Mike's Musings: The Battle over Political Correctness
I've always thought that "political correctness" was a bad term. I don't think the problem is that there are some subjects that shouldn't be talked about, but that few are doing it the right way. And no one is listening to the other side.
The battle over political correctness, or how to address difficult topics without offending anyone (or in many cases, as few people as possible), is not new. To one extent or another, it's been the subject of debate every since we've learned to communicate. People have different experiences and people have different points of view. This is nothing new, and quite frankly, it should be celebrated.
I've always found that there's always a right way to say something, no matter how ugly or controversial it is. This only goes so far; if you're a racist, people are going to think you're racist no matter what you say. But there's at least a way to put your words that encourages dialogue and expressing points of view rather than hurling out racial epithets like candy.
Social media has played a big part in the rapid increase in controversy over the subject. We get our information faster than ever, and anyone can voice their opinion or massage the facts to suit their point of view. Getting the news from tweets, blogs or memes is faster and easier than reading a fully researched news article from The New York Times. Traditional media is struggling to keep up, and with corporate owned news comes ideological spins and omissions, and both sides are accusing each other of being "fake news."
The problem is that there are plenty of people who say and do horrible things, and then hide behind the Bill of Rights. But before I get going on the examples, let's make one thing clear: Free Speech, et al, prevent the government from saying/believing/protesting your views. Neo-Nazis and the Alt Right had every right to protest the removal of government statues. They filled out the paperwork and got the permits. However, this does not apply to social media or employers. If you do something that can embarrass your employer or goes against company values, they have every right to toss your ass out on the street. The Alt Right boys who were fired after they were identified by internet users and then fired by their employers deserved what they got.
But it's not just the followers of Richard Spencer and Alex Jones. We have public figures doing the same thing. Look at Missouri Representative Warren Love, who said that the people who were caught vandalizing a Confederate statue should be lynched. Or when a white Georgia politician all but threatened a black colleague with being lynched if she didn't quite trying to take down Confederate statues. Or Kathy Griffin's infamous meme holding a cutout of Chump Trump's severed head. Or the University of Tampa professor who said that Hurricane Harvey was revenge for voting for the GOP. Whatever side of the ideological line you fall, this behavior is unacceptable. It may be free speech (although one could argue that Love's tweet crossed the line), but it's not acceptable, certainly not by politicians. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why people would get pissed when they see stuff like this.
Making matters worse is that these incidents go unpunished or are rationalized. It's too early to tell whether either of the politicians will face punishment for their actions (Griffin lost sponsors and the Tampa professor was fired), but that isn't the point. People on both sides of the political spectrum rationalize those who share their views, no matter how horrid their words are. They're applauded for "getting tough" or "speaking their mind" or "telling it like it is." And no one loves a scandal more than us. The bar of acceptable decorum has been significantly lowered by Chump Trump, whose boorish behavior makes one doubt his sanity, much less his competency for the job.
Bullshit. This is not how democracy works, and this is certainly not a free speech issue. This is a bunch of assholes who crossed the line. Plain and simple.
What to do? We have to set boundaries for these things. Not necessarily legal ones, but if you say shit like that, whether its a clearly thought out remark or, as Chump Trump boosters label it, "off the cuff," you have to pay the fucking consequences.
Has political correctness gone too far? Undoubtedly. But the genius of our system of government is that it allows us to find common ground. It may not be perfect for either side, but it's an acceptable compromise. For example, there's been talk of putting Confederate statues in museums. I think that's a great idea. It no longer glorifies their racist ideals yet preserves their historical context.
The problem is that lately, the end game is all about winning. It's about getting your way and rubbing your opponents' faces in it. That's what's scary. The "my way or the highway" mentality is not contingent with our system of government.
The battle over political correctness, or how to address difficult topics without offending anyone (or in many cases, as few people as possible), is not new. To one extent or another, it's been the subject of debate every since we've learned to communicate. People have different experiences and people have different points of view. This is nothing new, and quite frankly, it should be celebrated.
I've always found that there's always a right way to say something, no matter how ugly or controversial it is. This only goes so far; if you're a racist, people are going to think you're racist no matter what you say. But there's at least a way to put your words that encourages dialogue and expressing points of view rather than hurling out racial epithets like candy.
Social media has played a big part in the rapid increase in controversy over the subject. We get our information faster than ever, and anyone can voice their opinion or massage the facts to suit their point of view. Getting the news from tweets, blogs or memes is faster and easier than reading a fully researched news article from The New York Times. Traditional media is struggling to keep up, and with corporate owned news comes ideological spins and omissions, and both sides are accusing each other of being "fake news."
The problem is that there are plenty of people who say and do horrible things, and then hide behind the Bill of Rights. But before I get going on the examples, let's make one thing clear: Free Speech, et al, prevent the government from saying/believing/protesting your views. Neo-Nazis and the Alt Right had every right to protest the removal of government statues. They filled out the paperwork and got the permits. However, this does not apply to social media or employers. If you do something that can embarrass your employer or goes against company values, they have every right to toss your ass out on the street. The Alt Right boys who were fired after they were identified by internet users and then fired by their employers deserved what they got.
But it's not just the followers of Richard Spencer and Alex Jones. We have public figures doing the same thing. Look at Missouri Representative Warren Love, who said that the people who were caught vandalizing a Confederate statue should be lynched. Or when a white Georgia politician all but threatened a black colleague with being lynched if she didn't quite trying to take down Confederate statues. Or Kathy Griffin's infamous meme holding a cutout of Chump Trump's severed head. Or the University of Tampa professor who said that Hurricane Harvey was revenge for voting for the GOP. Whatever side of the ideological line you fall, this behavior is unacceptable. It may be free speech (although one could argue that Love's tweet crossed the line), but it's not acceptable, certainly not by politicians. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why people would get pissed when they see stuff like this.
Making matters worse is that these incidents go unpunished or are rationalized. It's too early to tell whether either of the politicians will face punishment for their actions (Griffin lost sponsors and the Tampa professor was fired), but that isn't the point. People on both sides of the political spectrum rationalize those who share their views, no matter how horrid their words are. They're applauded for "getting tough" or "speaking their mind" or "telling it like it is." And no one loves a scandal more than us. The bar of acceptable decorum has been significantly lowered by Chump Trump, whose boorish behavior makes one doubt his sanity, much less his competency for the job.
Bullshit. This is not how democracy works, and this is certainly not a free speech issue. This is a bunch of assholes who crossed the line. Plain and simple.
What to do? We have to set boundaries for these things. Not necessarily legal ones, but if you say shit like that, whether its a clearly thought out remark or, as Chump Trump boosters label it, "off the cuff," you have to pay the fucking consequences.
Has political correctness gone too far? Undoubtedly. But the genius of our system of government is that it allows us to find common ground. It may not be perfect for either side, but it's an acceptable compromise. For example, there's been talk of putting Confederate statues in museums. I think that's a great idea. It no longer glorifies their racist ideals yet preserves their historical context.
The problem is that lately, the end game is all about winning. It's about getting your way and rubbing your opponents' faces in it. That's what's scary. The "my way or the highway" mentality is not contingent with our system of government.
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