Politically Correct

The following tweet by Byron Clark went viral:
“I set up my web browser to automatically change "political correctness" to "treating people with respect.”
Political correctness means “treating people with respect”? Katie Mack tweeted:
“If "political correctness" means that instead of speaking what's in your heart & mind you feel forced to treat me with dignity, I'll take it.”
“Instead of speaking what's in your heart & mind” is called kindness. Or keeping the peace. Clark and Mack: tweet less, visit Dictionary.com a lot more!

I so agree with Donald Trump who recently said, “I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct.” He was talking of the US but the statement applies to pretty much every democratic country. Especially India.

I know, I know. If I say Donald Trump, you think of all the misogynist remarks he has made. Recently, after the US Presidential candidates’ debate, he had this this to say about the debate host (a woman):
“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes; blood coming out of her wherever.”
After that remark kicked up a storm, he tweeted that “wherever” meant “nose”, (not her period). Yeah, right. Ok, with that, for the remainder of this blog, let’s consider Trump’s misogynistic tendencies as being accepted. And condemned.

And now let’s move onto other comments made by Trump. He had recently commented on Mexican immigrants in the US:
“They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
On that comment, he refused to back down:
“Everybody knows that’s true. And it’s happening all the time. So, why, when I mention, all of a sudden I’m a racist. I’m not a racist. I don’t have a racist bone in my body.”
Provocative? Sure. Offensive to some? Absolutely. But also truthful. Not saying the truth that others find offensive: that’s what political correctness really means.

I feel Scott Adams nails it in his assessment of Trump:
“What I see is bluntness, honesty, some risk-taking, and a competitive nature…Compared to the liars on stage with him, you might get hooked on hearing his honest opinions.”
Remember that saying about the truth being bitter? Adams again:
“When you realize the harshness is not a signal of real evil – just a style – you tend to get over it.”

We sure could do with a lot more of honesty, even if it comes in the style called “harsh”.

Comments

  1. KumarAugust 11, 2015 at 1:53 PM

    Your subject is such that it can a blog, a booklet or even a wholesome book.

    Nobody can deny the hypocrisy in most situations with stating things the politically correct way. People tell us to change from someone being referred to as "blind" to "visually challenged" or "deaf" to "hearing impaired" etc. Whether "blind" "deaf" "lame" etc. need alternate word-coinage is entirely due to the some people's meanness to degrade handicapped people, an attitude which others want the mean people to mend. That intent is not bad, I would say. In India, any person mentally challenged has very little chance of being downgraded due to enormous social bias, which is deep-rooted. There politically correct wording or technical words coming from psychiatry may help the downtrodden a bit. Nevertheless India has a long way to go in such matters.

    Another example is the word requirement for the untouchables of India. Yes, yes, it transcends the usual discussions on political correctness. No specific word was in existence and it was required. As a community name to refer to them Gandhi-ji coined the word 'harijan'. He probably hoped it might be "politically correct" and there seemed nothing bad in such a coinage. However, it got rejected by the harijans themselves; and the final word that has come into being is "dalit". Why I mention this is because words are considered significant by people, instead of a barren scientific attitude of thinking, "Does it matter if name this virus 'alacia' or MX27? Virus is a virus and it harms us under any other name!" It is all complex.

    So, the subject is prone to such analytical details. My summing up is: sometimes political correctness may be wiser, sometimes political correctness is pure hypocrisy, and the rest of the times it hardly matters.

    Your example (given below) is very important, because it highlights yet another point beyond my summing up above:
    “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
    On that comment, he refused to back down:
    “Everybody knows that’s true. And it’s happening all the time. So, why, when I mention, all of a sudden I’m a racist. I’m not a racist. I don’t have a racist bone in my body.”

    From time to time we find that political correctness leads to obscure euphemisms and also dilution of substance; we commit ourselves to falsehood in a way on the one side so easily; on the other, one is forced to be a coward because there would be much condemning of any word almost, just because they are spoken with clarity and pointed-ness. For those who believe in religion, I can tell what possibly is the Bible's view on "being politically correct": "May your aye by aye and your nay be nay" says the Bible. "Be direct and say your yes or no clearly and boldly" seems to be the Biblical preference. This particular simple line always appealed to me.

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