Black Lives Matter has become one of the most successful social movements since the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Their rhetoric, far from PC, put them in the cross-hairs of Law enforcement and legislators, labeling BLM a hate group. Even with that label, they are one of the most influential human rights groups in the post-civil rights ear.
“ Political Correctness makes bigots harder to spot, which creates a pleasant illusion that society is progressing” The Onion
During
the elections of 2016, I remember an NPR live broadcast; the
interviewer asked a woman who called in regarding the polls, who might
get her vote. She answered by saying, she voted for Barack Obama twice,
but thought she would vote for Donald Trump this time.
She continued to
say, “I don’t like Donald Trump, and I can’t believe I’m thinking of
voting for him. “Your reasoning, he asked?” I’m just so sick and tired
of "Political Correctness" and of having to push (1) to speak English in
our English-speaking country. Political Correctness began with good
intentions but has become excessive and problematic.
“Eighty percent of Americans believe Political Correctness has gone too far and now creates more problems than it solves.”
“Eighty-five
percent of Participants in interviews and focus groups said they’re
afraid if they use the wrong word choices, they’ll suffer serious social
sanctions.”
A story comes to mind
It
was late afternoon; the coffeehouse was quiet. A friend walked in to
buy coffee and stay for a little conversation. He began to tell me about
his first visit to the Mohegan Sun Casino. Just as he started his
story, Jim, a customer of mine, walked in and ordered. He leaned against the door frame to
wait for his coffee.
Michael began to go into detail about his
night. “Lu, what a wild place, the interior decorated in an Indian
motif, they dressed all the employees in Indian Costumes. We strolled
around the lobby for a while then decided to have a drink, walking into
the bar a waitress approached us to ask what we’d like, she was dressed as a
squaw.”
In
the corner of my eye, I noticed a pained expression on Jim's face; it replaced the lovely smile of a few moments before. I
asked him what made him wince? “Lu, I don’t want to embarrass your
friend or upset you.” "Jim my coffeehouse is about respecting people and listening to their stories, please let us know what pained you." With that, he then shared that
he is half Cherokee, and the term “Squaw” is a painful ethnic slur.
We thanked him for sharing important information, and Michael apologized for his offensive word choice.
In
the case of Trump, a serial offender of PC, his hateful speech
illuminates his ignorance, racism and sexism. We know the limitlessness
of his hate, and what he’s about, as heartbreaking as his words are to
hear, he can’t hide.
"Every time Trump said something “outrageous” commentators suggested he
had finally crossed a line and that his campaign was now doomed. But
time and again, Trump supporters made it clear that they liked him
because he wasn’t afraid to say what he thought. Fans praised the way
Trump talked much more often than they mentioned his policy proposals.
He tells it like it is, they said. He speaks his mind. He is not
politically correct. Moira Weigel, The Guardian
The far right has become skilled at using the term Political Correctness to drive a wedge between the working class and what it calls the Liberal Elite."
"Trump’s incessant repetition of the phrase has led many writers since
the election to argue that the secret to his victory was a backlash
against excessive “political correctness.” Moira Weigel, Guardian
If
our words offend someone, and we listen to understand why those words
are offensive, we learn something. We replace “Politically Correct with
“Respect.” Prefacing a statement, trying to remember which words are
safe to use before we speak, is unnatural and may limit our creative
freedoms.
This topic will be of great importance in the 2020 election year.
