“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” is a proverb that I directly attribute to our current societal climate of political correctness, or as I like to call it, polite lying. If you’ve ever heard anyone tell you to say “happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” then you have witnessed speech restriction. This is the Left’s, specifically the liberal mainstream media’s, favorite tactic: implementing speech control because they know that they can not truly persuade on certain issues and silencing the opposing viewpoint is the only recourse.
In present day academia, there is no room for academic discourse between individuals with opposing viewpoints between conservative and liberal students, or even just strongly opinionated views. Nowadays, comments, dissent, criticism, and even compliments can get you into hot water. The University of Wisconsin has a list of “discouraged behaviors and/or phrases” called “Examples of Racial Microaggressions.”
These can range from asking someone where they are from to simply claiming that you are not racist. The beauty of living in the United States is that we are given freedom of speech without having to fear incarceration. This is what makes America the greatest country in the world: individual liberties and freedoms trump governmental control, at least their intended purpose.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures that “Congress Shall Make No Law Respecting an Establishment of Religion, or Prohibiting the Free Exercise Thereof; or Abridging the Freedom of Speech, or of the Press; or the Right of the People Peaceably to Assemble, and To Petition the Government for a Redress of Grievances.”
The Left believes that the needs of the group outweigh the needs of the individual, which in all honesty, is socialism/cultural Marxism hidden beneath the veil of “let’s not offend anybody.”
If we look at George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, we see individualism and personal freedom replaced with totalitarian control. If we limit certain forms of speech, we are one step closer to making Orwell’s dystopian 1984 a reality.
Of course, the Right also has a part to play in this discussion, with their censoring and prohibition of morally wrong television shows, books, and movies.
An example would be the American Family Association started a petition to boycott Target over their recent statement about allowing individuals to use the bathroom of their preferred identity. Regardless, I am focusing on the Left, because if you look at our current society, we are being brainwashed into thinking how the liberal media wants us to think. This isn’t some David Icke conspiracy theory: this is reality.
I will not allow the government to tell me what I can and can not say in fear of offending anyone. A school in Seattle renamed its Easter eggs ‘spring spheres’ to avoid causing offence to people who did not celebrate Easter. This is beyond absurd and quite hilarious. Many universities are requiring faculty members to undergo “sensitivity training” which aims to “sensitize offensive attitudes and behaviors.”
I believe that using tact while having thoughtful and respectful discussions is key to intellectual discourse. While having a conversation about transgender bathroom policies, for example, using slurs and refusing to hear alternative viewpoints doesn’t help to resolve any issues or conflicts. Screaming and shouting, claiming your opinions are right without looking at facts and attempting to shut up anyone who disagrees is a favorite tactic of the Left.
Take a look at the Black Lives Matter protestors who interrupted Bernie Sanders’ speech in Seattle. The two women tried to take the microphone from Senator Sanders, screaming that they were going to “shut down” the rally. They also claimed that the fact that they weren’t allowed to steal the mic was proof “how racist Seattle is.” This is intolerance at its finest.
A participant of today’s political conversations can’t speak their opinions on controversial topics such as illegal immigration of people with criminal records, men’s mental health issues, or the alarming indoctrination of children to “not conform” to their gender, without being called racist, sexist, or homophobic.
So next time you want to oppose the status quo in class, at work, or anywhere else for that matter, remember that the Thought Police will attempt to change your mind in favor of absurd liberal orthodoxy.