Political Correctness

What does this even mean?  I used to get upset with people who criticized political correctness.  It seemed like most of them were assholes that wanted the right to be assholes, which I suppose is their right, but that doesn't mean that we have to shut up and not criticize them for being assholes.  The point of political correctness seemed to be that we should think critically about our cultural norms and change those patterns of speech that seemed to reinforce and/or create cultural norms that were anti-democratic. 

The most obvious example of political correctness in my mind was the end of the word "nigger".  At least where I went to school, it was so socially inappropriate that I had friends who used the term, "the N-word" in casual conversation.  So, when I came across people that railed against using the term sanitation worker, instead of garbage man, I would usually respond, "Yeah, and let's bring back 'nigger' while we're at it," to try to shock them into realizing that words are culturally powerful.  I don't think it worked, but I was young and naive enough to think I was fighting my own little battle in the 90s culture wars.

But, on the other hand, does changing the language change beliefs, values and behaviors?  Well, maybe for some.  Or maybe it changes the cultural atmosphere for the young'uns growing up.  Maybe I was less racist because "the N-word" had become unmentionable in my community.

But even if this is true, I suspect that it was a much more organic and gradual process, rather than a fad, which it seemed like political correctness was.  Probably, p.c.-ness died out because it ended up being so inauthentic.  Euphemism does not change hearts and minds.  Instead, you had the reactionaries, who were determined to be as un-p.c. as possible and were able to win cool points as assholes because they were rebelling against the man.  You also had a whole lot of closet assholes that might talk the p.c. talk in public, but be racist/sexist/homophobic/take your pick of the asshole category at home, with friends, etc.

The real trick is how to be authentically decent people - that's not pc, that's love.