Politically Correct

Someone once said 'Life is hard for us all, why make it harder?'

Personal rights and freedoms, especially of speech and the free flow of ideas and information in all its forms, are important. There is a lot of objections about being PC (Politically Correct), how such a thing is intolerable and how it is ruining our society. PC is not new; it is an ancient concept under a new name. All cultures have rules both written and unwritten. All societies have their general expectations regarding standards of behavior. All social creatures exist with one another because they live by rules. To exist in a society of ones peers it is, in fact, imperative that people learn and take into account those around them. To consider others around you has always been offered as ageless sage advice.

It’s the golden rule and something similar to it exists in most if not all cultures and it is considered to be one of the highest and universal truths. It is passed down through history and is the basis to all ethical and moral codes. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. This simple rule applies to all aspects of human behavior. Would you like to have your life taken? No? Then don’t take a life. Do you value your belongings and don’t want them to be stolen? Then don’t steal the belongings of others. Do you like to be physically or verbally abused? No? Most people don’t. Then why would you do this to others? Do you like people attacking or belittling your religious faith, your political views, your sexuality, your station in life, your education, your ethnicity, your personal opinions, your height, or your weight? Few do.

Most people have some measure of conscience; they are able to feel some form of empathy for fellow human beings. In general it is our conscience and empathy that enforces the Golden Rule and when we slip, it is what causes feelings of guilt and remorse. A guilty conscience is simply a sign that you have somehow wronged someone. If you have never suffered a guilty conscience then you are either perfect or a psychopath.

Political Correctness is just a new label for ‘Do onto others’ for a new time sculpted by a smaller world. Today people of all religions, cultures and political leanings must often live and work side by side, particularly in the west due to a comparative high respect for human rights and freedoms. Because of this the populations have become quite diverse. With a change in the make-up of a population come shifts in social norms. Such shifts are often seen as threats to status quo. Such shifts are always met by resistance and accompanied by conflict.

People who seem to think they should be able to say whatever they like with no consequences hold the concept of Political Correctness in contempt. They must be able to make the basest accusations; they don’t have to be true as long as someone believes it. They just fling cr*p against the wall and whatever sticks is true, or might as well be. They communicate in the most abrasive, antagonistic and insulting way and when people object they will lament their persecution at the hands of the oppressive PC thugs. We are guaranteed the freedom to speak our minds however we wish but we are not guaranteed protection from public opinion.

Political Correctness is ever changing and reflects what is generally viewed as acceptable by a society at a given time. Although it can be taken to the extreme like anything else, it often seems to simply mean having some common sense; taking into account those around you. It requires that people take at least a modicum of care to be thoughtful in their communication and treatment of others. It is a wish not to make a hard life any harder by ones careless actions and words.