Politically correctness has gone too far

The English language is one of the most wonderful things man has ever created. It’s just a shame it’s all going down the drain, now that we can’t use some of even the most basic words in the English language, just in case you might offend somebody. All of a sudden, a hobo can’t smell but a residentially flexible outdoor urban dweller can posses a nondiscretionary fragrance. The business language of the world is slowly being replaced by academic nonsense.

First of all, politically correct terms (PC terms) make it difficult for second language speakers. If you are learning English, you would much rather say, “Alcoholic” than “Anti-sobriety Activist.” If everyone starts talking like this, English learning programs around the world would have to be completely reconstructed.

Basic words that could be offensive have been changed. “Blackboard” is now a chalk board, “Black coffee” is “Plain coffee.” What if it went further? What if we couldn’t say “Chalk” because it’s white or “Plain” because it could refer to an ugly person (aesthetically challenged)? If we continue to be terrified of getting someone a little cross at the rate we do, we must either start inventing new words, or limit our vocabulary to a very small amount.

People are modifying the language just to make it more acceptable, but is it making it easier? When you have to say several words when you could just as easily say it in one, it’s easy to get lost in a conversation, and misinterpret things. If only part of the sentence is heard, you could get completely the wrong image. For example, a photonically non-receptive person is a blind person, but if, in a conversation, you only heard “Non-receptive,” you might be led to believe that the person in question is simply stubborn.

The dictionary definition of a joke is “Something said in fun or jest.” However, any joke remotely referring to another culture or ethnicity cannot be said without sues and lawsuits raining from the sky. Something that seems to have escaped from common sense is that a joke isn’t serious! It is not meant to offend, and should not be taken that way. Still, our sense of humour is slowly falling until we can only laugh at inanimate objects with no cultural relations.

David Cameron, leader of the Conservative party in the UK, fired a perfectly good MP, Patrick Mercer, for saying that you could get a harder time in the army if you were an ethnic minority. He didn’t insult anyone in any way, yet he was still fired for just stating his harmless opinion. However, David Cameron was never in the army, and Patrick was, and was awarded an OBE (Order of British Empire) award for his services in Bosnia. He made no racist comment, but his whole career as a Conservative politician crashed just because he commented about racism in the army. Cameron then stated, "The comments made by Patrick Mercer are completely unacceptable and I regret that they were made. We should not tolerate racism in the Army or in any walk of life. Patrick Mercer is no longer a shadow minister."

What will happen if PC goes too far? Will the world be silent, or will the local lingo be changed forever? It’s your choice. You can choose to deform your writing, mutate your words, or you can choose to speak the simpler, clearer, easier English that has been used for generations without trouble. It’s your choice.