Is US too politically correct?

News piece about how the US has become a bit too politically correct and the ridiculousness of people having to apologize for meaningless things.

Tuning Out Twitter

A vow of silence amid Twitter’s onslaught of outrage

Interesting opinion about the Twitter outrage machine and how it has become a little to heated for the writer and how she will stop participating directly and watch from the sidelines.

Outrage Can't Overpower Free Speech

Outrage Can't Overpower Free Speech

This article discusses how certain people want "controversial" people to be barred from speaking at certain events, and how that is an unhealthy reaction when instead we should be having debates on topics we have disagreements about. It says that speech shouldn't be controlled by a vocal minority and that even though the government isn't the one barring speech, the result is the same.

"Most people are willing to allow a diverse set of views and ideas. We must not reward the sensitive and easily outraged with power over our national conversation. We must not let those who seek to limit speech, whether they use the law or other means, have control over our culture.

There's always some risk in encouraging people to speak freely. We're all going to experience some offensive words. But letting any group control the conversation holds much more danger for our country."

Carlin on Euphemisms

The legendary stand up comedian, George Carlin, speaks on the softening of our language which has been done to avoid direct and honest language.

PC culture is anti-liberal

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/01/not-a-very-pc-thing-to-say.html

This article goes into how political correctness actually goes against liberal values, and is used by fringe elements on the far left to stifle and/or control debates. It shuts down debates by resorting to ad hominem attacks. It also discusses how the outrage generated by these groups is used by many websites as "clickbait" and a way to generate page views and revenue. Excellent read.

Reemergence of PC Culture

Op-ed piece on the reemergence of political correctness

I found this to be a great write up on the reemergence of the PC culture, that entered the mainstream culture primarily in the 90s. It discusses how it started off as a well meaning movement, but somehow evolved into an overbearing and overwhelming force, fueled by social media.

PC Cartoon Comedy

I feel this picture explains why I think this trend of being easily offended is so ridiculous. Even in comedy, there has been added pressure to not make any jokes that might hurt ones feelings. The euphemisms that people have to use in such a climate are themselves a joke.

Modern Culture of Outrage

Since the rise and explosion of social media, it appears that we are developing a culture of constant outrage and subsequent apologies. It creates a climate where one needs to walk on eggshells when either making a joke or saying their opinions. While it is understandable for people to be outraged by certain situations, the trend seems to concentrate on being offended by unimportant things, with the outrage petering out within a few days. The problem with this to me is that our right to free speech is being curtailed not by the government but by group pressure from fringe groups on the internet.