Does political correctness do more harm than good?

bumcum

Political correctness is just an attempt to suppress free speech. The sooner political correctness is discarded into the trash bin of history, the better.

lilactree201

As a Uni student I feel like if politically correct language is something you want to use, PC opinions the opinions you want to advocate for, fine that's your choice, no problem. The problem is this is about more than politeness or sensitivity, it is censoring not just words but also opinions. When you start codifying it and enforcing it on other people, as is happening on some campuses, it becomes authoritarian :police: and intolerant of dissent. Like who gave you the authority to decide what can be said/who can speak? You're not only taking away the opportunity of the speaker you are also robbing everyone else who wanted to listen and decide for themselves. Basically taking control for your own viewpoint. I've always thought myself leftist but can't side with ppl who want to control language or shout down others you disagree with, that's just illiberal.

Gay comedian Dave Rubin has a great youtube channel where he interviews guests about this kinda stuff, if anyone is interested. "The Rubin Report"

altoids582

@Valicore:

The idea that political correctness is a bad thing is so ridiculous, political correctness is nothing other than society evolving into people being more sensitive and generally better people in terms of how they treat others. This is something you can see in higher education now, the LANGUAGE that people use is directly correlating with the way that they treat other people. As a linguist I can say that the words we use and the way we express themselves have a lasting impact on the way we think and the way we treat other people, so it's important to do that.

"people being more sensitive" to what? "generally better people" to who?

There are people sensitive to clapping. I'm not even kidding. There are people that feel it's just too much for them to have people clap in an audience and to be more sensitive to their needs, they do JAZZ HANDS.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/24/feminist-conference-says-clapping-triggers-anxiety/

And generally better people to who? Many of those preaching for Political Correctness use their own deranged definitions to say that men cannot be raped and instead just "victims of non-consensual sex". Language certainly does affect people when they believe in these strange PC definitions, but that's not a positive thing when it means those people using that language are wanting to write off any sort of harassment or bigotry that doesn't support their world view. To many of those that say that all gay men are inherently sexist and hate women as evidenced by their lack of interest in dicking them, it is "being more sensitive" to ask gay men to recognize that they're inherently misogynistic.

PC language has hindered a lot of discussion such as occurred on Bill Maher's show recently:
Youtube Video

In the clip, Maher talks about how a large minority of Muslims are supporting wretched things like honor killings of rape victims. The horribly politically correct woman constantly tries to ignore this and say "diversity is our strength" (rings a bit of 1984 with that) and whenever anything is brought up about this portion of Muslims supporting horrific things, she ends up implying it's wrong to talk about it because she thinks if you criticize a portion it means criticizing the whole.

The Foundation for individual Rights in Education (FIRE) seems to encounter people using PC culture to censor people as well as demand others agree with them or else.

Youtube Video

I also have to mention, that many of those that preach for PC culture are often quite supportive of harassing others, which I wouldn't think of as being a "better person".

http://www.stopthegrbullies.com/2015/03/19/fionna-free-mans-book-pulled-from-amazon/

There's quite a few members of the PC police that find their delicate sensibilities offended, will go out and engage in campaigns to get books censored. Even Anne Rice has commented on this phenomena. Thing is, they often get upset with things that don't even exist in those books. Likely because of the echo chamber around political correct groups they do not allow for any information that contradicts them to enter the picture. Which is the root problem with political correctness, it creates echo chambers where no 'wrongthink' can enter.

raphjd

There's a huge difference between being polite and being PC.

amicusets

Bravo, Altoids528!!! :love: :love: :love:
PC is used to stifle free speech and differing opinions in most instances and used as a way to shame others. No place for it in a free society.

Matie

I hate it. Generally it has been a way for women to control speech, to thereby passively aggressively dominate men

raphjd

@Matie:

I hate it. Generally it has been a way for women to control speech, to thereby passively aggressively dominate men

It's not just women who use it. The entire regressive Left, Social Justice Warriors and Feminists use it, regardless of their gender.

kumar777

Have a look at the political correctness of dissociating ISIS with islam. These quranimals all are blood thirsty and intolerant of everyone except their fellow goat fuckers. the world would be a lot safer and peaceful with this cancer called islam gone.

Matie

True, all SJWs use political correctness to suppress speech they don't like. Mansplaining is out, if your a white male then your speech doesn't count, apparently. Although female feminists (male feminists is a bit of a contradiction in terms. although there are some self hating males in the world) seem to be at the apex of the hierarchy and try to censor speech most vehemently, with their passive aggressive vitriol

kwyjibo

There is no place for censorship in society.

gaypraha2

There is no place for censorship in society.

Well in my society thank god there is. we think total freedom of speech like in the US is just irresponsible. Therefore we have laws to prosecute any racist, antisemitic, homophobic, negationism. (anyone saying for instance jews werent killed in germany during WWII on twitter, facebook you name it goes immediately to a court of law, anyone saying this human race is superior to this one, anyone asking to kill all people from a country , an ethnic group, insults with racism, insult with homophobic theme) There is no debate on basic universal human rights and so no freedom of speech on these subjects. We have a special police department for the internet and anyone can submit screen capture of anything that is related to the subjects I described above.
Trump for saying that ISIS = all muslims would be immediately prosecuted. Humans are fragile, "Homo homini lupus est" most of them have low IQ, most of them dont read a thing, they are easily manipulated therefore political correctness , yes it's bad but to some point it's diplomacy. see how the germans went nuts yesterday with their hitler..and they were educated.. some rules are needed to avoid a "new" hitler/ben laden [insert the name of a crazy dictator] to freely express himself.