What is “Political Correctness” Keeping You From Saying Out loud?

We heard it during the 2016 Presidential Campaign.  “I just like the fact he speaks his mind and he’s not politically correct.”  Oh really.  So, you like that quality in a leader?  If I’m hearing this from a Christian, it always makes me wonder: What do they really believe about women and minorities?  Gays?  Immigrants?  What is it they really want to say about women, the LBGT community, immigrants, and people of color, but feel they shouldn’t, because of “political correctness?”  What?

Do they want to say women are intrinsically inferior to men or should be home-makers first?  Do they want to say women shouldn’t hold certain jobs, positions, or make the same amount of money as men?  Do they want to say they prefer men holding positions of political leadership rather than women?  Do they want to say women are more emotional than men and, thus, not the best leaders?  What?

Do they want to say people of color are inferior to white people?  Do they want to say people of color are more likely to commit crime, use drugs, or be lazy?  Do they want to say such people are not as intelligent as white people?  Do they want to say people of color, or immigrants, shouldn’t be here (see here)?  Do they want to say they should be equal but separate?  What?

Do they want to say they don’t think gays should have equal rights before the law?  Do they want to say they think them perverted?  Do they want to say they want them back in the closet?  Do they want a return to the days when it was considered a mental illness?  Do they want to say they want to go back to the time when one could be arrested for being gay, or fired, or when it was just okay to shun such people?  What?

What?  What is it?  What bothers a person about a term (political correctness) that basically calls a person out for using sexist, racist, prejudicial language, or for proposing ideas and actions that are prejudicial?  Is the person bothered they can’t just come out and say prejudicial things without it being called out as such?

Or, do they think certain terms, or stereotypes, or generalizations regarding women, people of color, or gays are not sexist, racist, or prejudicial?  Is that the problem?  Is the problem they think Archie Bunker (younger people, look him up) was right, and everyone else, was/is wrong?  Are they just tired of not being able to say what they really think—and they resent it?  Is that why they were so supportive of a guy who claimed loudly he wasn’t “politically correct,” and just “spoke his mind?”  Did it make them feel better about holding such views?

And what is it about being against “political correctness” or just “speaking one’s mind” that allows Christians to over-look the person claiming to do so’s rudeness, bullying, and frankly—their just being a jerk?

Are they that upset they can no longer just say hateful things about gays, or sexist and racist things, that when someone comes along and basically says, “Hey, it’s okay to say all those things,” they are willing to then completely over-look the fact the person telling them such is narcissistic, rude, ignorant, and incompetent?

Frankly, I don’t like the term “political correctness” either.  We should strive for an “ethical” correctness, not a political one.  I would much rather we simply use the words “right” “wrong” “ethical” “unethical” “moral” and “immoral.”  When a person makes a racist, sexist, or prejudicial statement or advocates for laws or ideas that further such, I think we should just call it immoral, or unethical, or just wrong—politics be damned.

And those term are exactly the ones I would use to describe many of the statements, actions, and policy preferences of our current President.  He appeals, unlike Lincoln, to the worst in us—certainly not to the angels of our better nature.

Christian, if you supported candidate Trump because you thought it was some badge of honor to be for someone who wasn’t politically correct or just spoke his mind, maybe you should think about what that means, what it says about you.  What does it tell us as far as what it is you really want to say publicly, in polite company, about women, people of color, immigrants, and the LBGT community, but feel you can’t.

If “just speaking your mind” is so important to you, then speak it.  Tell us what it is you really want to say about women, people of color, immigrants, and the LBGT community but feel is taboo now because of “political correctness.”  Go ahead: We are listening.