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A recent letter to the editor was critical of “political correctness,” claiming that it was a form of censorship. The writer feared that “well-meaning citizens … do not realize the damage that this harmful practice is causing our society and future generations.”
I agree with the writer of the letter that damage is being done, but political correctness is not the cause. In its simplest form, political correctness tries to inject civility into political expression. Some people have a problem with that, but I think most of us have had it with the tone of political debate in America today. (It really can't be called “debate,” can it?) Most of us are disgusted with the level of political expression today. Just look at the current level of bickering over health care reform! What's missing is not political expression. No, there's plenty of that. What's missing is a maturity that tempers political expression. Yelling at each other might be considered political expression, but does it have any value for the rest of us? Does it solve any problems? Does it make us a stronger, healthier county?
I'm a strong believer in freedom of expression and political correctness. The First Amendment is vitally important — that's why it's first! We all benefit by a lively exchange of ideas. You put forth your ideas and I mine. Theoretically, we put them out there in the “marketplace of ideas” where the better idea is “purchased.” That was the vision of the Founding Fathers.
Today, however, the “marketplace” is threatened, not by political correctness but by an across-the-board loss of political civility. People yell at each other; they don't listen. People don't search for competing views to balance against their own. People don't engage in debate with a carefully honed argument while still keeping an open mind in order to learn from the other person's point of view. People watch news that reinforces their already-held views. People don't want to learn, they want to be reinforced. People want to win and, if it takes distortion and manipulation to do so, they will employ those tools and never think twice (or even once, for that matter) about it. It seems that in America today the winning argument is the loudest argument or the argument backed by the most money. That was not the vision of the Founding Fathers. Free speech and free thinking leading to a better country sounds great, but I'm doubtful that is practiced much in America today.
Political correctness is needed now more than ever. Just consider what goes on during an election campaign. We demonize our opponents. We attack them and their families. We question their motives. We pry into their pasts in hopes of discovering something salacious or damaging. We cut them to pieces and then revel in their demise. And we do all of this for what purpose? Not to advance the vision of the Founding Fathers.
Freedom of expression is essential, but what good is it if the tone of expression is so vitriolic? The bile that passes for political expression today repulses most of us; it changes few, if any, minds. It is expression for expression's sake and its value most often ends there. While freedom of expression is important to an individual, its true and lasting value is social. Only when our ideas can be expressed to others in an atmosphere of mutual respect can we have any hope that they will be heard. Only then can those ideas ever change another person's mind. Yelling at each other doesn't work. We need to turn down the heat of political expression and, yes, practice some political correctness.
I agree with the writer of the letter that damage is being done, but political correctness is not the cause. In its simplest form, political correctness tries to inject civility into political expression. Some people have a problem with that, but I think most of us have had it with the tone of political debate in America today. (It really can't be called “debate,” can it?) Most of us are disgusted with the level of political expression today. Just look at the current level of bickering over health care reform! What's missing is not political expression. No, there's plenty of that. What's missing is a maturity that tempers political expression. Yelling at each other might be considered political expression, but does it have any value for the rest of us? Does it solve any problems? Does it make us a stronger, healthier county?
I'm a strong believer in freedom of expression and political correctness. The First Amendment is vitally important — that's why it's first! We all benefit by a lively exchange of ideas. You put forth your ideas and I mine. Theoretically, we put them out there in the “marketplace of ideas” where the better idea is “purchased.” That was the vision of the Founding Fathers.
Today, however, the “marketplace” is threatened, not by political correctness but by an across-the-board loss of political civility. People yell at each other; they don't listen. People don't search for competing views to balance against their own. People don't engage in debate with a carefully honed argument while still keeping an open mind in order to learn from the other person's point of view. People watch news that reinforces their already-held views. People don't want to learn, they want to be reinforced. People want to win and, if it takes distortion and manipulation to do so, they will employ those tools and never think twice (or even once, for that matter) about it. It seems that in America today the winning argument is the loudest argument or the argument backed by the most money. That was not the vision of the Founding Fathers. Free speech and free thinking leading to a better country sounds great, but I'm doubtful that is practiced much in America today.
Political correctness is needed now more than ever. Just consider what goes on during an election campaign. We demonize our opponents. We attack them and their families. We question their motives. We pry into their pasts in hopes of discovering something salacious or damaging. We cut them to pieces and then revel in their demise. And we do all of this for what purpose? Not to advance the vision of the Founding Fathers.
Freedom of expression is essential, but what good is it if the tone of expression is so vitriolic? The bile that passes for political expression today repulses most of us; it changes few, if any, minds. It is expression for expression's sake and its value most often ends there. While freedom of expression is important to an individual, its true and lasting value is social. Only when our ideas can be expressed to others in an atmosphere of mutual respect can we have any hope that they will be heard. Only then can those ideas ever change another person's mind. Yelling at each other doesn't work. We need to turn down the heat of political expression and, yes, practice some political correctness.
