The idea of political correctness (PC as many have come to abbreviate it) is not anything new. The civil rights movements in the 1960s and 1970s were all about trying to remove the gender and racial bias that is inherent in our society. From these tough times came some positive actions — things that I and my children can benefit from — but with the push for acceptance and tolerance, has today's society taken it too far?
Every time I turn around, the acceptable terminology to describe those around me has changed yet again. I have come to terms with the idea that words do change their meanings with each generation, but must we really confuse multiple generations of people at once, simply because the latest generation thinks we’re being insensitive? It's bad enough that the term "gay" has two different meanings depending on the context (happy or homosexual), but now we have this LBGTQ acronym that we have to use.
Let's ignore the fact that majority of the population will have no clue what LBGTQ stands for. I didn't — not until I actually looked it up while writing this post. (For those of you who don't know, LBGTQ stands for lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgendered and queer — however, the Q can stand for questioning too, depending on who you're talking to.) Instead, let’s just confuse everyone with a random acronym that isn't even nice to say — it doesn't roll off the tongue.
New legislation crops up every day, all designed to help promote equality. Each new law is meant to help bridge the gaps that were identified in the 1960s and 1970s, but extend to all areas where prejudice can occur. These laws are meant to help shatter the glass ceiling that women face in business and industry. They’re meant to remove the barriers for those of different skin colours and religious backgrounds. They’re there to give people the confidence to forge the romantic connections that pull so strongly on their hearts. All of these new laws and policies were meant to protect people's rights to be different, but this push to promote diversity within society has taken an insane turn.
I have recently found myself in multiple situations where I feel like I'm treading on thin ice. I can't say what is on my mind anymore. Heaven forbid that I might actually disagree with someone. Instead, I must bite my tongue — blood flowing down my throat. Because of the insanity left by those who insist that I follow some angelic idea of politically correctness, I must bottle it all up inside and never let it out. No, I must become a ticking time-bomb about ready to explode.
Be prepared to be attacked the moment you provide constructive criticism about anything. It doesn't matter how nicely worded your critique might be. The PC-mad fiends take everything you say as a personal attack — but we'll just ignore that they are attacking you in return.
The tenets of healthy debate seem to have taken a backseat to being all-inclusive and a friend-to-all. Any criticism must be worded in an airy-fairy way, so the meaning is entirely unclear and noncommittal. Any professional tone that removes the emotion from the critique is forbidden — you must coddle everyone through life.
Shall I get out the guitar now and start singing Kumbaya around the free-love bus?
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll gladly fight for people’s right to practise the religion that they choose. Just don’t try to force your religion on me.
I will fight for those of different skin colour to be treated equally. However, I will not support the illusion of equality when equality does not exist.
Gender equality… I’m sorry, but women are not equal. Everything about a woman’s physiology is designed for child rearing. Women can hear things at higher frequencies, giving us the ability to distinguish a child’s cry from that of an animal. Our brains are wired differently, giving women the ability to multitask and divide our focus between children and everyday tasks. Women are weaker in the upper body. (We have something called breast that play on our upper-body structure.) And the last time I checked, a man wasn’t equipped with the anatomy to give birth.
Yes, the glass ceiling that many women have faced needs to be shattered, but it’s wrong for a woman to expect the same pay as a man if she chose to take five years off work to raise her child. The man has worked all that time. If he had taken the time off, he would not be on the same pay as his colleagues that didn’t. You want equality? Then accept the fact that life choices need to be put into this equation.
There are many within society who insist that they are fighting for equality, yet they insist that we maintain our diversity. Maybe I’m missing something, but equality and diversity are conflicting ideas — or at least the way policy makers employ these terms are conflicting.
You work your ass off, holding yourself to an extremely high standard of work ethic, earning the respect of those around you. People seek you out for your opinion, knowing that you will listen to them and respect them. Yet, when it comes time to obtaining that promotion, you get overlooked. Instead, it goes to the mediocre person, who just happens to tick the necessary boxes that allows the employer to profess that they provide a diverse working environment.
I have heard my husband say on multiple occasions that "we now live in a society that rewards mediocrity." It’s sad to say, but I’m starting to agree with him. It is like society expects those who work hard to carry the weight of those who come from so-called minority groups, never mind that the heterosexual, white male is rapidly becoming the minority.
I know this post will likely land me in hot water, but I’m not the only one who is noticing the idiotic level that political correctness has been taken to.
I recently discovered the YouTube channel of Neel Kolhatkar. It’s obvious that he feels passionate about how crazy the world has become. His movie shorts on “#Equality”, “The Privilege Game”, and “Purification” speak a truth that is frightening. However, it’s the short entitled “Modern Educayshun” that really hits home with me. While some have professed that no school would have classrooms like the one depicted in the short, I have seen similar insanity in action.
Take a look for yourself. In my opinion, if we don’t rein in the PC-madness, this is where we’re heading.