Counter-communicative expressions (the most egregious offenders are “like,” “you know,” and “basically”) coupled with text-messaging shortcuts have done more to damage the arts of speaking properly and writing correctly than anything I’ve witnessed during my college teaching career.
Recently, a female student was recounting an incident at the fast food outlet where she works, in which a disgruntled customer resorted to cursing because his hamburger was garnished with a slice of unordered tomato. She introduced every sentence with “I was like,” and used “you know” as a sort of cadence throughout her conversation.
Although her listeners didn’t notice because they speak the same way, what I heard was a complete breakdown in the ability to communicate efficiently and effectively, which I believe is the number-one goal students must aim for while earning an education.
Even worse is the deleterious effects of political correctness, a liberal strategy to mutate society into a same-sex, un-individualistic entity, which I might not mind if I were a woman, but one glimpse of my craggy, unhandsome face proves otherwise.
During each semester, my composition students are disabused of politically correct notions. My duty is to teach them to focus on written communication’s Holy Grail: delivering the essential meaning in the most efficient, effective manner possible, which disallows superfluous words.
Male students must use the masculine pronouns “his” or “him,” and female students can use the feminine pronouns “she,” “her,” or “hers,” but no student is allowed to use politically correct, communication-crippling combinations, such as “his or her” or “he or she.”
As the cancer of political correctness metastasizes
The more the cancer of political correctness metastasizes, the more it becomes anathema to those of us who believe that a society and the nation it inhabits degenerate proportionately to the degeneration of speaking and writing skills.
Nowadays, political correctness has taken on an insidious, sinister nature: It has become a form of modern-day bigotry. The secular progress, liberal activists prancing across the stage of time attack anyone who doesn’t subscribe to their mindset — which is the definition of bigotry.
Many of them believe that those of us who are proud Southerners must be ashamed of — indeed must apologize for — our cultural heritage. They believe that anyone who isn’t a member of a minority group must feel guilty because of the ethnicity bestowed upon them by their Creator.
Furthermore, they are outraged that some members of society, believing that homosexuality is morally wrong (an attitude they label as hate crime), don’t feel obligated to accept and associate with gay individuals. And, in their relentless assault on patriotism and sovereignty, they are outraged that those who love America, especially we veterans, view her as the paradigm of exceptionalism.
On their target list, the most disturbing item, especially during this most wonderful time of year, is to remove Jesus Christ from Christmas — indeed to eliminate the term Christmas altogether. While they seem reluctant to speak disrespectfully of other religions, they denigrate those of us who accept Christ as Savior.
My response: Thank God, I’m not PC.
Jimmy Reed is an Oxford, Mississippi resident, Ole Miss and Delta State University alumnus, Vietnam Era Army Veteran, former Mississippi Delta cotton farmer and ginner, author, and retired college teacher.
This story is a selection from Jimmy Reed’s latest book, entitled The Jaybird Tales.
Copies, including personalized autographs, can be reserved by notifying the author via email (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).
