Reply #51: As long as those words aren't being predetermined for you. [View All]

[porphyrian]

And, you must admit, there has been some of that associated with political correctness and/or those seeking to "enforce" it. Manners and politeness are subjective, and should not be required any more than people should be forced to pray before meals or hold doors open for others. One's behavior should be, and is, judged on an individual basis according to the situation, not by some prescribed ceremony or language use.

I believe wholeheartedly that sweeping generalizations are inherently false, and that they can be harmful or damaging, especially when used to condemn or defame. However, our Constitutional right to freedom of speech trumps the desire of others to be addressed in a specific manner, unless doing so otherwise inflicts harm or infringes on the target's Constitutionally-protected rights, as with hate crimes (though I believe there is still some gray area where hate speech is the only offense). Words only have the power we give them, and the PC movement itself is in part responsible for empowering the very things it was meant to eliminate, as evidenced by the backlash today (albeit that backlash has been fanned by the fascism and racism sweeping the world as well).