Changes

==Examples==

==Examples==

An example of political correctness is the changing terminology used to described handicapped people.  In the past the term "crippled" was perfectly acceptable and not considered offensive.  At some point, Americans like Senate Republican leader [[Bob Dole]] decided "crippled" was degrading and the preferred term changed to "handicapped". This, too, was eventually deemed offensive and "disabled" became the preferred term.  Today, "disabled" is now considered degrading and "differently abled" and "physically challenged" are now the politically correct terms.   

An example of political correctness is the changing terminology used to described handicapped people.  In the past the term "crippled" was perfectly acceptable and not considered offensive.  At some point, Americans like Senate Republican leader [[Bob Dole]] decided "crippled" was degrading and the preferred term changed to "handicapped."  This, too, was eventually deemed offensive and "disabled" became the preferred term.  Today, "disabled" is now considered degrading and "differently abled" and "physically challenged" are now the politically correct terms.  The same can be said for the changing uses of terms for Black Americans:  "Negro" and "colored," once perfectly acceptable terms, became offensive during the 1970s and "Afro-American" and "Black" came into use, which in turn gave way to "[[African Americans|African-American]]," and in broader usage, "people of color."   

 

The same can be said for the changing uses of terms for Black Americans:  "Negro" and "colored", once perfectly acceptable terms, became offensive during the 1970s and "Afro-American" and "Black" came into use, which in turn gave way to "[[African Americans|African-American]]", and in broader usage, "people of color".  

The question of politically correct language has spilled over from the use of racially descriptive words and affected the use of traditional language.  In 1999, an aide to the mayor of Washington DC described a budget decision as "niggardly" (a word meaning "stingy," unrelated to the racial slur).  The aide immediately came under criticism and was forced to resigned even though he had not said anything racially charged. However, his name was cleared within a matter of days and was offered to return to his previous position. <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/williams/williams020499.htm</ref>

The question of politically correct language has spilled over from the use of racially descriptive words and affected the use of traditional language.  In 1999, an aide to the mayor of Washington DC described a budget decision as "niggardly" (a word meaning "stingy," unrelated to the racial slur).  The aide immediately came under criticism and was forced to resigned even though he had not said anything racially charged. However, his name was cleared within a matter of days and was offered to return to his previous position. <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/williams/williams020499.htm</ref>

As well as language, political correctness discourages the use of racial or stereotypes in fiction out of concern that these stereotypes may become self-perpetuating. For example, frequently seeing the image black gang-members decked out in gold chains, carrying guns and listening to rap may pressure young black people into seeing this lifestyle as the more 'acceptable' choice for their racial group. The common image of female-dominated occupations (nurses, secretaries, care workers, etc) and of male-dominated occupations (IT workers, military, machinery operators, mechanics, etc.) can discourage individuals of either gender from considering those occupations traditionally belonging to the other. Additionally films like "The Siege" and "True Lies" have been criticized by pro-Islamic groups as having Muslims portrayed as terrorists, despite the fact that most current terrorists are in fact Muslims.  Thus political correctness becomes the consideration of all public statements and media for their unintentional social impact.

As well as language, political correctness discourages the use of racial or stereotypes in fiction out of concern that these stereotypes may become self-perpetuating. For example, frequently seeing the image black gang-members decked out in gold chains, carrying guns and listening to rap may pressure young black people into seeing this lifestyle as the more 'acceptable' choice for their racial group. The common image of female-dominated occupations (nurses, secretaries, care workers, etc) and of male-dominated occupations (IT workers, military, machinery operators, mechanics, etc.) can discourage individuals of either gender from considering those occupations traditionally belonging to the other. Additionally films like "The Siege" and "True Lies" have been criticized by pro-Islamic groups as having Muslims portrayed as terrorists, despite the fact that most current terrorists are in fact Muslims.  Thus political correctness becomes the consideration of all public statements and media for their unintentional social impact.

Political correctness can even affect terminology that's viewed by secularists as too "pro-religion" or an alleged "violation of the separation of church and state" in the United States. The best example of this is the active promotion of the use of [[C.E.]] and [[B.C.E.]] as the abbreviations used after dates (instead of the commonly and traditionally used [[A.D.]] and [[B.C.]]).

Political correctness can even affect terminology that's viewed by secularists as too "pro-religion" or an alleged "violation of the separation of church and state" in the United States. The best example of this is the active promotion of the use of [[C.E.]] and [[B.C.E.]] as the abbreviations used after dates (instead of the commonly and traditionally used [[A.D.]] and [[B.C.]]). Additionally, [[atheists]] as school administrators or [[government]] [[Labor union|union]] workers at liberal schools use political correctness as a means for renaming terms they view as too pro-religious. For example, a [[Seattle]] student at a local elementary school volunteered to do a project as part of a community-service effort that she was doing through her school, supplying plastic eggs filled with jellybeans, called "Easter eggs."  She had an idea to fill little plastic eggs with treats and jelly beans and other candy to give to her classmates, however, after asking the teacher for permission, the student reportedly explained, "She said that I could do it as long as I called this treat '''spring spheres''.' I couldn't call them Easter eggs."<ref>http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/04/mystery_seattle_student_claims.php</ref><ref>http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/04/easter_eggs_reportedly_renamed.html</ref>

==Differing Opinions==

==Differing Opinions==