When and where did political correctness begin?

[aristotle]

Growing up in the 1960's and 70's, people were allowed and expected to speak plainly on important issues of the day. Speaking one's mind today comes with a heavy price for many. Liberals have nearly completed a coup in the struggle for acceptable speech in American society.

On one level, political correctness in the United States, seems to have been born out of a multi-pronged campaign launched by hardcore lefties: feminists, pro-abortion advocates, atheists, the homosexual community and those who see everything through the prism of race.

I think I first became aware of the true impact and insipid nature of political correctness soon after Bill Clinton came to power in 1992. Prior to Clinton's time in office, the traditional values which held our nation together for 200 years still seemed intact. During Clinton's reign, political correctness took off like a bottle rocket tearing through the sky. We became a different nation, bitterly divided ever since.

Ronald Reagan will possibly be our last consensus President, winning 48 or 49 states for a second term in 1984. America is so ferociously divided now, can anyone imagine any candidate having such widespread support?

One thing is certain: the men of our fathers' generation were a different breed than what passes for men today. Political correctness has left the modern American male a hollow shell of his former counterpart. It seems more clear now that political correctness was spawned primarily from gender grievances and sexual orientation abnormalities.

To pacify the malcontents, we all got neutered to some extent. Does anyone doubt our nation's moral decline runs parallel with the ascension of political correctness?

 

[Turtle]

The term was first used in today's context starting about 1970 when the New Left and feminists started using to further that agenda. Others quickly latched onto it. It was in the 90s that the political right began using the term as a pejorative. But really, if you think about it, political correctness is a manifestation in language and cultural form of Marxism, and it really began more than 80 years ago. Pat Buchanan wrote, and it's something I agree with, that "Political Correctness is Cultural Marxism, a regime to punish dissent and to stigmatize social heresy as the Inquisition punished religious heresy. Its trademark is intolerance."

By the same token, the political right uses the term for political gain, as an attack on the left, and playing on the fears of voters in the form of a red herring logical fallacy. The political right seized on the term and realized that by declaring war on the cultural manifestations of liberalism (as so well illustrated in your second paragraph above) - by leveling the charge of "political correctness" against its advocates - they could discredit the entire political left.

Political correctness isn't necessarily a pejorative, but it is a clear attempt at changing the way people think, which is social engineering, not unlike the social engineering of the religious right. Both must employ intolerance for it to work.

 

[aristotle]

I absolutely agree political correctness is a device to change thinking. Those who gain control of determining acceptable speech also make giant in-roads into controlling private thought as individuals begin to censor themselves. Saying the wrong or unacceptable words in a conversation can lead to loss of employment, loss of future benefits, loss of promotion. Arrest or worse. The price can be quite dear.

The most troubling aspect is the squelching of vigorous, open debate. Now, our words written and spoken must be carefully measured; leaving much unsaid and unresolved. Uniformity of thought as prescribed through some centralized authority isn't taking us in the best direction. Words are the building blocks of free thought. Now, we are being indoctrinated to feel guilt or second-guess ourselves whenever an unapproved or unscreened thought comes to mind. Political correctness runs contrary to the human spirit.

 

[Turtle]

What's worse is that it doesn't just censor speech, or have people censoring their thoughts, but rather over time it changes the way people think to the point where they don't have to censor themselves. Once you believe something to be true, it changes how you think. If something is repeated enough times, people will believe it. That's how indoctrination coupled with intolerance works.

Two years ago, I think it was, Obama signed into law (Rosa's Law) federal mandates which changes federal health, education and labor policy to alter the words "mentally retarded" and “mental retardation" with the phrases "individual with an intellectual disability" and "intellectual disability". This, despite "mental retardation" being a clinical medical term.

I'm actually a little surprised that it wasn't changed to "mentally disadvantaged" so as to take advantage of victimizing an entire class of future voters. At least they didn't go with "mentally differently abled".

What used to be plain good manners and consideration has turned into a melee where people pride themselves on their ability to be offended at anything. They define themselves by it.

 

[Brisco]

What's worse is that it doesn't just censor speech, or have people censoring their thoughts, but rather over time it changes the way people think to the point where they don't have to censor themselves. Once you believe something to be true, it changes how you think. If something is repeated enough times, people will believe it. That's how indoctrination coupled with intolerance works.

What used to be plain good manners and consideration has turned into a melee where people pride themselves on their ability to be offended at anything. They define themselves by it.

Oh My Gawd........Not to be changing the subject........but why did the goosebumps appear on my arms.....why did the hair stand up on the back of my neck........why did a slight feeling of vertigo just come across me????

Deja Vu'........Deja Vu'............and that's all I can say............

 

[BobWolf]

Heres the answer... What we need to do dig up and reanimate Archie Bunker He can fix the P.C. problem.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Heres the answer... What we need to do dig up and reanimate Archie Bunker He can fix the P.C. problem.

Funny you should mention that. Political correctness has changed the way we laugh, as well. Where the old SNL would have a skit based on race (like the famous Chevy Chase saying the N-word), SNL went to pot for a long time, because they seemed like they were in fear of offending 'someone'. It took until In Living Color came along, that we could laugh at race, and other sensitive issues, again.