Things that make us tick, we all have them. It would be a futile effort to act as though we don’t. And yet, in an atmosphere of increasing political polarization, there runs parallel a dispute over the idea of political correctness: What can and cannot be said or done, as well as what words, gestures, or actions will or will not offend others. I cannot even begin to fathom why this argument exists in the first place.
In my eyes, political correctness is nothing more than a fancy term for respecting others. Since I was little, I have been acculturated to respect my peers as well as the opinions of others. The phrase “treat others as you would expect others to treat you” has and will always be one of the earliest aspects of socialization taught to children. So then, I ask, why do some people in this day and age refuse to respect one another?
No one is perfect and one is bound to at some juncture to say something or do something that can be taken as offensive by somebody else. Such is human nature. Of course, it is impossible to be in tune with everyone’s sensitivities, and perhaps some people are in fact too sensitive and too easily offended. However, there is a stark contrast between accidentally offending somebody and subsequently making an effort to refrain from such language or action, and not being conscientious and empathetic to one’s emotions in the slightest.
For example, as someone who has on several occasions worked with children who have both mental and physical disabilities, I do not like the term “retard” and “retarded.” That being said, I am well aware that many people use these terms colloquially and do not usually intend malice. Moreover, I am not the PC police and I cannot control what is and is not said. However, on the other hand, it is an entirely different situation when one intends to degrade others by using such expressions, or whether people continue to use such phrases under the knowledge that another person they are with or someone who is around them might become offended.
Respect and common courtesy transcend political affiliation, race, religion, etc. Everyone has emotions, and everyone can become offended by something someone says or does. (In an opposing argument, one can contend that those who are frustrated by those they find easily offended, are in fact themselves easily offended and oversensitive by those they find oversensitive. But I’ll leave that argument alone.) To single out a specific person or group of people as being too sensitive can many times obfuscate the universality of emotion and sensitivity.
I’m aware that a fair number of those reading this will be unscathed and unmoved by a simple statement of opinion from a seemingly insignificant college student. However, my hope in posting this article is to get those of you reading to think. How do you live your life? Do you laugh at, mock, and taunt others for having emotions? Or do you live a life of humility and respect? Doubtless, the choice is yours to make. But when you make these decisions, be wary of perspective.
