Tough Questions & Answers

what you all are doing is giving up you first amendment. Say whats need to be said and forget it.

I suppose it depends on whose making the political incorrectness and their position in society. If they hold positions that govern,manage or supervise they have to express themselves so that it would not offend the very people they govern,etc. People in power have a responsibility to use tact. I suppose two averages Joes shooting the breeze over a cup of coffee at the town's coffee house is another thing. However be ready for the consequences if you say it around the wrong people. I suppose it's all about opinions and everyone has them. People are willing to express it no matter what.

I remember seeing a 1984 movie years ago, It was called Impulse. It was about a town after a earthquake, everyone in the town said and did whatever was on their mind. It was a complete disaster and everyone ended up destroying each other.

I suppose we're fortunate that most of us still understand that there is a difference between freedom of speech and being offensive to someone else. It's also important that most are willing to apologize if in fact they have found it was offensive which is usually what our politicians have learned to do well.

Hi Stranger,

Unfortunately, civilized societies set limits on what people can do and say. It is called "standards." Every society has one. Free speech guaranteed in the US Constitution was meant to encourage free and open dialogs for the sole purpose of improving policy discussions. The First Amendment was NEVER intended to give everyone a right say WHATEVER. We do live by many unwritten rules of our civilized society. Anarchy is unbearable. Try Somalia in 1991. You might have had your freedom, but there was no law and order.

"I'm hardly ever "politically correct, but I'm always RIGHT.

[For the "stiff necks", that's a joke].

Early on... PattyCake; You wrote… "Political correctness" is in itself a suppression of free speech. It attempts to intimidate people from free expression on the grounds that what they say may be at odds with the "socially acceptable" view.

Midagehippie; You wrote… “No matter what you say...no matter who you say it about...you will universally offend SOMEone...because that's the society we live in. Somewhere back in time...recently actually, we opened the proverbial Pandora's Box of political correctness...and we can't get the damn thing back in the box!”

Both of you hit the nail on the head. This political correctness is a way of trying to control others. To stifle even civil speech. I am not easy to control, just ask my wife on that one. I know what I'm saying about many things will be seen as offensive by some, so basically I don't worry about it too much. I am strongly opinionated and I hold many unpopular points of views from my experiences like U.S. Senator Barack Hussein Obama, Jr is a liar, but I can back it up with facts and examples, but I will say the truth, because it needs to be said.

My feeling is if you don't like what I said, OK with me.

Kona You wrote...The First Amendment was NEVER intended to give everyone a right say WHATEVER. That's like yelling FIRE in a theater, unless there is one.

I lived in Berkeley, California from 1989 to 1991. In those two years, I learned that so called Liberal people were about as dogmatic as Right Wing Republicans. Those liberals were convinced of their 'correctness' in such a way that they intimidated any opposing points of view. At least that was how they operated in Berkeley. Republicans never welcome. People with conservative social agenda - never welcome, etc. Quite frankly, I was very disillusioned by the Berkeley liberal types' mind set. I had been taught in my college classroom that truly liberal-democratic society would allow dissenting views and opinions, aka, minority view points. Like what Voltaire said: "I totally disagree with you, but I will fight tooth and nail for your right to say it." Unfortunately, Berkeley typed were so self-righteous that they couldn't possibly allow Bush supporters to even utter a word. So,what did I learn? Human beings are inherently double standard. When they are holding on to minority views, they will shout for the First Amendment rights and the true principle of Liberal Democracy. But, the moment they sense that they are the majority, they don't want to hear other view points. I would have respected the Berkeley type more if they were more tolerant. I actually agreed with many of their policy ideas.

My daughter is stationed in Monterrey, CA, and she says that the military is shunned, made fun of, or fights are started if they go into town in uniform, because the town is so liberal. So they usually are told to wear their civilian clothes when going off base. How sad!

As a person who is proud to be an American. The indicatos of where the line is in terms of what may be labeled "offensive or illegal" is in the Intent and consequences. If the intent is to injure and harm/ if injury or harm to others results, then the indicator shows that words and acts have gone too far. Other's protection requires certain limits on individual freedoms to protect others' rights, order, and harmony.