If you truly want to understand PC (Political Correctness), I can think of no better way than to overhear a typical conversation between a teacher and one of his/her students. The teacher expressing himself/herself in the following manner is engaging in politically incorrect speech:
"You were late for my class. What’s the matter, why are you so lazy? Yesterday when I asked you for your homework, you said it was missing. The school year has just started, so I have been cutting you some slack by ignoring the fact that you have been sleeping in my class and you have been blabber-mouthing with everyone around you--even with that shy boy who sits behind you.
"Just today, I looked right at you while you were passing notes to the girl who sits beside you. I’ve been told by one anonymous source that you are the class gossip! Since you have been here, you have complained every afternoon before the bell rings that the cafeteria food is awful. What is the problem? It seems that every day you start out with a bad hair day!
"Follow me, we are going on a trip to the principal’s office. Wait, let’s stop by your locker here and get your books, because I think you are going to spend some time this week having detention. My gosh, your locker is overflowing with junk. I’ll bet your bedroom at home is hopelessly cluttered.
"What is that smell in your locker? It’s these smelly gym socks. I’m going to call your parents up tonight and suggest that they ground you. Do you want to be a class failure?"
After the student in the above onslaught heard the teacher give her/him a verbal spanking, she/he would be a psychological wreck and would likely go into an unreachable state of politically incorrect targeted victimization.
Had the teacher in the above inquisition used a little PC savvy, the conversation would have gone as follows and all would have ended well with the student’s self-esteem fully intact:
"You had a rescheduled arrival time for my class. What’s the matter, why are you so energetically declined? Yesterday, when I asked you for your homework, you informed me that it had an out-of-notebook experience. The school year has just started, so I have been cutting you some slack by ignoring the fact that you have been rationing consciousness in my class and you have been abundantly verbal with everyone around you--even with that conversationally selective boy who sits behind you.
"Just today, I looked right at you while you were participating in the discreet exchange of penned meditations with the girl who sits beside you. I’ve been told by one anonymous source that you are the class practitioner of the speedy transmission of near-factual information. Since you have been here, you have complained every afternoon before the bell rings that the cafeteria food is digestively challenged. What is the problem? It seems that every day you start out with rebellious follicle syndrome.
"Follow me, we are going on a mandatory field trip to the administrative office. Wait, let’s stop by your locker here and get your books, because I think you are going to spend some time this week with the exit delayed. My gosh, your locker is closure prohibitive. I’ll bet your bedroom at home is passage restrictive.
"What is that smell in your locker? It’s this odor-retentive athletic footwear. I’m going to call your parents up tonight and suggest that they place a social speed bump down for you. Do you want to be one of the passing impaired?"
Now
that is how to handle a young person’s guidance with the PC touch!
The truth is Political Correctness is not the answer. Caring
and considerate "tough love" is the answer.
--Kenneth J. Wolf #66 (12/11/99)