I have an unpopular opinion.

I keep seeing all kinds of memes and pictures posted saying that people are "too offended" these days. That they're a bunch of "liberal whiners," and that "just because you're offended doesn't make you right," that you're stomping on other people's toes by saying that something is offensive and "people have the right to say whatever they want."

Well, I think that just because you're not offended, that doesn't make you right, either.

Political correctness is really nothing more than respecting people who are different from you. Typically, the people I see who are the quickest to say that people are "too offended these days" fit into at least two of these categories: white, straight, and/or male. This is because they don't need to be offended, because jokes and stereotypes typically aren't made about them. But occasionally you will see a joke made about them, and then they do get angry very quickly, saying you're stereotyping and turning the tables and you're wrong. It's funny how that works.

It's true. Being offended doesn't automatically make you right, but not being offended doesn't automatically make you right, either. And it's ultimately up to the people who the comment affects or is about as to whether it's offensive; you can't decide a gay joke isn't offensive when you're straight just because it's convenient for you and you don't want to think about other people's feelings for five seconds. Empathy is required to examine why something might have hurt someone and to change your actions or words to respect that person.

This is the thing people don't seem to get: that it's not selfish to want to be treated with respect, it's selfish to demand that people are OK with not being treated with respect. It's selfish to want to say whatever you want with no repercussions because because you don't want to consider the other side of the story. It's very easy to say "people are too offended these days" and scoff at other people's feelings; it's much harder to be vulnerable and admit that maybe you actually did hurt someone with what you said, and maybe you actually need to think about it.

I do agree there is a balance and some people take it too far. But it's a balance, and you don't get free reign to say whatever you'd like because you don't care about other people's feelings. Freedom of speech covers the government's right to not impede what you're saying, not other people's right to call you out for saying something offensive or rude.

It's a challenge to take the other side and realize that you might have hurt someone; I admit that. It actually takes a great deal of strength to look at yourself and admit you have hurt someone and ask what you could do to change. But the alternative of continuing to mock or deride people different from yourself, and mock them further when they are hurt, is far worse.