Sarah Saad’s column “We should respect each other through our language” is incredibly conscious of being respectful which, in many ways, is commendable. However, there is not enough of a rigorous examination of political correctness. I have to disagree with Sarah; political correctness is stupid. Let me explain.
Political correctness is an infringement on free speech, critical thought and discussion. I hate racist comments from Donald Trump and the disgusting rhetoric of rape advocate Roosh V as much as the next guy, but I don’t think these words should be banished. Look, you can quiet people all you want, you can fire people and you can call for legislation that silences, but that does not make the hate behind the words evaporate.
Speech lurks in murky waters because it is not quite an action — but it isn’t inaction either. Speech is very powerful, perhaps more so than actions, to use the cliché, but the hurt of a speech cannot be quantified in the same way as a physical blow. For this reason, it is a lot more dangerous to move toward banning types of speech. How do we deem what is offensive enough? Who gets left out of political correctness protection? Who gets to decide what speech is banned? I know “slippery slope” can be a silly argument, but I can’t help but see political correctness as kind of Orwellian.
Offensive speech plays a valuable role in social change and creating a conversation. Without the offenders I mentioned above, would we have had as rich discussions about racism, or women’s rights? Would there have been as aggressive a push to change the system? When speech is banned we are not able to see the other side of an issue — and it is valuable to see all sides, even if the side is horrific or uncomfortable. It allows us to rigorously examine our own views and prejudices as well as understand ways to modify the system. We have to “know our enemy,” so to speak.
Speech identifies problematic people. If someone says something improper then we can, as Sarah astutely suggested, educate them. If it is in fact a reasonable slip, we can criticize them, allowing a conversation and perhaps even a dismantling of their problematic attitudes. Political correctness breeds resentment which, if anything, stifles progress and proper equality. This doesn’t help prejudice at all — rather, it makes bigoted people more determined to spew their bile. Political correctness is a bandage for the actual system, with bleeding wounds.
We are living in a system that insidiously prejudices against groups, whether that system is education, the workforce, healthcare or the justice system. Banning words won’t change this and it won’t do much to change attitudes. People who hold offensive views will be ousted by their ability to speak and then, and only then, are we able to have a proper dialogue about the issues. There is, of course, the issue that not everyone has the same access to speech, and that some speech is more privileged than others. To briefly address this, this will not be helped by creating safe spaces through political correctness. Again, when people have better access to speech, this is an issue with the system. It can only be dismantled by changing the sociopolitical system completely. The individuals spouting hate are not the problem so much as the society that produces and reinforces such individuals.