Do you think political correctness has gone a bit too far?

Question

I mean we can be anything ist now can't we, if we say fireman we're being sexist, if we say white person, we're being racist, I'm just not sure, should the dead be called 'living impaired'?

Answer 1

Absolutely too far. My friend is dating a guy who comes from Gambia and he has said he would prefer to be called Black than the "politically correct" coloured. He says we are all coloured and he would actually prefer to be called ****** than coloured. It's just ridiculous. With the profession that i am in i am always having to be very careful about what i say so as not to upset anyone. Criminals are no longer allowed to be called criminal but offenders. Those in prison are not longer inmates, they, again, are offenders. In my town we were not even allowed to have Santa's grotto and Christmas decorations for fear of sparking racial problems! Instead they were called Holiday Decorations and anual turning on of the Christmas lights had to be called "Holiday Ceremony". We are allowed flags in pubs for St. Georges day but the same pubs were threatened with fines and closure if they put up the St. Georges Cross and did any special event for St. Georges day. Problem is, i am now offended and feel as i am being treated unfairly.But do they listen to a mid twenties, white "middle class" woman? You have got to be joking!
And i have just noticed that one word i used has been starred out even though it is not meant offensively but it context to a conversation!

Answer 2

It has, but I would say it had to go too far first just to get the message across. We still don't live in a completely free and equal society even if we'd like to think so. It would be truly wonderful if everyone was considered purely on merit and not on sex/colour/religion, but we're not there yet and political correctness exists for that reason. Hopefully we will eventually reach a point where it isn't considered necessary to think about what we call someone and everyone is judged by their merits.

Answer 3

Yes, sometimes I answer a question and think, hmm is that OK to say, for example, dwarf should be vertically challenged person, white/black person should be umm I have no idea, gay should be heterosexually challenged, Eskimo, should be Inuit, American Indian should be Native American, but I just use what I know, at least I'm not 80 odd and use what I know because old people (whatever they're called) normally use the words they were brought up with, which are normally not at all PC.

Answer 4

yo u really dont want 2 get me started on that. ive gone on so many rants about it. do u know how many different names "mentally challendeg" or w/e they are people have had? its absolutely rediculous. my mother has been on the ambulance corp. 4 a really long time, and she cant even say that they brought a patient to the mental hospital without giving it a proper name, which i forget what it is. now, i understand that some people get offended easily, but hi, hopeful controller of my thoughts and actions, i have the first amendmennt, so ill say w/e i want it all means the same thing, so get over it, and just sit there quietly.

im gonna stop now before i keep going on with this topic...

Answer 5

Sometimes - like not being able to call a blackboard a blackboard (it's supposed to be a chalkboard now) - how in hell is that rascist? It's simply describing the colour of the board, which is black!

I've never heard anyone being accused of being rascist for calling a white person white, though. I'm white and I'll say I'm white, most black people I know don't mind being called black. What else can you call a white or black or asian (just as examples) person if you don't know where they're from? You just say white, black or asian, surely?

Answer 6

Yes!!! It's gone WAY too far, you can't say anything nowadays without insulting someone. I remember saying in school once that I don't find guys who are a different race to me attractive (personal taste) even if they are considered to be so by others. No offence meant whasoever. I got absolutely slammed for being racist!

Answer 7

absolutely agree. i especially agree with most of the answers given so far - with exception to milners autos! - ... i don't think that individuals actually offend easily - with the exception of one or two. i have never known a time when people have been as restricted with the use of the english language, as now. whatever happened to freedom of speech?
if we say something which is expressing a personal opinion or question - we should be allowed to say it - and not have to apologise - except maybe if we worded it incorrectly. i heard last year that it is offensive to various religons to display christmas cards on your desk - if this isn't going too far, i dont know what is. to be honest, the majority of the living earth are NOT prejudiced people and we don't mean any harm by the things that we say, but there will always be the odd few who are.
another thing, no disrespect ,but when we are travelling to other countries we still have to respect their culture and way of life. why do we have to adapt so much in our own country. most of us have welcomed others to our country and respected them, but they don't all respect us in their own country - does that make us mugs, suckers, idiots? - however you want to phrase it

Answer 8

yes you cant say anything because it will offend people! And half the people that get offended, that do not have or know some one that should get offended! Like a short person gets pissed, if some even thinks the word Giant to describe a tall person, they are short and will never be tall but they get offended on another persons behalf! that sucks!

sorry if it was incoherent

Answer 9

political correctness has it's uses - a lot of people who weren't otherwise aware, now know that some things they say can cause offense to others.

however, i think saying that Noddy and Big Ears can't sleep in the same bed and that they can't have gollywogs as friends is completely OTT - and frankly i think that making changes like this puts ideas into heads, rather than taking them out.

Answer 10

A bit too far?! Way too far!
I mean Britons can't fly the Union flag without being told that they must either take it down of face jail because it's "offensive", whereas if an immigrant, legal or otherwise, puts their country's up, they can't take it down, because it's an insult to them and their country. Yeah, right. I'm all for them putting their flags up, as long as we can put ours up.