The Arab American Mirror http://www.alif.com/mirror
The term political correctness conjures up images of uptight and overcautious politicians and media personalities tiptoeing around controversial issues lest they offend someone or some group. The PC guards are often associated with excessive and reactionary liberalism and so called multiculturalism. Many conservatives argue that PC is rapidly becoming passé. They are also advocating that America rid itself from the yolk of senseless self-censorship exercised in the form of political correctness. Bad call. In a society where certain segments of the population have demonstrated a troubling ineptitude when dealing with differences, calling for an end to PC can be unwise.
Sadly, the widely accepted term, PC, betrays the original intent of the concept and its practices. Many Americans see little correctness in politics. Politics is the art of compromise where ideals are frequently subordinated to the realpolitik of money and power.
PC is the art of civility and should be here to stay. The death of PC would yank America back into the dark ages of intolerant expression. Ironically, the PC bashers are campaigning under the misleading pretext of freedom of speech to win admittance into the American mainstream. No one can argue against free speech including gutter speech, but the American mainstream should remain a bastion of good values including tolerance and inclusion. The PC bashers' crusade is not about free speech, which we all cherish, it is about redefining what is socially acceptable speech to also include base forms of expression.
Hate groups have a constitutionally protected right to express their hateful views, but the American mainstream has maintained the right to reject such views as divisive and in poor taste. Hate groups do represent one end of the politically incorrect spectrum. The counter PC movement would love to see distasteful speech gain acceptance into the American center. To do so, they have successfully redefined the PC debate as an intellectual battle amongst two camps: the courageous and outspoken defenders of America's right to speak "candidly" on the issues versus the speech-stifling self-righteous liberals. Therein lies the confusion. Admittedly, they have also made some inroads.
Today, some fringe media outlets are working hard to transform outright insensitivity into hip and cool stuff. Even some in mainstream media have transformed ethnic, social, and religious ridicule into a key ingredient of the American pastime. PC or not, even rude Americans have buying power to go after. From an idiotic and egotistical Russian cosmonaut in Michael Bay's Armageddon to Disney's Kazaam, Operation Candor, and G.I. Jane where sinister or idiotic Arabs play the villains. Why the ethnic twist? It supposedly sells.
What about Russian Americans and Arab Americans? Tell'em to lighten up a bit. As for Gays and Lesbians, well tough luck too. Americans have the right to a laugh at their expense. While not all political incorrectness emanates from the media, it is the media which plays a vital role in legitimizing it.
From the minorities' point of view, the anti-PC camp is often led by those amongst us with the overwhelming urge to ridicule and scorn differences. For many reasons, the targets of this unwelcome "candor" are often unable or unwilling to reciprocate the affront. It is quite easy for someone to demand an end to PC when they are not in the minority and are not bound to suffer the consequences. It is no coincidence most minorities are not lining up behind the call to end PC. They knew better before and they know better today than to contribute to a campaign whose only real intention is to give others an unlimited one-way license to rudeness, and at their expense.
In the absence of PC, South Carolina's Board of Education supervisor Henry Jordan can say "screw the Buddhists and kill the Muslims" and suffer no fallout. It is unlikely for American Buddhists and Muslims to be campaigning for an end to PC, and for good reasons they ought not to.
When Andrew Dice Clay, arguably the most virulent sexists on American TV, spews forth his abuse at women, he represents everything the anti-PC seem to wish for: unrestrained insensitivity. Should women lighten up a bit and be sports? Most women would rather not see Andrew with an audience. The next step up for the anti-PC is to turn every closet sexist and racist into an Andrew Dice Clay or Howard Stern unplugged and uncensored.
While the above examples are worst case scenarios, one need not have a great imagination to realize how difficult the workplace and the social scene would be if every blithering fool was given an unlimited social license to go unchallenged in their quest to quench their thirst for rudeness. Most of us already know one or two who fit the anti-PC bill on the job or amongst social circles. In the absence of any restraints, legions of ill-mannered Americans would roam the streets and litter the workplace if given an approving audience making life unpleasant for many.
Few would advocate legal action against the ill-mannered and the discourteous. But decent Americans should not be duped into confusing the anti-PC campaign with legitimate free speech campaigns. While both are protected under the law, so is our right to plug our noses and walk away in the presence of higher forms of rudeness.
So next time I see Mr. Jones in his bright red polyester pants, I shall walk up to him and say "Your pants sure look funny Mr. Jones." Do you think the anti-PC lot would approve of me? Probably not. Had Mr. Jones been a Jew, Black, Muslim, or Gay, for example and I was to poke fun at him because of it, the anti-PC crowds would probably approve. "Lighten up," they would tell him.
The "lighten up" PC bashers have the least to lose from an end to PC. But their gains can only be measured in terms of laughs and vents at the expense of other human beings. PC bashing is hardly a worthy cause to champion by the American mainstream. The anti-PC camp should consider the more socially acceptable route of learning the basic tenets of decent interpersonal interaction. Mom's old but true advice still resonates with most Americans: if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything. Mom does know best.
PC is not in the eyes of the beholder, it is in the eyes of those burdened the most by its absence. PC, for the lack of a better label, is the exercise of civility. It is a challenge that most of us have accepted and succeeded at internalizing in our daily lives even before the term PC was ever coined. But those who failed to embrace decency seem committed to drag the rest of us into the mud. PC is all about modesty and has little to do with politics as the label implies. Call it PC or call it good manners, such are the basics of a civil society.
So let the politically incorrect exercise their right to rudeness as long as they remain on the far fringes of the American center. And whenever some of us suffer a relapse, they can journey to the edges of society for a quick reminder of why America embraced the ideals of social responsibility 200 years ago and ever since we have struggled to reach those ideals. Let us not slow down today. As for the politically incorrect, tell'em to lighten up a bit and reconsider.
