So I only have one exam left and that's tomorrow evening at 7:45...so I figure I'll write something. Since political correctness is popping up lately, I figure I'll submit my thoughts on it.
To start off, I don't like political correctness and the mentality that embraces it.
Now, what does being politically correct actually entail? To be PC means that you're going use the least offensive terms possible when speaking to, about, or around a certain group so as not to cause any offense. Now while it sounds good on paper, in practice it leads you to an overly paranoid fuckwad. To dance around your words constantly in an attempt to sound like a perfect angel makes you sound exactly like a politician...and no one likes politicians. Why? Because behind their fake smiles and neutral words beats the dark heart of evil.
What one says and what one feels can be two completely different things. Why not say what you feel? Forcing someone to speak in these crazy terms is not going to help anything. While it might in some cases make someone "feel" better it's not going to change a person's attitude toward them nor is it going to change their sitiuation and it sure as hell isn't going to bring about world peace. So why bother with useless bullshit? Differently abled, Happy Holidays, African American, criminally insane...all those words are used to be nonoffensive. What happened to handicapped, Merry Christmas, black, or fucking crazy? It's just calling it how you see it.
It's a byproduct of an overly sensitive society with nothing better to do but think up stupid shit to push on everyone else. Don't ever use the words "retarded" or "gay" by the way, that'll get you some dirty looks. Unfortunately those two words used to be some of the most common slang words of my generation. Insensitive? A little, but it's not like we went out looking for people and making fun of them. There's a difference. The difference is using words for malicious intent and then using words because...well, they're fucking words.
The thing I don't really get is who are the people that are so easily offended by a simple utterance of a word. I could understand if someone went up to a black guy and danced around shouting "Nigger!" and he would be offended. I'd probably be offended for the guy. Say someone utters it in a private conversation and it leaks out...then you've got to apologize to the whole fucking world. What the hell is up with that?
Even more ridiculous is the whole holiday season. "Happy Holidays" has become the norm for greetings. I don't understand that. How much of a cranky asshat do you have to be if someone says a greeting containing a specific holiday and you fly off the handle? If someone says "Happy Hanukkah!" to me I doubt I'm going to pitch a bitch about it. You know what the proper response is? "Thanks, you too." Then go on with your life. If someone said, "Merry Christmas! Hail Jesus! If you don't convert to Christianity, read the Bible, set up a tree and buy presents then I'll come to your house and shoot your heathen ass!" I could see the offense and the subsequent restraining order.
Now you may be saying to yourself, well Zoo you must be quite the asshole to people. In reality, no I'm not. I'm actually quite nonconfrontational unless someone is being a dipshit in my general vicinity. Why? Because I have something called class. It means I don't go make fun of people and I don't use racist slurs in everyday speech. I don't discriminate and I don't go out of my way to be totally inclusive. I accept that other people have different beliefs, looks, abilities, and all that stuff and I won't blatantly acknowledge or ignore it.
What do I mean by that? Well, I take people as they come and I expect the same from them. No special treatment, no dancing around words. I'll be myself, hopefully they'll be themselves and we'll either deal with eachother or we we'll stay away from eachother. Simple as that. I won't go out of my way to be an ass and if I say something that might possibly be construed as offensive then take it with a grain of salt. If you know me, I'm not the kind of guy that really cares what you do, what you look like, or anything like that. I care about who you are. If you're an intolerant shit or just a general overall douche then I'll figure it out and distance myself from you.
Words only have as much power as someone gives them. The dangerous things are the feelings and beliefs behind them. Why pressure people into acting (because that is what's happening) a certain way when you could just as easily let them say whatever they want and get a better idea of exactly who this person is and if there's any reason why you'd want to associate with them? Say that not this and act just like everyone else in the collective mind of the hive so we'll all be one happy family. No, that's not the right way to live. The First Amendment gives us the right to say what we will and nowhere in law are our feelings protected. Let someone be a dick. Allow them to express their dickishness with words so we know who to stay away from.
If the trend continues then people won't be speaking at all anymore. Deaf people can't hear, sorry we can't talk. Blind people can't see so no writing or sign language. Eventually we'd just have to sit still and slowly die so we don't offend anyone...oh, but if we die we'd pave the way for offensive smells.
To make a long and cumbersome article short and sweet: Some people are going to be offended, even over really stupid shit. They need to get the fuck over it.
I hope this doesn't offend anyone. 
~Zoo
