Is it time for the P.C. movement to move on Out of here?

[RaZor HeaD]

When the Politically Correct movement started in the mid to late 90's here in the U.S. I thought. "What a great idea! A tool to finally make people publicly behave themselves."
Up until then: tacit acceptance of something different would be somewhat of an exception in our culture and even overt social malfeasance had been acceptable to a remarkable degree. Here was a lever that could make our society respond appropriately to dissimilar cultures/people and prod us into conducting ourselves in a proper way. Peer pressure was to be the mechanism to so effectively do this for us and it would succeed where laws and reason could not.

No longer would we have to watch as the troglodyte across from us spewed forth venom and vindictiveness aimed at the poor unfortunates who happened not to look and act exactly like them, while those of us with more gentler dispositions lacked any means to correct this loutish behavior. The paradigm had dramatically shifted and now the hostile were properly placed into the role of antagonizer while the victim was given the power to defend themselves.

However, it seems to me that what was once a constructive device for social responsibility has become an indiscriminate cudgel primarily used to bludgeon for malice and personal gain. The casual mechanism of watchful oversight had been transformed into a painstaking application of irrational, legal punishment.

Therefore, what I want to know is: Is it time to squarely place the P.C. movement into the trash bin of "Things we used to use but no longer work properly?"

Note:
I believe that there's little point in regurgitating the perfectly obvious and so I'm uninterested in discussing platitudes like, "Power corrupts and absolute power etc." and "Anything created by man is susceptible to mis-use."
Also. I was unsure of whether to post this here or in the Ethos, Mores, et Monastica section, so if I guessed wrong I apologize.

[Stavroforos]

A level of political correctness should exist for reasons of civility, courtesy, and manners. In our day and age though, this level of political correctness is more common sense and common courtesy than it is something that must be followed.

It shouldn't reach excesses however, such as calling short people "vertically challenged." It's a mild form, but I think you get the idea.

[RaZor HeaD]

A level of political correctness should exist for reasons of civility, courtesy, and manners...this level of political correctness is more common sense and common courtesy than it is something that must be followed.

My point is that in the U.S. it has become a legally binding concept that must be followed under pain of severe punishment and is no longer a rule-of-thumb (so to say) for common courtesy and manners.

One example of this is the brother of a black work associate of mine. This man was a police officer, and during a recent arrest he said to the arrestee (who was also black) "What's wrong with you n-word?" This was an obvious case of one black man simply criticizing another black man for doing something stupid. Without much due-process my friends brother was fired from the police force.

People of color are at a disadvantage and relatively powerless in American society, and because of this, I suspect that many of them have decided to use the P.C. concept not to solicit proper common decency from others but to spitefully gain personal advantage over anyone they can. Black men are even sacrificing their own now in the name of P.C.

An old but famous case was a white man who used the word niggardly in a conversation while at work. A black companion of his was present during the conversation and agitated for the man to be fired over this. The word niggardly means 'not generous' and is not a racial slur. Irregardless of this, the white man was publicly embarrassed and came quite close to losing his employment.

I am afraid that in this country, the P.C. idea has been irreversibly corrupted and may have lost any significant value for society as a whole. And if this is the case...shouldn't we throw it away?

[Fiyenyaa]

A level of political correctness should exist for reasons of civility, courtesy, and manners. In our day and age though, this level of political correctness is more common sense and common courtesy than it is something that must be followed.

It shouldn't reach excesses however, such as calling short people "vertically challenged." It's a mild form, but I think you get the idea.

This is pretty much how I think too.
P.C. is essentially a set of guidelines on how to be polite to everyone. It's quite clumsy, but until there is a better system, it's all we've got.
You can still be rude or offensive to people; I don't think that anyone should expect to be rude or offensive without suffering consequences, though.

[MaximiIian]

A level of political correctness should exist for reasons of civility, courtesy, and manners. In our day and age though, this level of political correctness is more common sense and common courtesy than it is something that must be followed.

This. A degree of social tolerance and good manners are necessary. Though I'd chalk this up to just "not being a dick" than "political correctness".

It shouldn't reach excesses however, such as calling short people "vertically challenged." It's a mild form, but I think you get the idea.

Too true. I'm short (just a few inches over five feet), but I am not challenged by my height. If anything, it's the too-tall people (anyone over six feet) who are the problem in this world.

[RaZor HeaD]

So does this mean we shouldn't refer to gay people as the "heterosexually differently enabled"?

[Digbert]

A level of political correctness should exist for reasons of civility, courtesy, and manners. In our day and age though, this level of political correctness is more common sense and common courtesy than it is something that must be followed.

It shouldn't reach excesses however, such as calling short people "vertically challenged." It's a mild form, but I think you get the idea.

I agree with you 100% common sense should rule the world +REP

[Barry Goldwater]

As with Stavroforos, a degree of civility ought to be maintained by all, though I wouldn't call this 'political correctness' - I'd call this 'having manners and not being a troglodyte'.

Of course, this should not be enforced, simply expected and a norm - we can still have s going up and yelling about whatever they want, just let other people deal with them

[._.]

political correctness is just a word invented by bigots to say stuff like 'it may not be completely PC but i hate all muslims'. what we need to get rid of is the word political correctness imo...

[Treize]

I'm very much against PC'ness.
So yes...

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

There is no PC movment.

[Dr. Croccer]

I agree with Stavroforos.

[Manco]

This PC is a mirage, I've never been confronted with it as it's always described on the internets.

I've often seen extremists of all sides get angry because they are told they're wrong, unnuanced or simply rude and then rant on about PC though.
But only weak-minded people would be stopped by PC if they really thought what they were saying was worth saying.

[removeduser_487563287433]

The "PC movement" is either fantasy or what biggots call people who criticise them.

[André Masséna]

Therefore, what I want to know is: Is it time to squarely place the P.C. movement into the trash bin of "Things we used to use but no longer work properly?"

uhm, YES!