Just some random thoughts on what the heck it is we actually mean by "political correctness".
It seems to be that there are two quite distinct meanings to the term, but both can be legitimate. The first is just basically being nice to people and not trying to insult them on the basis of whatever group it is they happen to belong to. The second is what crops up typically in right-wing newspapers, and means something like, "walking on eggshells", as though your own true feelings should always be kept back in the 1950's, you racist bastard : essentially, being nice to people and not insulting them even for legitimate reasons.
Take, for example, the annual silly story that Christmas lights are to be renamed "winter lights" out of fear of offending Muslims / Hindus / Buddhists / Russell Brand, whatever. If this did happen, the ethnic or religious minority would have been granted too much respect : Christmas lights are Christmas lights, and no-one in their right mind would be offended by calling a spade a spade. And guess what ? The vast majority of said ethno-religious minority are people in their right minds, and don't give a flying Queenly poop what Christmas lights are called. It's not politically "correct" at all, it's politically cuckoo.
https://astrorhysy.blogspot.com/2016/05/politically-correct-or-politically.html
There's a third, older, version: not saying things that will offend your audience. Not mentioning gun control at an NRA meeting was politically correct. Like many things usage has changed.
ReplyDeleteYep, I mention that version in the link. In the NRA case I would say it would be politically correct not to talk about gun control at an NRA meeting, but politically cuckoo never to talk about it at all. A time and a place, and all that.
ReplyDeleteThe only people who really have an agenda when it comes to what christmas lights are called and not saying Merry Christmas are usually Christians who feel the unspoken power they have had for decades slipping away from them. This way they can portray themselves as victims and feel as if their beliefs are vindicated by being "persecuted."
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