Is Political Correctness a form of Censorship?

Question

Does it protect people?

or

Stifle free speech and expression?

Answer 1

Yes it is a form of censorship. I want to know -- why can't I wish someone a Merry Christmas. I would never be offended if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah! If they did, depending on the moment, I might say "Thank you" or I might politely say that I celebrate Christmas. I think being politically correct has gone overboard!! Funny anecdote to finish my answer here -- My son's high school's mascot is the Indian. It has always been displayed in a respectful manner but now the local school board wants to change the mascot to an owl. So my son has already told me that when he goes to the football games, he will be cheering, "GO HOOTERS!" I think it's funny but I know there will be some offended mothers sitting near him!! Oh well!! That's what they get for all this censorship.

Answer 2

Up to a point, yes it is. However, certain types of censorship can be benficial. That's why the UK has laws against Incitement to Racial Hatred. Also it affects attitudes, however subtley. Spanish, for example, has sexes for nouns and many of those nouns relate to things in the kicthen and re-inforce sexual attitudes (to put it simply). It may have gone too far far but the replacement of "Policeman" with "Police Officer" helps reduce the incidence of sexism. (Well, maybe not with the police themselves but with most human beings). Like any cultural idea it has it's uses but it is manipulated mostly by the extremes. Why shouldn't a woman be able to do a "Fire-Fighters" job? And should it matter what their sex is? Or race? Or colour? Or ability? So I am visually impaired, but am I described as aurally enhanced? No. It is the nature of humanity to look for the weakness and not the strength. Go figure.

Answer 3

Billy Connolly called it the "language of the weak" an i tend to agree. Of course its censorship but another part of me says not all censorship is bad in this day and age. OK before you start hurling abuse at me i think that self censorship is everyones right and duty but just think about issues like child pornography and racism. do we really want our young to experience this?

Shouldn't political correctness be a state of mind rather than a description of 'correct' terminoligy.
p.s. anyone know how to spell teminolligy?

Answer 4

I think it is a case of balancing it. Of course it is wrong to allow people to use offensive words/sayings but it does become ridiculous when you are told you cannot use the phrase "brain-storming" in case you offend people who suffer from epliepsy.

And why change the words of the nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep. BLACK is a colour. By not saying it, we cannot make it go away.

Unfortunately, some people get paid a lot of money to think of all sorts of words and phrases that may POTENTIALLY offend SOMEONE.

So yes, to a certain extent it is stifling free speech and expression but then so are any of societies laws. They are there to protect certain boundaries.

Answer 5

I think it started out protecting people but I think it is so out of control that it is now, and has been for some time, stifling free speech and expression.

Answer 6

Of course PC is a form of censorship. It has evolved owing to the inability of some people to speak without being rude, stupid or inciteful of hate and violence.

There are also laws against KILLING people who are a different race, colour or creed, sexual orientation etc and no-one seems to think those laws are out of order.

Answer 7

It is a recast form of racism and hatred. Instead of getting kicks from calling fat people fatties (or whatever) they run around looking for a person to say one "politically incorrect" thing, and then the hatred flows onto the speaker. People still in reality hate the same things they always did, and certain norms still exist, except now they are subverted by the PC movement. Since the negativity still exists, it has re-emerged as PC and other "causes."

Answer 8

What you describe isn't political correctness. you're greater heavily describing racism. Political correctness is greater like once you call an unlawful alien an undocumented worker using fact the term unlawful Alien if derogatory. . right here those human beings entered the country illegally, proceed to be illegally, value the taxpayers billions of greenbacks well-being care and different expenses, yet i'm not meant to call them what the are, unlawful aliens, using fact i'm not meant to offend them is ***-9. So definite, political correctness is offensive to me.

Answer 9

It protects nothing but feelings. You haven't got a right to NOT be offended. If you don't want to be offended, don't watch, listen to, or converse with things that offend you.

So, yes, obviously, political correctness is censorship.

Answer 10

political correctness does not exist. we used to just call it manners when you didn't go out of your way to offend people.

here's how it works... if you say something nasty, you are exercising your free speech rights. if we all say you're a horrible person because of what you said, you have just dealt with the burden of free speech... we might really think you're an asshole!

free speech does not require us to listen to you respectfully. we have the right to find your opinions abhorrent if you express them in a way that offends people.

censorship is when someone prevents you from speaking your mind. if you allow your own opinions to be stifled because you are too much of a weenie to defend them, a right to free speech is not going to help you much! you have to choose to exercise it.

for example, the people who say "i can't say merry christmas"... why not? i heard tons of people say it last year and i live in san francisco! just SAY it.