Political Correctness Destroying Free Speech in American Universities

“Recently returning from Hungary, where she has been serving as a missionary since 2002, one Christian missionary testified that the degree of ‘political correctness’ in America has risen exponentially over the 12 years since she left to spread the gospel in Eastern Europe. After interviewing the missionary, identified as ‘Melanie,’ author Andrée Seu Peterson realized the United States is indeed a different place than it was just over a decade ago. She agreed with Melanie that fears over speaking about numerous politically correct issues back in 2002 were nothing compared to today--on topics from gender or ethnic groups to homosexual behavior to abortion. ... Peterson then pointed out how universities have over-sensitized students to the point where they are warned to shield their eyes and ears to ideas, concepts, and material that they might find the least bit disturbing or inconsistent with campus politics. ‘The teaching of English today is a mandate to get rid of language that hurts people’s sensibilities,’ Peterson continued. ‘At the University of California in Santa Barbara, course syllabi are required to come with “trigger warnings” alerting students to content that may hurt their feelings. Like that contemptible Huckleberry Finn book.’ Peterson discovered an entirely new evolution of terms that have been used in America for generations. ‘The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) guidelines bristle with examples to “provide inclusionary alternatives to specific exclusionary wording,”’ Peterson informed. “Exclusionary forms, those to be flushed out of the culture, include: man, mankind, man’s achievements, the best man for the job, man the controls, man the ticket booth.” ... Peterson noted how the simplest innocuous sentences have been henpecked by modern-day grammarians in the state-run education system who are striving to replace the way Americans speak with a new politically correct vernacular that is no respecter of sexes. ‘The teachers council is happy to oblige with sample sentences,’ Peterson explained. ‘Maria is a career woman’ is retired for ‘Maria is a professional.’ ‘You guys go ahead’ is more properly ‘You students/class/third graders go ahead.’ ‘Dear Mothers, please bake cookies for your class party’ becomes in this brave new world, ‘Dear Families, please bake cookies for your class party.’”

“Political Correctness,” OneNewsNow.com, Jan. 21, 2015

---