This took me a while (more mulling it over, than actual time with pen and paper) to find a politically correct way to write about Political Correctness. Just who decides what is politically correct and what isn\u2019t? Who makes the rules? Not, I venture to say, the \u201coffended\u201d party. More likely, some pretentious, look down their nose at the great masses type of person who, when they were in elementary school, were either the teacher\u2019s pet (do they have them anymore?) or the class tattletale. <\/p>\n
I must admit, I was plagued by both types when I was in grade school (as it was called in my day). The few times I raised my hand with the correct answer in my head, instead of faking it and hoping not to be called on, the teacher\u2019s pet got the nod. I only was called on when I was goofing off and didn\u2019t even hear the question. The tattletales back then were often the teacher\u2019s PET as well, and never missed it when one of us passed a note, threw a spitball or slipped a piece of Juicy Fruit gum out of our pocket. They immediately reported us to the teacher and we ended up \u201cdoing time\u201d in the hall, the cloakroom or when it was a serious offense, enduring a \u201cchat\u201d with the school principal.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m positive the politically correct movement grew because of the two types of \u201cdo gooders\u201d I grew up with: the tattletalers and the teacher\u2019s pets. When I make the slightest mistake, and say Indian instead of Native American, a grown-up tattletale is right there to point out my offense. I\u2019m not talking about truly racists, sexist or crude designations. I\u2019m talking about a minor misstep, the kind that most of us make every so often. Mostly because we don\u2019t have a subscription to the Politically Correct Newsletter. <\/p>\n
This approved way of speaking (and thinking) extends far beyond the use of insulting or cruel words and phrases. It has expanded to such a degree that it reminds me of George Orwell\u2019s \u201cNewspeak\u201d in his famous book, \u201c1984,\u201d where it (Newspeak) was used to limit a citizen\u2019s freedom of thought\u2014personal identity, self-expression and free will. Our current form of Newspeak goes even further. You can\u2019t mention you had a burger and fries at MacDonald\u2019s without getting a \u201cTsk, Tsk,\u201d from the Newspeak crowd \u2013 \u201cBad, bad food! Eat salad!\u201d Child\u2019s play is another target. NO DODGEBALL. \u2013 Tie scores at all peewee soccer, baseball and lacrosse games. Fairy tales are out \u2013 Too scary! The mean stepmother in Cinderella, the troll under the bridge and the witch in Hansel and Gretel are taboo \u2013 even though fairy tales started the process to help kids understand that there are bad people and bad outcomes in the real world. <\/p>\n
Buy a dog? Even that gets critiqued, \u201cIs it a rescue dog? Did you buy it at a pet store? Did the breeder do a background check on you before letting you \u201cadopt\u201d the dog?\u201d (The correct answers are: Yes, No, Yes.)<\/p>\n
The worst thing about Newspeak is the \u201cGotcha!\u201d factor. You make an innocent, and rather mild, slip of the tongue and the \u201cMasters\u201d of correct language pounce! That is their modus operandi; Brow beat and publicly shame you into conforming. But still, I wonder, who is it that makes the rules?<\/p>\n