Nowadays everyone from politicians to priests to even children story writers must watch what they say and even think to not offend anyone. But in a world with billions of people and countless different thoughts, viewpoints, and cultures is censoring everything really the solution? No, because in society, political correctness has zero effect on racism, it restricts free speech, and it also inadvertently promotes college censorship, just take a look at the evidence. For instance, how exactly does political correctness has zero effect on racism? First an explanation of how insults are formed is required. Insults are generally viewed as words with harmful meanings, however they are more than that. Insults are made of the meanings of the words, the intent of the user, the context of the language, and the deliverance of the word. Advocates of PC language and offended people in general tend to focus on just the meaning of the word, not any of the other factors. While the word is important to the insult, any word, deemed PC or not, can be taken out of context without any regard to the other factors and turned into an insult. PC culture just wants to cut out the middleman, the word, to eliminate the insult, however this doesn’t work very well and as a result leads to many unexpected consequences, one of these includes “The Euphemism Treadmill” (Ben O’ Niel). Essentially this is a process in which new PC words are created to replace old non-PC words, however since this doesn’t work for a variety reasons the process just ends up repeating itself over and over. Ben O’ Niel in his scholarly article “A critique of Politically Correct language” states, “Because the creation of a new, politically correct term for, say, mental retardation does not change the underlying realities or the social dynamics that pertain to the subject, the new term gradually enters common circulation, and speakers use it in the same way that they previously used the preceding term.” A great example of this, also stated by Ben O’ Niel, is the word retard. Originally meaning to delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment the word retard soon was used as a word to describe someone with halted mental development and
In this article the research I collected explains the use of political correctness at a University. The purpose of political correctness is to avoid or take extreme measures to desist any action or expression that may exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against. It is clear that majority of the people in this article are not satisfied by the way issues were handled at the University. The author presented relevant information to answer the question; “Is political correctness an enemy of free speech?”. Some government officials that were brought into this situation, agreed with political correctness and what it means. While doing this research I learned that political correctness in not only this, but also is a tool used to control people's speech so that no one feels offended. I believe political correctness is barricade for anyone who wants a power of choice. Moreover, this article is useful for an analysis on limitations for societies in
Although we, as citizens of this country, are guaranteed freedom of speech and press by the first amendment, we are encouraged to “watch what we say”. In order to avoid unnecessary violence and to keep people from being offended, it is recommended the certain things be censored. While many may look at this censorship as a well-needed percussion it can reversely be seen as going against one's first amendment rights, in itself causing controversy.
However, many groups claim that political correctness in society is justified in its efforts to sanitize offensive material created though years of oppressing minorities. What was originally a noble idea, to remove blatant words of offensive meaning, has turned into an “over the top” effort to rid any words of possible controversy. We are regulating our ways of plain speaking, freedom of choice, and freedom of speech. Laws of restrictions on slander and public decency should be decided on the common law methodology and not by the interests of the liberal “mob”. If plain speaking is not allowed, clear thinking is
It’s impossible to censor all disagreeable sides because all that would be left is a bland “politically correct” society and that’s an unattainable goal because it’s not possible to please everyone. In the end, there will always be someone who disagrees with someone else about something and they will indeed use their First Amendment right to free speech to voice these grievances.
According to the Word Police, political correctness has some disadvantages. In each case , “the would be censor aspires to suppress what he or she finds distasteful all of course in the name of public good” So this does limit what you have to say.Another Speaking out could cause violence or squabbles.
Censorship is widely used in our society to prevent us from seeing or hearing things that could disrupt our surroundings. Is it right to censor or not, its tough question and that question appears in Fahrenheit 451, The Letter, and our own day to day life's. In Fahrenheit and The Letter they were censored to better the society without knowing the true aspects of the life. Also in both stories it seems as though censorship is fear, afraid of something that could be wonderful and even knowledgeable to society.
Not only does political correctness limit language, it limits competition between groups. For example the competition between the upper and lower class for power would cease if we were made to be politically correct. We need the upper and lower class for our society to function correctly. Without competition society can not thrive, and the philosophy of political correctness attempts to make people equals which effectively blocks individual success thus eliminating any motive to take the risks necessary to succeed. How can a person move up in this world with out stepping on others, and every time someone steps on someone else they will use methods or words that could be taken as politically incorrect. It is the nature of capitalism and democracy to have competing groups which ultimately leads to a separation of the bourgeoisie and proletariat or the upper and lower class. This is the greatest good a capitalistic democratic society can reach because the factions are not permanent; the members of each group are free to move
Censorship has been adopted in many societies as well as the governments of our world. As the history of the world expands we see many countries try to censor what their citizens see. When the countries do this they are not assisting the country, they are leading it into a self-destruction. A good example of this would be America in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. This nation is destroyed in a futuristic war that only lasts a couple of minutes, if not seconds. Other fitting examples include the Nazi regime and the Soviet Union, both governments censoring their population in what they could read, write, and see. As we know both of these governments did not succeed and ultimately were obliterated and the countries were punished. Government censorship not only wounds the ability for people to grow and expand in their thought process, but it eventually causes the ultimate self-destruction of the nation.
When Mark twain's books were being banned his response was "Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak because a baby can’t chew it” I completely partially with this Idea. I think that all though most of the time censorship is unnecessary and at times even ridiculous, but I also think there are certain situations in which it is reasonable.For instance an Example of a time that it would be ok were if you had like a book like Huckleberry Finn at an elementary school that would make it ok to ban it censor it because that is when the children might still be to young t be read things with that kind of language. Although in cases like it being banned from a public library then it is no longer ok and if it taken to the extreme can even lead to more
If it is uncomfortable to read and discuss, so be it. Most things that matter deeply are.” -USA Today. Today Censorship also affects more than the children though. It really affects everyone equally. It allows the government to have too much control over what we learn and know. What if we lived in a dystopian society. For example, if you’ve ever seen the movie or read the book The Giver by Lois Lowry, the city kept everyone from learning about the world’s past and why they have to obey their rules and only their rules and do whatever job they assign them. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label controversial views. Most people believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. Another touchy topic about they types of censorship we have is open religion. We have the Freedom of Religion. But many schools don’t allow religious practices, teachings, or even how they dress. What’s wrong with anyone expressing their religion and how they think of God peacefully and freely? America is
I had the opportunity to join a community event, Come to the Table: Learn and talk about poverty and racism, one in a series sponsored by Avondale Presbyterian Church located in the affluent Meyers Park area of Charlotte, North Carolina. Though I had previously planned and prepared to discuss the observed gender and racial differences between the Indian culture and ours, when I noticed this event was advertised as the topic Cultural Norms & Blind-Spots and I though it fit right in with week fifteen’s discussion regarding society’s ability to truly be colorblind, I quickly jumped at the opportunity to attend. Somewhat surprisingly, my eighteen year old son, visiting home for only the day from college, was eager to join me. We soon learned this event was not just a community gathering (we happened to be the only two non-members of the church in attendance), but a kick-off for their mission to partner with one of Charlotte’s public housing communities, less than two miles away. A large part of her introduction was reassuring the group that self-reflection is the perfect start to change.
Censorship may be protection from inappropriate materials, but it also limits free speech. For the limitation of free speech, it is reasonable why people are emphatically against censorship. It is understood that there is a need to filter some of the materials released in today’s society, but too much is being done by people who have no right meddling with everyone’s rights. Civilization has always been plagued by a never ending battle being fought over what is deemed right and wrong. In today’s culture, censorship oppresses everything in the media. From movies and music to television and even news stories, most of the content viewed today has been filtered one way or another. Restrictions have been in place since early societies have been
Political correctness is really just an excuse to manipulate other peoples language use. Racism Political correctness (PC) is not about being nice, polite or to have good manners. PC is about what one person could say to another that would harm them either intentionally or unintentionally. Language manipulation is different to Political correctness,
Racism and the effects of racism can be seen anywhere. In the hallways of the high school, the streets, housing, neighborhoods, cities, and more, one thing is seen, and that 's segregation, which is ultimately caused by racism. Walking in the hallways at school, chances are that you’ll see a group of whites, a group of Hispanics, and a group of African Americans, but rarely do you see these three groups interacting with each other. Racism has been made a part of people’s everyday lives, a border posed by racism: segregation. Racism and its effects can not only be seen around us but can also be traced throughout countless readings in HWOC this year. Almost every literary work focuses on the topic or underscores at its effects, and today, you can walk into any library or bookstore and find something, whether it be a news article or chapter book, regarding racial conflict. This alone is evidence of how racism has integrated our society and continues to inform and manipulate our minds. The literature we have been exposed to this past year is a reflection of society, similar to a reflection in a mirror showing us the piece of hair sticking up in the back, literature is showing us the problem so it can be addressed.
Censorship takes many forms in our society today. First it takes the form of political correctness. The purpose