As far as buzzwords go, “political correctness” is definitely a phrase that has been popularly used in the past year. Ask any Trump supporter why they’re voting to make America great again, and they’ll say it’s because he’s “real” and doesn’t subscribe to the whole “politically correct” nonsense. As more and more people become adversaries to this particular concept, then, I have to ask: why are so many people against PC culture?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines political correctness as “the idea that people should be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people.” It sounds like a pretty reasonable request; don’t say something that could offend others. It’s as simple as that! However, many people have argued against political correctness by saying it goes against the United States’ first amendment—the freedom of speech.
In addition to it being an infringement on our rights, PC culture also apparently takes away from our education. In August of 2016, the University of Chicago was scrutinized for its refusal to create safe spaces or have trigger warnings available for their incoming students. Like most of the American population, the university appears to believe the idea that PC culture creates a “hypersensitive” group of people who can take offense to any- and everything.
Despite popular opinion in politics, the education system and in the general population, political correctness strives to do nothing but create a safe environment in which all members of society feel welcome. PC culture does not aim to strip people of their rights as American citizens; it calls for a social modification of our language and behavior, not a legal one. Nobody is going to throw you in jail for being rude and disrespectful, so your freedom is still very much in tact.
PC culture only wants to rid our society of the harmful rhetoric that people perpetuate even in 2016, people who believe that their freedom of speech allows them to oppress and dehumanize others. Free speech does not equal hate speech, and our rights to speak openly without fear of government intervention should not be our only defense when our words or actions are criticized. Nobody will get mad at you for reaffirming your freedom of speech. People will be upset, however, when you use that right to justify your harmful and inappropriate words.
Political correctness does not make people hypersensitive or more prone to taking offense to certain language or behavior—it addresses issues that have always been seen as offensive, albeit perhaps not publicly so. So, when you constantly declare your right to speak freely, PC culture is the platform that gives others their right to address issues they might find offensive. PC culture encourages us to promote a loving and welcoming society for everybody of all ages, genders and ethnicities by rejecting the inappropriate rhetoric that we talk in today, rhetoric that no country should have to accept.
Donald Trump isn’t being “real” when he calls women pigs, dogs and disgusting animals—he is being offensive not only to the women he is referring to, but women everywhere. The University of Chicago isn’t being “real,” either, when they refuse to give their college students access to spaces on campus where they can feel safe—they are choosing to ignore the mental health and stability of their students. And people aren’t being oppressed or censored when PC culture says that their words or actions are not appropriate. They are being taught that their harmful and unacceptable rhetoric is just that—unacceptable.
Political correctness is not synonymous with oppression. Instead, it serves to remove the oppressive aspects of our culture that still repress many members of society today. PC culture aims to create a society in which all members, rather than only the top tier, feel welcome—what is wrong with that? Political correctness is the instrument that is leading us to a more accepting and loving society, and those who cannot live their lives while being politically correct are a part of the very problem that PC culture is trying to address.