The debate over whether or not political correctness limits free speech and expression has become very heated within recent years, and similar to any discussion, there are always those that have a dominant voice in the matter. Although there are an abundance of people discussing the benefits and consequences of political correctness, I have identified three groups of people that seem to provide the most input on the issue. Politicians, college professors, and college students are undoubtedly the most involved voices in the conversation over the ideology known as political correctness. Each of these three groups of people have their own distinct reasons for caring about this issue, and hopefully after reading this post, you will understand why those reasons relate directly to your life.
As we all know, or I hope we all know, the 2016 presidential election is approaching within the next year. With the presidency up for grabs, there are many possible candidates who are continuing to express their hopes and plans for the United States if they are elected. It has come to my attention that political correctness, specifically its’ negative effects on society, has become a major talking point for many of these politicians. According to Jennifer Kim, a staff writer for the Brown Political Review, politicians such as Donald Trump and Ben Carson have conveniently entered the presidential race with extremely outspoken opinions on the consequences of political correctness. Both of these candidates have continuously denounced the ideology of political correctness due to the possible restrictions that it places on free speech and expression (Kim par. 1,5,&6). Why do these politicians suddenly dominate the conversation over political correctness? It is a possibility that these individuals are only trying to gain votes, but then again, they might truly recognize the devastation awaiting if we do not dismiss political correctness as a societal norm.
As we all know, or I hope we all know, the 2016 presidential election is approaching within the next year. With the presidency up for grabs, there are many possible candidates who are continuing to express their hopes and plans for the United States if they are elected. It has come to my attention that political correctness, specifically its’ negative effects on society, has become a major talking point for many of these politicians. According to Jennifer Kim, a staff writer for the Brown Political Review, politicians such as Donald Trump and Ben Carson have conveniently entered the presidential race with extremely outspoken opinions on the consequences of political correctness. Both of these candidates have continuously denounced the ideology of political correctness due to the possible restrictions that it places on free speech and expression (Kim par. 1,5,&6). Why do these politicians suddenly dominate the conversation over political correctness? It is a possibility that these individuals are only trying to gain votes, but then again, they might truly recognize the devastation awaiting if we do not dismiss political correctness as a societal norm.
The issue of political correctness has always been most prevalent within the confines of college campuses. The vast majority of supporters of this ideology consists of college students, which is understandable considering that they have grown up in a society that has succumbed to the rules created by political correctness. According to Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, the authors of The Coddling of the American Mind, the very purpose of higher education is in jeopardy due to the amount of attention college students place on being politically correct. Students are increasingly dismissing ideas due to the fact that those ideas might be offensive to them. More and more college students are asking for trigger warnings when a professor is discussing material that could potentially offend or trigger someone. Some students have even refused to read material that they deem contradictory to their personal beliefs or opinions (Haidt Par. 2&4). How can you expect to learn in an environment where people only accept or want to hear one point of view? This question is what has many college professors voicing their opinions on the matter, in fact, Jonathan Haidt is a professor of Business Ethics at NYU. He coauthored the article I referenced above because he believes that this ideology is harming the proper learning environment that colleges should possess. It is his belief that political correctness is preventing students from exploring new ideas (Haidt par. 64). At the bottom of this post, watch the interview with Jonathan Haidt on MSNBC where he further discusses the detrimental effects of political correctness on college campuses.
As a college student, the fact that many of my peers support an idea that potentially harms my ability to learn concerns me. I realize that college students have one of the most dominant voices in the conversation over political correctness, I just hope that we truly understand how it can be abused. Our professors are now involved in this issue as well because many of the things that directly affect us, indirectly affect them and their ability to properly teach. As far as politicians and the concerns that they might have regarding the issue, I do not know if they actually care or if they are simply trying to gain votes. The point is that there are multiple groups of people who have strong voices in this matter, and all of the opinions that they put forth are important and worth considering.
Citations
Baby in College. Digital image. The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group,
Sept. 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Barnicle, Mike. "Mike Barnicle on How Widespread Political Correctness Is
Impacting Colleges (11 August 2015)." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Aug.
2015. Web. 09 Nov. 2015.
Haidt, Greg LukianoffJonathan. "The Coddling of the American Mind." The
Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 10 Aug. 2015. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
Kim, Jennifer. "Political Correctness and Timing: Advantages for Carson
and Trump in 2016." Brown Political Review. Brown Political Review,
18 Oct. 2015. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.
Salon. Trump and Carson. Digital image. Salon. Salon Media Group, Inc.,
31 Aug. 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Sept. 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Barnicle, Mike. "Mike Barnicle on How Widespread Political Correctness Is
Impacting Colleges (11 August 2015)." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Aug.
2015. Web. 09 Nov. 2015.
Haidt, Greg LukianoffJonathan. "The Coddling of the American Mind." The
Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 10 Aug. 2015. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
Kim, Jennifer. "Political Correctness and Timing: Advantages for Carson
and Trump in 2016." Brown Political Review. Brown Political Review,
18 Oct. 2015. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.
Salon. Trump and Carson. Digital image. Salon. Salon Media Group, Inc.,
31 Aug. 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.