Is political correctness a good thing?

Question

Does political correctness in society enable us to be more sensitive and respectful of other cultures and people or is political correctness dangerous and causes us disregard common sense so that we don't offend anyone?

Answer 1

No. It is undermining are ability to be honest in personal and professional communications and relationships. I worked at Borders and we were so allowable for diversity that none was allowed. You could not show your religious or idealogical leanings for fear it would offend someone. So we were like a homogenous blob with no distinct features, backgrounds or personalities.

Answer 2

I tend to agree with latter notion, since political correctness can interfere in the study of History. The "common sense" is disregarded and has been disregarded. The finest example of this is The Great War, or World War I, and how it has come to be seen today through the eyes of the poets, novelists, and filmmakers, as opposed to the military historians. Today, very few movies are made on the First World War without a pacifist theme attached - which disregards the true history of those who volunteered and supported the war.

Answer 3

I believe the latter. Political correctness to a point is probably in everyone's best interest, however, the extremes that today's society is leaning, is very dangerous to me. Take the most recent "incident". Imus made a stupid remark. Granted! The people who he was offending, would never have been listening to his shows in the first place (I know I'm stereotyping). The people fighting the issue have been living with the problem in other forms of the media for years, and nothing was done, or most likely will be done in the future. This issue will die on the vine, and will continue till the next "major issue" pops it's ugly head.

Answer 4

Absolutely not. As an open and free society, anything that curtails our rights (obvious criminal acts excluded, of course) should be deemed a bad thing. Political Correctness violates our right to free speech. If you think our Founding Fathers didn't think this was the most important right to bestow on the citizens of our nation, then ask yourself why that was the First Amendment they penned.

One of the purposes of Political Correctness is to allow people that do not live up to their own expectations to have an excuse; in most cases to be able to blame the rest of society that does live up to those expectations. As far as the being sensitive to "other cultures" aspect, part of the AMERICAN culture is freedom of speech.....if someone doesn't like it then I suggest they go back to where they feel more comfortable. In many cases they weren't invited in the first place.

Answer 5

Like many things, I believe it was started with good intentions and with creating an environment of respect. I think it can only go so far and so fast, however.

I also think that many times something is considered offensive when it really isn't meant that way.

For example, the term "stewardess" was never meant to be offensive, but simply a name to call the female crew members of an aircraft (or perhaps a sailing ship). The term for males was "steward" and there was nothing wrong with it...

... except that "stewardesses" and "stewards" didn't like it, so they made the name change to "flight attendant" ... the only people who noticed the difference were them. Most of us passengers didn't even know we were insulting anyone!

This idea can be passed through the "political correctness" scene quite a bit. Not for everything, but a bunch.

Answer 6

Although perhaps born out of good intentions -- the desire to avoid giving offense and to be respectful -- political correctness is dangerous. It gives the false impression, and leads the impressionable to believe, that all cultures are equally good, all viewpoints equally valid, and so on. It glosses over many problems and situations that need to be dealt with head-on rather than swept under the rug. The war on terror (it's a war on Islamic radicalism, let's call it what it is!) and multiculturalism (the mistaken belief that all cultures are equally "good" and equally worthy of respect) are just two examples.

Answer 7

It is not just bad it keeps people from reaaching their full potential, gets people killed and limits debate. It is a socialistic idea that has transfered here to the states and already paralized Europe. The only good thing about political correctness is that it can ensure intellinget debate without hate involved. But it is out of control and now stops debate for risk of offending someone.

Answer 8

Oddly sufficient... i'd say that lots of the "classic values" that the quote defends are in reality basically "self-indulgences" in themselves that the community agreed upon long merely before now... and now those "classic concepts" seek for to "enshrine irrational fears, or fancies, as reality by way of he use of presumptuous words, so public pronouncement: Dissembles the genuine nature of the declare, Identifies any dissenters as enemies of the certainty, Acts as an excuse for any crimes committed in its call" against political correctness... that is hilarious that it claims "political correctness" is responsible of the precise same crimes that the "classic concepts" are so blatantly responsible of... I mean, slavery replaced right into a popular fee as quickly as... merely by way of fact somebody pronounced "hello, slavery is undesirable" would not propose that it's not undesirable by way of fact it is going against the "classic values" of the time... each and every so often issues need to be vilified.

Answer 9

No. It basically allows you to white wash everything. Sometimes it is good to speak your mind so that people know where you stand. Freedom of Speech also includes the Freedom to Offend. Look at the situation with Don Imus.

Don Imus cannot say the word "HO", but Hillary Clinton can collect $800,000 from her rapper buddies that use the "N" word and HO in ever song. Al Sharpton can use the "N" word, call people Whores, and call Jewish people names, but he is never fired for his comments.

Here is something funny that was put out by one of the talk show hosts that I listen to. Now that we can't say the word "HO" without getting into trouble, the following HO's must go:

By Michael Savage:

Now that Al Sharpton has gotten Don Imus fired for using the racial remark “HO” on the radio. We now need to ban this word from the English language. The following will now be banned:

• Santa Claus will be banned as he utters the clearly racist and misogynistic exclamation, “Ho, ho, ho!”

• No public mourning of Hawaiian singer, Don Ho, who died this weekend.

• Pirate movies will be censored if they contain the phrase “Yo, ho, ho.”

• All references to the Seven Dwarfs will be punishable due to the song “High-ho!” which is offensive to sex workers of enhanced stature

• Any mention of farmers will cease due to their use of hoes, a racist, sexist farm implement.

• The Lone Ranger will be eliminated from popular culture because he uses the patently offensive phrase, “Hi Ho Silver”

• All “Ho-downs” will be terminated as a racist affront to non-Southern White Christians

• All travel to Ho Chi Minh City will be banned.

• The phrases “Heave-Ho,” “Gung Ho,” and “Tally Ho!” will be expunged from the English language.

Answer 10

Too much of a 'good thing' perhaps. How about a little common sense and mutual courtesy instead? Whatever happened to manners?