I see a lot of complaining about political correctness on here, and a lot of rebellion against it. I'm starting to think it's because of a lack of distinction about what forms it can take, so I thought I'd clear it up. I think this is what I tried to say in my "sometimes it's not political correctness, just respect and caring for others" writeup, but just didn't do it clearly enough.

One type is the institutionalized version, used commonly in schools. Where certain views, ideas, and words are not allowed to be used because of fear of offending someone. Well, as they say, you do not have the right to not be offended. Doing this is censorship, and at least here in America, it's theoretically illegal, at least when done by the government.

Censorship is horrible, in any form. It doesn't matter why you're doing it, supressing views and ideas is harmful, even if done with good intentions. Because once you allow something to be censored, then other things become so much easier to do the same to.

The other type is the voluntary type. The set of suggestions about how we should talk and treat each other. This type isn't regulated by law, it's more the equivalent of manners and netiquette. It's a manner of encouraging us to consider the words we use, and select ones that don't offend to show that we respect others. It's the one that says not to use "nigger", or "spic", or "bitch", because the word comes with negative connotations from being used as an insult for years, and we can't just erase the baggage.

I worry that the people expressing anti-political correctness sentiment here on Everything are mixing them up, and in their dislike of the first type, they're ignoring the reasons for the second type. You CAN fight censorship without expressing the views/words that are attempted to be censored - after all, you can fight for the right for the KKK to speak without agreeing with them. Similarly, you can fight censorship without having to intentionally offend people.

Rebellion against the second type does little more than inflate ones' ego without any benefits - it's the equivalent of belching repeatedly in public, or repeatedly posting "me too" on a mailing list. You're "breaking" a rule that's not really a rule, suggesting that you're not truly understanding the ideas behind it.

If it's the censorship form of political correctness you dislike, then make it clear that's what you're against. You'll find few people to disagree with you. But if it's the idea that we should respect the feelings of others that you have a problem with, make that clear also. We'll be more than happy to return the favor and ignore yours.

Well put Saige, there's only one problem. When someone says PC or talks about how you aren't being politically correct, they're referring to your first notion of political correctness. My problem with the first is basically the same as yours -- censorship messes things up. You must be politically correct, but only to those groups that are socially acceptable. That's not quite the right word, but it's close enough. Don't say anything negative about homosexuals or minorities or women, etc. But it's perfectly acceptable to "poke fun at" say, Mormons, or Scientologists. I'm not a supportor or member of either of these groups (nor do I tear them down in any way), I'm merely using them to prove my point. We are told who we should be nice to, and how we should be nice, and how unacceptable it is to be politically incorrect. Censorship. And that's what comes to mind when someone says "politically correct".... We should still try to fight it, but consider that next time you see complaining about political correctness.

I cannot disagree with Saige's analysis.

I am strongly in agreement with the post script in Saige's writeup sometimes it's not political correctness, just respect and caring for others.

But I am concerned with how one actually goes about this. The practicalities. This is what I was trying to get at in Public Schools, Private Schools, Home Schools and Democracy.

In private schools, and home schools, the 'objectionable' need not be admitted, and the question never arises.

In public schools, however, this must be addressed. I have no answer, but I do want to raise the point: Words, other symbolic actions, can and do hurt and damage.

Maybe it is censorship to ban swatikas, racist stuff, etc... But we're talking about schools. About children. Yes, they must be readied for the world. And isn't civility, at least, part of what we want our world to be? That's the point of my writeup.

But the respect and caring for others that Saige refers to in her writeup--do we expect it to come from the home? Do not the public schools have some responsility for a modest preparation for democracy?

There is only one type of political correctness, and it is pure evil. Your arrival at the conclusion that there are now somehow two types of PC probably stemmed out of some imagined notion that all conservatives are mean bastards and are incapable of being nice to other people.

And no, don't say it isn't true. I've met so very many people who have this stupid idea hardwired into their thick skulls, I don't know how. Be it the liberal media, MTV, public schools, popular liberalism, or God knows what other evil influence that affected them to say crap like "Friends don't let friends vote Republican", they are unable to even think of a conservative as a nice person. I direct these fools to conservatism not mean-spirited. According to these people, we're all bigoted assholes. Trust me, I've met so many of these people in academia, I swear there must be a conspiracy going on.

I questioned the use of the word nigger, but yet, do I actually use those terms? I don't like people calling me a chink either. It runs both sides of the fence. When the political correctness advocates call me a Nazi, or a bigoted hatemonger, or an asshole, aren't they violating their own precious principles? According to them, no, because "conservatives are all bigots and they deserve the worst" (quote).

Being polite should never be mixed with politics. I am a nice person. Ask Uberfetus. I have zero respect for political correctness, but yet I'm not a bigot. That is not political correctness. That is about being a good person and contributing to society. Only a liberal can possibly mix up manners and political correctness, because they see themselves as the "good guys", the ones who are polite, and the other side, the conservatives, as crude white trash, gun-toting, wife-beating racists, hence rude and uncouth.

Maybe these people should realize that political correctness is never ever voluntary. Otherwise, it wouldn't be PC. It's called tact, and that is voluntary. Political correctness is always enforced, be it by the media, your peers, or the government, as some obscene gesture of appeasement to the hordes of bed-wetters in America, who on one hand clamors for a "better society" (the Socialist Dream as far as I'm concerned), and on the other hand slander and smear everyone in their path, violating their own principles in the name of an outdated term, "progressive politics". It's not progressive, it is regressive.