I’m not going to lie, I used to really get annoyed when I was told to be “politically correct.” In talking about things and using proper terminology, I would roll my eyes at having to use the “correct terms.” To some, there is no importance to being politically correct, everyone just needs to stop getting so offended. To a person like me, a straight, white, able, middle-class woman, I have little to be offended by. However some are not as lucky as I am and have many more words and sayings target them for things they cannot control or are born with, and to them, words are more offensive than we can understand.

Let’s take Donald Trump for example (just because I love to pick on him). A lot of voters like him because he says whatever he wants with no filter and doesn’t care who he offends. Because who cares, right? Well, let’s take a step back and look at who says these offensive things and who he is offending. Donald Trump is a heterosexual, white, able, Christian man. He is the norm. There is not a word out there that degrades him for being exactly what he is. He has never truly been offended by being who he is, who he was born as. He is heterosexual, so people are not against his right to get married. There are not words like “faggot” and “dyke” out there to degrade him just on his sexual preference. He is white, so there are not words like the “n” word to demean him just for the color of skin. Also because he is white, there are not negative racial profiles against him that aren’t justified, for example a mass shooter is excused for his actions due to his “mental illness.” He is able. He has no disabilities, physical or mental. But he has the freedom to live do things on his own. Simple tasks are not troubling to him such as going up and down stairs and getting a job. There are not words like “retarded” that degrade him because of his ability. He is also a Christian, so he believes he has the right to degrade other religions that aren’t the norm. He is free to sport a crucifix without people fearing he will bomb an airplane. The fact that Donald Trump simply is a man also gives him an advantage over others. He is not sexualized for being a man, he is not degraded for being a man, and there aren’t words like “bitch” or “slut” that demean him just for his gender. Those, like Trump, who do not care about offending others, have never truly been offended themselves for things that they cannot control.

I think people need to step back and examine their privilege before they offend people. Before words are thrown around about someone because of their race or sexual orientation, think of your race and sexual preference. Has someone ever called you the “n” word based on your skin color or negatively racial profiled you? Has your right to get married ever been denied? If you answered no, don’t say anything. Those who have been offended by these things are the ones fighting to stop the use of these words, and no one has the right to tell them to stop being so sensitive. We really do need to watch our words and what they mean, and who they offend. Maybe the problem is not those who are getting offended, but those who don’t care about who they offend. Just because I am not easily offended, that does not mean are not as well. It's not hard to be tolerant of others by watching your words.