Political Correctness

Political Correctness

The term "Political Correct" has been in the nation's vocabulary for only a short period of time but has changed the way that we view life and communicate with one another. Political correctness, politically correct, and P.C. are terms that refer, to a social idea that is characterized by efforts to redress, mainly by the use of language, real or supposed discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, nationality, disability or any other criteria that could offended a particular group .The main goal behind political correctness is to prevent the exclusion or the offending of people based upon differences or handicaps.

In an essay written by Michiko Kakutani entitled The Word Police , she examines the idea of political correctness and questions society for taking a good idea and making a mockery of it. Kakutani is quick to point out in her story that know one can argue that the moral idea's behind being political correct are wrong but that those in potions of authority have gone completely out of control trying to rewrite the view of the world in a rigid unyielding style that forces words and phrases into the minds of ever person in America. Groups like the MLA (Modern Language Association) have taken words that have been used for centuries and have created new ones overnight that are political correct and non offensive, the problem is that society is not prepared to be political correct overnight and who is to judge what should be changed and where the line for all this change should be drawn.

Kakutani points out many obscured changes that have occurred since the word police have begun enforcing changes to the terms we use. Phrase such as "charley horse", "lazy Susan", "bull market" and "Kaiser Roll" have all come under fire because they are now considered to be politically incorrect. When going to a restaurant you will no longer be using the term "Waiter" or Waitress" to address the person who serves your food since this is a complete prejudice attack on that individual, you will need to refer to that person as the "Waitron" so as not to offend. In fact all references to sexual orientation associated with any position or station life are to be removed from the words we speak and write, no longer can we use terms such as "lord" ,"king", "master" or " fellow" to describe a man, I'm not certain what the new words are to replaces these but I'm sure someone will catch me saying something like, " my friend is a nice fellow" and quickly set me straight for my blatant disregard of women and society as a whole. One of the figures that Kakutani points out in her story is writer by the name of Rosalie Maggio who is a top cop in the world of the word police, she is not only against words that imply gender she also is against anything that could imply race as well. Ms. Maggio points to phrases such as " black ball", black eye and "black mail" and tells society these terms are wrong and are offence to African American's, she informs us of the new "PC" terms to be "ostracize",