Ask any Trump supporter why they like him so much and the answer is usually something along the lines of “he says what he thinks” or “he doesn’t talk like a politician.” With the rise of all the anti-political correctness associated with his campaign I’m forced to ask the world: what is so bad about being politically correct? Some arguments I’ve heard say it restricts free speech, and to that I say: there are no lawful restrictions on saying what you feel, only social ones. So no, it doesn’t have anything to do with the First Amendment unless someone wanted to yell “FIRE” in a crowded theater. Free speech does not equal hate speech. I personally have never felt the need to censor myself, I just have enough respect for other human beings not to think such hateful thoughts, or at the very least, express them out loud. Consideration and human decency shouldn’t warrant a counter movement. If “talking like a politician” means respecting your constituents then why is it viewed so negatively? If tiptoeing around a subject has ever seemed necessary, a little education on the topic may allow the speaker to more freely and confidently discuss the topic. The anti-PC movement is not a license to be ignorant or a green light to release whatever hateful, bigoted comments that reside in the darkest part of the brain. But legally, there’s nothing stopping anyone from saying these things, just check the YouTube comments section.
So where do we draw the line between what is politically correct and what’s just correct?
PC culture spans far beyond the reign of politics. There’s a negative stigma on Tumblr surrounding social justice warriors (SJWs) and trigger warnings emphasizing a “hypersensitive” populus. Just last month the University of Chicago came under fire for telling incoming students that they do not support the idea of “trigger warnings” or “safe spaces”. I understand that the world isn’t made of rainbows and unicorns and that not everyone agrees on everything. We’ve all had unique lives and experiences that subject us to be offended by different things. I am well aware, University of Chicago, that we cannot control what is subjective. What we can control is how that rhetoric influences the agenda for the upcoming election.
Both sides are guilty of mudslinging, although, “basket of deplorables” is a lot more tame than whatever spews out of Donald Trump’s mouth at any given minute. But what is truly dangerous about the anti-PC movement is that it has already imbedded itself in policy and promises. The “infamous wall”, flip-flopping on same-sex marriage and abortion, derogatory comments towards women, working mothers, and veterans all contribute to his campaign promises. With one debate under our belts, the election finally feels real. Trump was called out multiple times on the debate stage for his misogynistic comments and hateful rhetoric, things that cannot be swept under the rug when casting our votes this November. Our President must represent us to other nations and be tolerant with their diplomats, above all they must be respected or else nothing will get done. Global powers will not want to negotiate with a joke, no less, a joke who constantly insults them. Political correctness is much more than just safe spaces and bigotry to the President of the United States. It’s diplomatic relations, social issues, and human rights.
Political correctness is not a repressive force, but the opposite, a way to build a harmonious and respectful community; something that I didn’t even have to think about until this election cycle, it was just an innate decency toward other human beings. Freedom of speech is a right, and I will fight to protect that right even if it insults me, but hateful speech is a choice. And this November I will chose, as I always have, love and respect.
