Though politically incorrect language can often be seen as demeaning and/or disrespectful, it is typically nearly impossible to be completely politically correct at all times. Someone who constantly tries to be “politically correct” will inevitably be sacrificing their right to free speech. Political correctness can be defined as "Someone who is politically correct believes that language and actions that could be offensive to others, especially those relating to sex and race, should be avoided" (Cambridge Dictionary). This use of language, ideas, and policies are an attempt to avoid offenses taken by an individuals race, religion, gender and other contexts. Though some implications of political correctness are valid, such as the use of the term "retard", political correctness often distracts from an individual’s right to exercise free speech (Downes).
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Many individuals do not feel a personal connection with Africa if they were born in America. Additionally, there are also white people from African as well. With this pressure to be constantly politically correct, the world has become overly sensitized, reluctant to use the word "black" as to not offend a racial group. This debate is continuously ongoing as people struggle with how to refer to "African Americans", or "Black" people? Interestingly, "a Wall Street Journal/ NBC poll showed that 42 percent of respondents preferred to be called black, compared to 35 percent who went by African American and 13 percent who said it didn’t matter" (Izadi). Further showing that even if you define the phrase as one or the other, you still run the risk of someone being offended since it is not the term that they personally
Many individuals do not feel a personal connection with Africa if they were born in America. Additionally, there are also white people from African as well. With this pressure to be constantly politically correct, the world has become overly sensitized, reluctant to use the word "black" as to not offend a racial group. This debate is continuously ongoing as people struggle with how to refer to "African Americans", or "Black" people? Interestingly, "a Wall Street Journal/ NBC poll showed that 42 percent of respondents preferred to be called black, compared to 35 percent who went by African American and 13 percent who said it didn’t matter" (Izadi). Further showing that even if you define the phrase as one or the other, you still run the risk of someone being offended since it is not the term that they personally