Is political correctness dying or growing stronger?

Political correctness is hard to define, but like the man said, "I know it when I see it." I suppose if you need a strict definition at this point in time you are probably making trouble, but let's provisionally note that it generally invovles attempts to change language and restrict speech; obsessive concern with "identity politics" (race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, otherly-ableness, etc. -- who you are rather than what you do); tabooing of certain lines of inquiry, knee-jerk promotion of anything non-white, non-straight, and non-male as a matter of course; an ideology generally drawn from the "cultural left"; eruptions of righteous anger over the use of the "wrong" term for one of the "special" groups, and so on.

So...my question is...is this trend growing or dying? It first seemed to set in in earnest in the 1990s or perhaps laate 1980s..has it run its course? Or is it just getting warmed up? On the internet I see a lot of non-politically-correct discourse that one never sees in public; I assume this represents people's festering natural reactions to having their speech and thought curtailed by the demands of political correcness. But are the Internet people representative of a large groundswell in normal society, or are they small in number relative to the big picture?

I honestly don't know which direction the trend is headed, so I'm asking for your opinions, ATS.

reply to post by Never Despise


Just getting warmed up. Remember that school where children are forbidden from identifying classmates as boys or girls?

reply to post by Never Despise


I think it's just as strong as it has been in recent years, the Progressive movement has only expanded. Hell this year the local schools banned Halloween because "not everyone celebrates it" and instead have "harvest festivals". They can't even talk about Pilgrims and Indians for Thanksgiving. They won't stop until we have no cultural identities to differentiate ourselves by, they would rather see us all in blue overcoats with matching lunch boxes in neat orderly lines on our way to Government approved jobs.

I think it is unfortunately at full steam.

I do my best to NOT be politically correct. It actually offfends me.

I hope it dies off while I'm still kicking.

It still going strong...Canada somewhat recently reworded ombudsman to ombudsperson, even though ombudsman is a non gender specific word. Sometimes it goes to far. We are quick to change words (and much more) on the complaints of a few over the opinions of the majority.

When it comes to degrading words and how we keep changing them, for example, retarded - handicapped- special - disabled, it doesn't matter how many times you change the word, the current form will be used as a derogatory word.

reply to post by Rockpuck


Also, do not leave out Christmas. We are no longer allowed to call it that. It is now "The Holidays".

I agree, it's going at full momentum, thankfully I teach my kids properly unlike the schools. I also feel it offends me too, where I don't feel I can be proud of who I am and what I believe, where everyone that is a "minority" are told to be proud of who they are and what they believe, it really is set up to divide us as a whole. We have specific laws and views set up to separate us as a community.

reply to post by Stompbox


You took the words right out of my mouth!

Star for you my friend!

I do not think it has subsided but it has come under attack by more and more people who are sick and tired of political correctness. In the 1990s the only people who would want to say anything politically incorrect, especially where a lot of people could hear, were the Evangelicals but now it has grown to a very large segment of the working class and rants about it have broken out already.

The more we fight back the harder they will try to use PC but in the end only one can win this war of speech and thought; may the best man win.

"There’s a politically correct coalition to change the words of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” but they can’t decide whether they should call it, “Rudolph the Differently Disabled Reindeer” or “Rudolph the Recovering-Alcoholic Reindeer-American.”

www.dailyrepublic.com...

OK, so the above author was joking, but this PhD who wrote a book titled, "No More Bullies at the North Pole" isn't.....

"Some of the main characters in the DVD version of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer were completely wrong in their treatment of the little reindeer who had been born with a red nose. And Hermey, the elf who wanted to be a dentist, was bullied and ridiculed by the other elves. And the Misfit Toys? Banished to a far island, never to be given to any girl or boy to be loved."

"George Giuliani, a Ph.D. Psychologist, has written a book, No More Bullies At The North Pole, which addresses the unfair behavior at the North Pole. Teachers and parents of children ages 5-12 should find this book a valuable resource for pointing out such concepts as bullying, rejection, conformity, sexism, favoritism, mocking, hypocritical behavior, misuse of authority, bullying and exclusion."

"In No More Bullies At The North Pole, Momma Claus takes a stand and points out the inappropriate behavior of Santa and others at the North Pole. Santa had not realized how very unfair things were for those who were considered different. He then formulated ten new rules which would stop unfair behavior at the North Pole forever. What a wonderful way for children to learn appropriate behavior."

"The story has a very happy ending with all children being included!"

learningaboutbullying.com...

We're getting to a point where no one is going to be able to cope with reality before it's over!!!