Political correctness: January 06, 1997 issue of New Thinking

January 06, 1997 New Thinking:
Political correctness

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January 06, 1997

Political correctness

By Gerry McGovern

Language can be a lot of things and sometimes it can be a weapon.

Have you heard the one about the Paddy who did really stupid things because he was a Thick Paddy? I’ve heard it, and when I didn’t laugh, I was sometimes told I was no sport, and sometimes told that I was being politically correct.

Now, I don’t find Paddy jokes the least bit funny. And I never will. And anyone who tells them in my company won’t get away with it too easily.

There’s a long history behind Paddy jokes. A deliberate political strategy to denigrate the Irish race, to weaken us as a culture, so that we might be more easily subjugated.

There’s a history and strategy behind many jokes and many words, a latent intent, a depth-charge of meaning that often goes off in the sub-conscious.

Language changes. Look at Olde English. Look at your language one hundred years ago. It’s not simply the new inventions that have entered the vocabulary. Changes in language reflect changes in attitudes. Words come and words go and words adapt.

The use of ‘chairman,’ for example, reflected a time when there were no ‘chairwomen.’ In fact, for many, many years, women were essentially written out of the language of power for the simple and obvious reason that they had little or no power.

Having stated all the above, I would have to say that I agree with the many responses I got to the last New Thinking (Multi-Cultural Internet), pointing out that giving a Christmas greeting, even though all the readers might not share in the event, is still a positive gesture. The point was made that once a greeting is given with goodwill, the vast majority of people will take it that way.

Back to more concrete issues such as marketing your product or service on the Internet. Let’s say that among my customer base I have 10 Chinese clients. It’s New Year, and I want to send personal emails to all my customers.

Don’t I need to be a bit careful in how I phrase my New Year greetings to my Chinese customers, who don’t actually celebrate their New Year on January 1? What’s more, shouldn’t I find out when they do celebrate it and send them a special Happy New Year on the right date?

But back to political correctness. Indeed, it has gone too far in certain fanatics’ hearts. But don’t forget either, there were and are enemies of its basic, original intent for equality and fairness.

Oh, those two words -- politically correct -- have become so loaded in themselves. They have become an insult, a negative. Like calling someone a ‘terrorist,’ who thirty years ago you would have called a ‘guerrilla,’ who last century you would have called a ‘rebel,’ who today in the form of Nelson Mandela, you would call a world leader.

My readers who responded got it right. They call for respect of other people’s cultures and customs, but equally, respect and pride in what each of us holds dear. They told me that what makes the world so rich is its magnificent diversity and that when we lose that we are all losers.

Gerry McGovern

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Those two words -- politically correct -- have become so loaded in themselves. They have become an insult, a negative.