When did the idea that society should be respectful and conscious of other groups of people become a poisonous suggestion?
Used as a snide jest, a sarcastic observation, or a thin-skinned standard for the hypersensitive millennial, "politically correct" is a term that has been re-branded as an overbearing restriction on our everyday interactions and, according to some politicians, detrimental to "real conversation and debate."
But what is it really?
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, politically correct is agreeing that "people should be careful not to use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people." Though arguably common sense, this concept is commonly contested as being hypersensitive and limiting to free speech, both of which are equally absurd.
The world is not thin-skinned simply because the new generations "are the most spoiled generation" and therefore cannot handle reality; unlike our parents and grandparents, generation Y and Z are the ones actually grappling with it.
There is a growing outspokenness from previously discriminated and marginalized groups of people and a new awareness that the current system is unjustly stacked against certain groups and individuals. Political correctness is acknowledging these issues that previous generations have simply dismissed or ignored altogether. Labeling issues of race, gender, and sexuality as being "overly sensitive" only serves as evidence of this. It is becoming less and less acceptable to use "not my problem" or "that's just the way things are" as an excuse for inaction or indifference, which should be seen as a positive development for the supposedly "inactive youth" of today compared to their baby boomer counterparts.
As for the restriction of language, this is true: being P.C. does have an effect on what we say and how we act. It prevents labeling an entire minority as a terrorist, thug, or job-stealing rapist. It does not allow for discrimination against an LGBTQ community, especially when more than 50 percent of teens identify as queer. And it does not justify misogyny and the sexualization of women. In other words, it does have a restrictive effect in regards to spreading bigotry and the denial of civil liberties.
The world has always been complex.
It is only recently that we've begun to see society in a much more revealing and honest lens. And while that presents more questions than answers, it is simply irresponsible to bastardize an ideal because it requires effort and change contrary to the methods and approaches of the past.
