Racism, sexism, anti-Semitism. I'm sure at this point in the year these are some of the most frequently used words of the past 365 days. People who don't suffer from these issues are exhausted from hearing about them all the time but those of us who experience this issues each day are even more tired than them.
After the election, people boasted about how liberal college campuses were but I'm here to let you know that, even if the majority of students want to put an end inequality, all of these "-isms" are still alive and well in institutions of higher education, especially this holiday season.
You may wonder how I know, well I'm currently sitting at the annual "Battle of the Bronx," a few weeks before Christmas and Hanukkah, and listening to some of the most disgusting, degrading rhetoric I've ever heard used coming from the people behind me.
"This is why your dad left you," is how it started out as they harassed the ethnically diverse Fordham basketball team when one of their players missed a free throw.
"Find me the ugliest girl here and I can guarantee you I could get her pregnant by the end of tonight," it continued as they pointed out the flaws of our talented dance team.
"I bet they all got AIDS in the ghetto," it went on as a shot was blocked.
"Aw, I miss that crippled bald guy," they commented as we memorialized our chaplain who passed away this September after a long illness.
"The only good thing about our cheerleading team is their short skirts," this ignorant college student went on during half time.
"Look at that girl with the scarf on her head, I think we should call her Isis. Maybe she should go back to Syria for Christmas," this one person went on as most of my friends fell silent.
"His dad probably wants to die because he hates his kid that much," they snorted as they mocked a classmate of mine who's father has cancer.
I'm going to stop it here because the rest of this conversation was even more horrific if you could imagine.
Sometimes you want to ignore the problems of the world when they become too much to bear, but it's for these reasons that we can't, especially this holiday season.
I love my school and the people I've met here. It's such an amazing place, but every place has its flaws and the flaws here presented themselves tonight.
I normally don't see "kids will be kids" or "boys will be boys" as valid excuses because it normalizes destructive behavior, but even in this situation, they're not applicable. They weren't all boys and these people are my age. There's no excuse for this behavior, even when you think about using these typical scapegoats.
Words are just words to many and they hold no substance but when you've had these stereotypes pushed onto you for your entire life, words do mean something. They represent the years of pent up anger and sadness at a system telling you that, no matter what you do, people will always perceive you in a certain way.
Some want to get rid of the trend of political correctness because they feel as if it limits their freedom of speech. I say no to this theory. It does not limit your freedom of speech, it makes you a better human being. Why would you want the right to call someone a derogatory name or offend someone?
Political correctness isn't about what you can and cannot say, it's about being a decent human being. If you want to reserve the right to call someone something offensive, that says more about you as a person than it does of anyone else you could offend.
I grew up in a household where my parents always held me accountable if I did something wrong or hurt someone's feelings and I guess I expect too much of other people because of this. It is hard for me to comprehend that some people would willingly try to offend another person.
When I was in middle school, I was bullied relentlessly. Kids would tell me to kill myself because I was so fat, that I deserved to die. A few years later, I was diagnosed with PCOS, a hormonal disorder that makes it increasingly harder to lose weight. It also makes it difficult to have children if not treated properly. If left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to cervical, ovarian, or uterine cancer. Little did my bullies know they were making fun of me for having a disease that could kill me.
Political correctness is not a bad thing.
Saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" is not that big of a deal. They are two little words. There is only a one syllable difference. Why do people feel so outraged? There are a number of different holidays in the month of December, including Hanukkah. It is not as if there is a call to ban Christmas from being celebrated.
The true issue with our country this holiday season is not political correctness, it is a simple lack of respect and regard for our fellow human beings. Whether you believe in Christianity or not, we can all benefit from Mark 12:31 that read, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
This holiday season, spread kindness and love, not division and hatred. It only takes a few seconds out of your day to understand someone else's backstory and if you take the time to listen, you're not only giving them the gift of acceptance, they are also giving you the gift of understanding.
