Is Political Correctness Just Code For Hate Speech?

The War on Free Speech

By Darnyell Wint

You’ve probably heard the phrase “political correctness” or “PC” in your day-to-day political discussions.

The alt-right movement, conservatives, right-wing media and even libertarians have often rallied against political correctness, otherwise known as “PC culture.”

Some on the left have argued that claiming to fight political correctness is just an excuse to tolerate bigotry and hate.

Are they correct?

Well no, they are not correct. The majority of the “anti-PC culture” crowd just seek to protect the fundamental right that is freedom of speech in all its forms.

This is an issue at universities across the U.S. Recently, this issue has come into the spotlight again as tech giants such as Facebook and Google have announced their intention to subdue “fake news”. Such a task is idealistic, but very skeptical.

Twitter has started to suspend alt-right accounts. Some are concerned that anything that does not fall in line with the liberal mindset will be deleted.

These are private companies that have every right to allow what they please on their platforms. How about college campuses? Can speakers, teachers or students be banned for their speech and expression?

Let’s be clear, someone disturbing the peace or hindering learning should be removed from campus. However, what happens when just having a different opinion is disturbing the peace?

The recent presidential election showed the country that people can be offended by a person supporting a particular presidential candidate. This weak-mindedness is what the anti-PC crowd has feared for a while now. Although the government, to an extent, cannot persecute or regulate speech, private entities can subdue speech in small, but significant ways. Terminating an employee for his or her words can be an example.

It should be noted that with free speech comes consequences and people are within their rights to react to it, as long as no physical harm comes to another person. However, simple disagreements have ended careers, relationships and far more. This is why PC culture is under scrutiny. Defenders of liberty and Western civilizations seek to take on this culture of over-sensitized correctness.

The truth is that not everyone agrees with the liberal mindset. Banning certain speakers, curriculum or text, is basically banning students from having different views. This degrades a student’s educational growth. An intelligent person should be capable of hearing two opposing opinions, so that they form a more educated view.

At this rate, political correctness and liberal mindedness are on fast tract to looking like a subtle communist agenda.