Political Correctness

Is being politically incorrect the same as being racist? I don’t think so. The problem is somewhere else and political correctness can not solve it as it is only covers up the symptoms but does not cure the disease.

There are many critics of political correctness but most of them seem to be concerned only with freedom of speech. Expressions like “Political correctness is a limitation of free speech that is believed to be necessary in order to protect other rights” (filipspagnoli.wordpress.com) or “Political Correctness is the communal tyranny” (physicsforums.com) are very frequent among opponents of political correctness. However, I don’t see this as the main problem of the concept.

Does it really matted if we call Romany people Gypsies or African Americans Blacks? Those are just words. I think that it is not so much question of the word we use, but rather of how we use it and in what context. Of course as far as we are not rude to anyone; but that is a question of social intelligence. The think is that one can say African American and make it sound like a terrible insult.

If negative connotation is what we fear, then politically correct language is not going to solve the problem. First we have to change the way of thinking about the minority in question. If the society thinks badly about Gypsies, they are not going to thing any better about Roma people. And the later will soon have the very same negative connotation.

The only way to go is to change the portrayal of minorities in media to erase the negative and stereotyped image from the consciousness of the majority. Very good example of projects that should be supported is CNN´s series Black in America that shows stories from lives of African Americans.

Links:
http://filipspagnoli.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/limiting-free-speech-24-political-correctness/
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=66052