The Atlantic: Americans Strongly Dislike PC Culture

[TygrBright]

Youth isn’t a good proxy for support of political correctness, and race isn’t either.

One obvious question is what people mean by “political correctness.” In the extended interviews and focus groups, participants made clear that they were concerned about their day-to-day ability to express themselves: They worry that a lack of familiarity with a topic, or an unthinking word choice, could lead to serious social sanctions for them. But since the survey question did not define political correctness for respondents, we cannot be sure what, exactly, the 80 percent of Americans who regard it as a problem have in mind.

There is, however, plenty of additional support for the idea that the social views of most Americans are not nearly as neatly divided by age or race as is commonly believed. According to the Pew Research Center, for example, only 26 percent of black Americans consider themselves liberal. And in the More in Common study, nearly half of Latinos argued that “many people nowadays are too sensitive to how Muslims are treated,” while two in five African Americans agreed that “immigration nowadays is bad for America.”

It is obvious that certain elements on the right mock instances in which political correctness goes awry in order to win the license to spew outright racial hatred. And it is understandable that, in the eyes of some progressives, this makes anybody who dares to criticize political correctness a witting tool of—or a useful idiot for—the right. But that’s not fair to the Americans who feel deeply alienated by woke culture. Indeed, while 80 percent of Americans believe that political correctness has become a problem in the country, even more, 82 percent, believe that hate speech is also a problem.

It turns out that while progressive activists tend to think that only hate speech is a problem, and devoted conservatives tend to think that only political correctness is a problem, a clear majority of all Americans holds a more nuanced point of view: They abhor racism. But they don’t think that the way we now practice political correctness represents a promising way to overcome racial injustice.

It's actually worth reading the entire article prior to deciding the extent to which it's bullshit or enlightening.

I was surprised by a number of the responses the authors described from study respondents, as well as a number of the demographic correlations related to specific opinions.

interestedly,
Bright

[shanny]

1. Americans don't like respecting others?

'Cause that's what we're talking about.

[lagomorph777]

2. Racists are afraid because they might let their real feelings show?

Haven't seen much evidence of that, but I'm happy if it's starting to go that way.

[Midnight Writer]

3. I admit, I am confused. I don't know the proper etiquette anymore. So I just keep my mouth shut.

I rely upon "Please" and "Thank You" a lot, but I seldom hear others use them anymore.

On my last date, my friend found it offensive that I opened the door for her, held her chair, stood until she was seated, walked between the street and her. I know because she told me .

I avoid personal conversations involving politics or religion, because I have offended so often in the past.

And I confess, here and now, before you all, that I enjoy my conversations with my unenlightened, gruff mannered neighbor, because I don't have to feel "on guard". He wouldn't know an "offense" if I slapped him in the face.