What's the Big Deal With Political Correctness Anyway?

What’s the big deal with political correctness anyway?

How many times have I heard some of my friends and family complain about how politically correctness is “ruining America”?

Really?

Ruining our great nation?

They aren’t angry over our excessive consumptive habits, or our addiction to violence and war, or the existence of pockets of excessive poverty in America, or systemic and structural racism in our country, but rather they are angry over something as benign as “political correctness”?

I mean really, you’re angry over this?

Sorry, I don't share in your angst.

Recently I viewed a disturbing video of folks leaving  a political rally. It was ugly and vulgar to say the least. One rally attendee held  his middle finger high in the air as he repeatedly yelled, “F*** political correctness, F*** political correctness”!

The young man was beside himself. His face was contorted with anger as he displayed his obscene gesture and repeated his filthy mantra. Many bystanders (noticeably all white) cheered him on. It was an ugly scene.

Really, do people actually get this angry over political correctness? 

Is it an issue worthy of such venom and vitriol?

Well pardon my bluntness but I don’t give a damn about this so-called "political correctness". 

I really don’t!

I really don’t care. But rather let me tell you what I do care about:

I care about honoring, protecting, and respecting the integrity of other human beings, especially those unlike me. This is what I care about and when anyone violates any one of these things I become angry.

I care that the things I might say and do in public might exclude anyone from the table of fellowship (metaphor) that our Constitution guarantees. Now this may not always be politically expedient or even correct, but it is a positive way to speak to another’s self-respect or to another’s personal value or to another’s right to sit at the table with me.

My neighborhood recently hosted a peace and unity vigil in the wake of the increased racial tensions in our country. I was impressed that a few of the residents organized the event with poetry readings, readings from the Bible, and prayers. A sheriff’s deputy also spoke.

One young pastor prayed a really good prayer for peace and unity. But then he ended his prayer by saying:

“I pray this prayer in the strong name of Jesus who saves.”

Great, this works well for Christians, right?

But by praying in the “Strong name of Jesus” he inadvertently or unknowingly excluded anyone attending the ceremony that may not have been of the Christian faith.

I don’t know if there were any non-Christians, or Jews, or Muslims attending but the prayer could have been more sensitive to the possibility of a non-Christian's presence.

Okay, I do not intend to criticize this young pastor. I have done the same thing as a younger pastor myself, but here is an excellent example of how the spirit of political correctness can protect and respect others unlike me.

The people who are not happy with political correctness, and this may shock some, are mostly white people. Quite frankly I have never heard an African American or a Hispanic complain about political correctness. I am sure there may be a small sampling of each demographic that has a negative  opinion about political correctness.

However, political correctness is mostly a white issue. 

But it is time for us white folks to stop complaining about being urged to become more inclusive in our actions and our words.

As a follower of the Inclusive One (Jesus) I consider it my responsibility to act and speak in ways that include everyone to join me at the human table of fellowship; actions and words that honor and respect another's basic humanity.

It remains incumbent upon me to be inclusive in as many ways as I possibly can. I do this because the One I have chosen to follow is the embodiment of inclusivity. If you care to complain that this kind political correctness annoys you then have at it.

You see it is important to me to honor the inclusive nature of God’s grace that has been shed upon us all. No one person, or one class of people, or one demographic, or any one Christian tradition, or any one religious tradition has exclusive ownership on God's all inclusive grace.

You will never hear me complain about political correctness so long as it is used as a tool for inclusiveness.

You will hear me though complain when I hear and see word or actions that intentionally divide and exclude others—especially from those who claim to follow the Inclusive One.