Political Correctness...has it gone too far?

It has gone way to far. When you can't be critical of government without being called racist, way to far. To me, Political Correctness is just a way to hinder free speech.

Earlier this year because of all the Muslim terrorism and violence that's happening as described here: (http://thereligionofpeace.com/), and because I don't want to live in Sharia law, I didn't trust Muslims at all, and another person said I couldn't open up and I was described a racist stereotype or something like that. I feared being banned on Mylot here and viewed as an outcast as it was my last chance of social redemption, so I had no choice but to cave in and tell her that I didn't hate her. I was just warning her of the violent nature of Muslims and of their religion. Political correctness got the best of me back then. I've been either banned or walked out on my own from multiple bulletin boards and message boards in the past, even kicked out of chat rooms for telling others how I felt, even going so far as being brutally honest and being as insensitive and Simon Cowell-like as a few forum members I met with in the past. I even lost an ex-girlfriend because of an argument I had with her and we broke up. My emotions must've gotten the better of me back then so it was my fault that it happened. In any case, Mylot barely gave me any trouble at all because of how civilized it is, and if I was banned because of expressing how I felt about Muslims and Islam overall, then I really don't have anyone else at all; it would've proved that I wasn't social material at all and I go back to being anti-social again, not to mention that i'll lose all my money that I ever made here. After all, i'm still searching for info on Arabs who AREN'T either Muslim or anti-semitic, or those AGAINST Sharia law; anything to suggest that there might be good, friendly Arabs that don't fit the terrorist or Islamist profiles. Here's the topic to prove it, but the number of posts from others are long...14 pages long. http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2027170.aspx

No one wants to offend other people, but PC in some instances (maybe most instances) is lunacy. When we were at school, we learned the feminine form of actor was actress - and a big long list of occupations, animals etc. I suppose children might be happy they no longer need to learn them. When it becomes necessary to call a manhole a personhole, I think it has gone too far. Now, can someone please explain why our schools are no longer allowed to use a blackboard (it is now a chalkboard) but they ARE allowed to use a whiteboard?

In a nutshell,its not so much the words itself but the intention of the person who expressed it..or how its received . For example, a black person in america will not take offence if he is refered to as 'n...ga' by another black person but he or she will be in arms or will be in a 'intent to kill mood' if word is used however innocently by a non black person.Double standards,i think. If we wish to take offence,doesnt need much for us to work up an excuse,in the hands of a master manipulator, words can be used or abused to their advantage easily.Just a tool!Snide,condescending,facetious,cynical,tongue in cheek,jest,its the manner in which the expression is intended by the person!

Hi PeacefulWmn, I think by being too conscious, you will make more mistakes. :) Actually, it is very tough. I have seem plenty of people out here using white lies to return to equilibrium. :) But not hurting others comes from practicing it from very childhood. I am afraid, we all will make mistakes, and we must learn to take it in our stride, and if possible correct ourselves. At the most, we can apologize for our mistakes.

WAR IS PEACE! IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH! FREEDOM IS SLAVERY!ALL HAIL BIG BROTHER!oh,you don't agree? then the thought police will hall you off to the MINISTRY OF LOVE.if americans continue to be weak sheeple, unable to tell the truth- 2+2=4 than the people deserve to be like winston smith in orwell's 1984. with a telescreen watching their everymove in a guys own house!checkout bbc 1984 on youtube, starring peter cushing in the definitive version of george orwells classic.I however will never conform, and if someone doesn't like my non-pc views they can go to hell.

Yes it has and People are very careful what they say and step on glass without breaking it To me it is wrong, innocent remarks being turned into a court case People taking things and words the wrong way Even on TV they have to be careful how they say things as only a couple of weeks ago here there was a big thing on TV about a famous Person saying something innocent and it got called out of Proportion he apologized but I did not think there was any need as it was harmless But that is how it is now

We have allowed the politician to create a victim class of people. Look at the Hate Crime laws. You can be convicted for what you think or what others think you are thinking. If a white man, black man and a woman all applied for the same job, and it was given to the white man the other two could file discrimination charges. If the black man or woman got the job the white man could not sue. Who is the employer going to hire? PC at its best.

what gets me about this is christmas. we cannot wish anyone a merry christmas because we might offend them because they might not believe in christmas because of their religion. i think it has gone way overboard.

YES, I think it's gone way too far. I NORMALLY DO NOT DISCUSS POLITICS. I'M NOT AFRAID OF OFFENDING ANYONE Because u know me i'm going to say what i think but i think it's disgusting that people are so ready to get offended all the time. U couldn't say boo at so many people that they wouldn't make a big deal out of it. I think it's disgusting , all that hoopla. I'm alsovery tired of them giving obama such a hard time. I'm tired of all the obama jokes i receive that are immediately deleted.

I hate being PC. Enfact most times I am not. I just say what I think. In today's world PC is used as a weapon. If someone does not like what you are saying than they use PC against you. It is a way to keep people from saying what htey think. Which is againt "freedom of speech".

Hi Karen, I don't think so that in my country people are bothered about being politically correct. Infact they are least bothered. People do hurl racial comments, there are gender bias in day to day life and peoople openly pass comments about it. Infact I think "this" attitude would be politically correct, as the politicians are the worst of a kind so yes I am proud to say that we are always "politically" correct.

Good morning Karen, you'll be pleased to hear I write from a country which hasn't actually discovered it yet as really no need, it is a bit of a moot point when people are brought up to treat others with respect. Now obviously in some cases it needed to be introduced to deal with those offensive types who go round calling black people 'N's' and other examples like that which really are due to lack of education and ignorance. But the rest of it, what a joke. The most laughable part is the job titles, no one does the same job which they think they do anymore and what is worse, at least in the UK, is that local governments waste money employing people to specifically think up these new job titles. I'm not particularly up on the new replacement titles but suffice to say the UK no longer has bin men. It's too early to think of the 100's of other examples sorry. Yesterday someone was going on about the dangers of calling women sweetie, I'd have to leave Greece if that was an issue here as it is a country wide form of endearment between both sexes and in my mind not politically incorrect at all. But then again I still say thank you if a man holds a door open for me rather than leaping down his throat that he is being patronising and politically incorrect. I think once the basic offensive gaffes are removed like the example I gave with black people then there's no need to keep thinking up new ones.

I do not really believe in being politically correct, as long as I don't say words that hurts a group of people because of their race of religion. If they say things that are dubbed "politically incorrect" , you either a) let them be and don't listen, b) use bad words that are correct, politically c)if you think you're stronger, punch him to send him a message. There might even come a time when everything h*s a hidden m**ning and will *ll b* c*nc*r*d!

No, we should be aware of things that we say that might offend or hurt the feelings of someone who heard us say it. Political correctness is just what we used to call manners, I think.