Politically Correct

Why is it politically correct? Why not "socially correct" or "unbiased with regard to sex, race, creed, nationality, etc?" What's politics got to do with it?

I call on polite and unbiased people everywhere to throw off the shackles of "political correctness" and embrace some less-biased term. Because, you see, politically correct implies that there is some political slant to being polite, and that's either a slur toward liberals (they're such wussy people that they feel a need to be politically correct) or conservatives (they're such politically incorrect people, which includes no only their rudeness to members of other statistical groupings, but also in all the rest of their politics).

In fact, the mistaken belief that, "liberal," means, "politically correct," and, "conservative," means, "unregenerate biased asshole," is bull anyway. Why can't you be polite and for smaller government? Again with the lumping together of views. I happen to be fairly fiscally conservative (although extremely socially liberal, as can be seen by my complete and total embrace of sin and vice... every Friday down at Joe's [rim shot]), but I'm also fairly polite, at least when I want to be. It's just common courtesy not to insult people; there's nothing political about it.

So the hell with "political correctness." Let's just call it what it is: consideration. If one can be tarred with the epithet of politeness, then tar away. I'll take it.

That said, I am not always polite, and I don't think there's any obligation so to be. Sometimes in the service of a greater goal (usually anger or humor, but we'll leave it for now) one must be prepared to offend some people. And some people are just too damn easy to offend. You can't please everyone. Maybe that's all the political correctness should mean: trying (and failing) to please everyone. In that case, they can have the term; I'm sticking with polite.