I would like to start off by saying that most anything can be good to an extent, and political correctness as it was once intended was actually a good thing. Political correctness is, in a sense, the belief that certain language and practices should be eliminated if they offend certain groups of people. With such a broad definition, there is a lot of room for misuse and misinterpretation. The problem I see with what political correctness has become is not that I think we should be able to say every single word that pops into our heads without thinking first, but rather that we shouldn’t have to censor our every word in order to make sure nobody is offended, because in today’s society anything you say is at risk of offending someone.
Of course there are certain instances where things really aren’t okay to say or do. You should not use derogatory terms to describe people, ever. That should be obvious, although I know it is not to everyone. People do need to learn to be respectful of others, but people also need to understand that sometimes, things are said or done with absolutely no intent to offend or harm someone else.
Nowadays, there are so many different things that offend people. Who knew that a Halloween costume could stir up so much controversy? Yes, people should be somewhat conscious when deciding on a costume, but it is a holiday where for one night of the year, you are able to pretend to be something you’re not. So as long as you’re not wearing a costume to be rude, what’s wrong with wearing the cute Pocahontas costume you saw? You’re not wearing it to make fun of Native Americans, so why is it so wrong?
Since when did saying “Merry Christmas” become a bad thing? There is an effort for people to start saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” in order to include every religion during the holiday season. But the thing is, the people saying this aren’t saying it to make people of other religious affiliations feel uncomfortable, they are saying it because it is the holiday they celebrate during this time of year. I wouldn’t be offended if a Jewish person wished me a happy Hanukah. Saying “Merry Christmas” isn’t forcing your religion on someone, it’s simply a way of celebrating a holiday that you enjoy, and it shouldn’t be something that causes so much controversy.
Why are we punishing teachers and students for mentioning their religion in a school? Mentioning God, or any other religion you are a part of, should be okay in a school as long as you are not forcing someone to believe what you believe or telling them that your beliefs are the truth. I believe that you should be able to freely state what you believe in. That is one of our rights after all, isn’t it?
How are we getting so upset over the fact that other people have dreadlocks? So what if a white person has dreads? They are not doing it to make fun of any culture. In fact, many cultures have ties to dreadlocks, including Egyptian and Germanic cultures, as well as African cultures. People do not wear their hair in dreadlocks to intentionally upset anyone, they do it because they like the way it looks. Of course there are instances of cultural appropriation, but this is not an example of that. Besides, if we want to be treated equally, we need to stop saying that other people can’t celebrate in our cultures due to their skin tones.
Are we really letting students decide which bathroom they want to use for fear of making someone who doesn’t feel they were born with the right body parts feel like they are at a disadvantage? Of course we want everyone to feel safe, supported, and included, but there is a purpose for having different restrooms for people with different body parts. It is not a way to make transgender people feel uncomfortable, but rather a way to make people feel comfortable using a restroom where people have the same anatomy as them.
What is this “safe space” that some colleges are starting to enforce? And how on earth can we all be in a space where we can “fully relax and express ourselves” if everything anyone says can offend someone else?
In a society like the one we have created for ourselves, there is a constant fear of saying the wrong thing and upsetting someone else. We have built a society where instead of freedom of speech, we feel constant censorship. Our language is being sanitized in order to not offend anyone. But in doing this, we are losing our ability to think and speak freely.
As humans, we do need to honor cultural identity. But in a place like America, where we are a melting pot of different cultures, who says that it isn’t okay to celebrate and blend different cultures together, welcoming everyone and experiencing everything together. Isn’t that part of the American Dream?
Maybe this is the unpopular opinion, or maybe the masses are just too afraid to voice their own opinions anymore, afraid that in doing so they will offend someone or be condemned for their own thoughts. As long as something is done without malice or the intention to harm someone physically or emotionally, we as a society need to stop over reacting about such crazy, illogical things and accept that we are all humans.
Political correctness has gone from an attempt towards equality, to a way to separate us even more. The sad thing is, most people don’t even see it. People now worry so much about offending others with words that they are unable to say exactly what they feel. Even writing this article, I tried to be careful not to offend anyone, although we all know that would be impossible. Everyone has become so easily offended, and because of this, I am offended by political correctness.
