect or prejudice; age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, physical or mental disability and every “ism” used to describe another.
Holding political correctness as a goal for individual speech and behavior forces us to think about our own often unconscious oppressive attitudes and prejudices. We do well to call out those who use disparaging language and engage in hateful actions toward others. We can help to reclaim a public ethic of compassionate language without ever saying the words “politically correct.” It is simply decent language and caring behavior.
Others may deride or make fun of you, stand proud. Remind them that being “politically correct” is simply a way of not being hateful.
The Irreverent Reverend 