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One of the big buzzwords this past year has been political correctness.

This is the obsessive fear that all our language and actions are going to be policed so no ones precious feelings are ever hurt. Accusations of political correctness are automatic conversation-killers because no one wants to be accused of it. Its synonymous with the thought police. But theres a dirty secret to being politically correct: everyone is guilty of it in some way.

Most often, the charge of political correctness is leveled against leftists and liberals, who can be quick to accuse others of sexism or racism. Theyve been nicknamed snowflakes because theyre supposedly unique and fragile.

And sure, not every accusation is accurate. Ive even seen far too extreme cases of university students demanding college curricula be altered to avoid anything potentially offensive, which isnt fair. College is supposed to challenge you and present uncomfortable ideas, but is there anything wrong with telling students the controversial material to let the student drop the class if they dont want to hear it? Challenging, even offensivematerial should be presented, but students should be able to make an informed decision about it.

Much of this political correctness has had positive effects. By encouraging more diversity and greater awareness, it has allowed for better representation of women and minorities and opened larger debates about race, gender and other societal divisions.

But people on the right can be politically correct, too. Its just that they have different values, so they are protective of a different set of beliefs. For example, I have seen people complain about my column and say some of what I write is offensive. Well, isnt atheism politically incorrect? Arent I expressing an unpopular idea?

Or consider Colin Kaepernicks protest by kneeling during the anthem instead of standing. For many people on the right, this was hugely offensive. Kaepernick was doing something immensely politically incorrect. Or how so many people on the right complained when people wanted to remove the Confederate flag, despite its origins in the slaveholding South. Should their feelings be considered when they claim others feelings should be dismissed?

There is a double standard here. The people who most often denounce political correctness often seem to be unable to handle it when that incorrectness is aimed against their values. So it isnt a concern about correctness as much as silencing the opposition.

Now, you can say that the left is trying the same thing, but I think theres a crucial distinction in play. History is often the struggle between dominant and minority groups, with the dominant group being the one that determines what is socially acceptable. However, a free society requires the ability for all voices to have a chance to be heard. If cries of political correctness are used to continue to silence people who historically have been silenced, then we should be skeptical.

We also have a First Amendment, which says we have the freedom to say what we want without penalty. Only under very extreme circumstances is speech prohibited, but this says nothing about other peoples reactions. They have the right to complain, protest and condemn. We have to balance having freedom of speech both ways, while at the same time being vigilant in watching which groups that speech is being used to oppress.

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Political correctness weaponized in face of unpopular opinion - The Vermilion