May I respectfully suggest that we retire the term “politically correct?”
As phrases go, this one is useful only as a rhetorical shortcut. Rather than engaging with people who have different viewpoints, all we need to do is to label their viewpoint “politically correct,” and in that simple label, we have dismissed their viewpoints as ill-considered and lightweight, and therefore not worth considering.
A writer may present reasonable, cultural and historical reasons for presenting Santa as black, but once we classify these as “politically correct,” her arguments, no matter how valid they are, are deemed invalid and unworthy of further consideration.
Present moral, historical, cultural and even theological reasons for supporting gay marriage, and they similarly can be brushed aside with that label, “politically correct.”
This isn’t argument. It’s not even clever. It’s the 40-year-old’s equivalent of a teenager saying “whatever,” just as immature and just as obnoxious, and at least twice as unworthy of the person saying it.
Do you know what “political correctness” actually means? It means the person so dismissed is being polite, showing consideration for others, and acting like a decent human being. Looked at that way, I wish more of us would act in a politically correct manner, and fewer of us would have the “courage” to act in a manner our mothers tried hard to teach us better than.
I will put it this way. If someone says “happy holidays,” even now that it is Christmas Eve and Hanukkah is three weeks past, she is considering that the recipient of the good wishes may not celebrate Christmas, and still has at least the New Year to celebrate, as well as potentially Kwanzaa. Do not do her the disservice of dismissing her good manners as “politically correct.” It does not become you.
And beyond that, please consider that it is kind of rude to tell people how to wish other people well.
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