Being Politically Incorrect

I was contemplating on whether or not to write about this topic. However, since I only post once in a while, it is safe to say that I am at low profile. Why not create an anonymous account? Well, someone I know will eventually find me. If you know me and have a sensitive personality, please don't read on. If you decide to read on, please don't take it too personal as I only mean well.

Something needs to be done to change the course requirements needed to graduate with a BBA degree at SFU. More specifically, the students who are going for a BBA need to enroll in more political science, sociology, and history courses.

I am ashamed to say that most of the friends I know are politically incorrect when it comes to using the word "gay". I used to be part of the crowd, where I would denote anything remotely stupid or negative to be "gay". In fact, I believe that I was influenced through watching cheap comedy shows and hearing other people who were politically incorrect say it (from school, internet etc.)

But everytime I said that something was "gay", I swear that the idea of relating negativity and homosexuals NEVER crossed my mind, thus I used to use the term in an "innocent" context. Yet, this is not a sound excuse for me.

It pained my girlfriend to hear the old me back then, and it was her who gave me a few lessons on what political correctness means while urging me to explore subjects I am not familiar with. Please don't misunderstand me as I am not an expert, I am just someone who is learning new things every step of the way.

Back to my friends... they use the term "gay" VERY casually without knowing that it is offensive. It makes them sound very uneducated. Plus, some of them have enormous egos, thinking they are all that and a CARGO of Doritos (Getting good grades in school doesn't mean EVERYTHING.)

Its really hard to convince them to marginalize certain words/phrases/attitudes because many people around them are politically incorrect as well, plus who am I to them? Thus, I pretend to ignore their offensive statements and carry on.

Now the dilemma here is whether or not we should continue to be politically correct. Advocates argue that there is no point in doing so as it can place a limit on freedom of speech. At the same time, there is no point in being correct anymore as many are already politically incorrect, so why bother?

I completely disagree with the critics because no individual or group deserves to be persecuted in such a manner. I say we need to set an example regardless of being in majority or not. But don't call me a hypocrite or call me weak for not being able to confront my friends. It is again EXTREMELY difficult to confront them because I am not the right person they should be seeing to change. The solution is for them to figure out what to do and to explore boundaries beyond them in order to truly understand where the world is coming from and where they are coming from. They need to analyze both sides of the situation, and to always keep an open mind on all subject matters. They cannot expect me to change them, nor can they expect the media to flip their leaves and reform society at the snap of their fingers.

I may not be their best source of help, but I try to be very cautious with what I say nowadays. Its true that I am not as proactive as I should about it, but at the same time I don't encourage political incorrectness.