Politically correct is not factually correct, in my opinion, nor can it be. Why? Because political correctness is based on emotions, feelings, and personal beliefs, not facts. Yet, political correctness continues to be widely promoted and pushed by the mainstream media and a large segment of our political class. As with so many topics and issues in America, I believe that political correctness deserves to be challenged, vetted, and brought into the light of day, so that everyone can see that it is illogical, irrational, and counter to common sense.
Politically Correct: A Definition
In keeping with the wise dictates of Socrates, let us first define the term. In its simplest form, political correctness is “…the belief that language and practices that could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated….” This definition is from the online Merriam Webster Dictionary.
The critical phrase in that sentence is political sensibilities. That should be a red flag for every American citizen who believes in free speech.
Some Discussion Points
Any discussion of political correctness should prompt many questions; at least to me, it should. When was it first used, by whom, and why? What does it mean? Why is this term even necessary in a free society, especially in America, a country that values free speech so highly?
Ideas, all ideas, should be debated openly and without favor in a free society. No idea, concept, or opinion should get a free ride. We should have open minds, but our freedom as individuals trumps the forced feeding of ideas from whatever source, especially by the educational system or the Federal Government. We should all be seekers of truth because that should be one of the primary aims of living a purposeful life. The critical perspective here is that everyone deserves to be taught how to think, not what to think.
From my reading of history, political correctness, in its most extreme form, is tantamount to brainwashing or political propaganda. What examples did we see in the 20th Century, when egregious political correctness reared its ugly head? I can readily recall three examples: Stalin and his show trials in Soviet Russia in the 1930s, the re-education camps of Mao Zedong and his successors in China, and the torture and brainwashing of American prisoners of war in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
I do not want to live in a country that political correctness holds sway. It corrupts our language, our thinking, and our institutions. In my opinion, we should choke it at its source by pushing back with reasoned arguments or counterexamples.
Call To Action
Here is the call to action: push back against political correctness at every opportunity. Do not be afraid. You are on the right side of truth, history, and morality!
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