In our current society, the topic of political correctness, more commonly referred to as “PC," dominates both the mouths of its people, as well as forms the conflict behind many heated discussions. The thought of words being used to belittle, degrade or discriminate against human beings perturbs many, however, it puzzles me how many allow themselves to become desensitized to the vocabulary used toward others.

The sad reality that kids learn what they retain from their elders or their peers, greatly disheartens many, as people walk around, allowing words such as "fag," "retard," "n*****" and "dyke" to flow freely from their speech, putting little to no thought toward the idea that those words could greatly harm or offend the person that said words were directed toward. Whether teenage boys are joking around with their peers, or someone is directly and openly aiming to bring harm to another being through the use of hateful dialogue, it is crucial that the issue of being politically correct be addressed to people of all ages.

I personally was raised in an environment in which it was not simply a choice but a necessity to show respect for people of all races, sexual orientations and levels of mental capabilities. I am one of eight children; five of my siblings were adopted. My two little sisters are African American, two of my younger brothers have Down syndrome and are Hispanic, and my older brother is gay. Having been raised and taught not to see others as labels and to respect the dignity and uniqueness of all human beings, I personally have developed a deep understanding of how important it is to be politically correct. I cannot express the anger, frustration and pain I feel when I hear of people showing disrespect and hatred toward those who are born differently than themselves. The fear of difference feeds ignorance, and ignorance feeds hatred.

How is it that in a supposed progressive society, we allow individuals such as our possible presidential candidates to feed said ignorance and hatred, and to not only expose the apparent and unapparent bigotry of people in America, but to also influence and impact the young minds of tomorrow? Why would Americans, after coming so far and progressing so much, allow for one man to inspire or ignite the same hatred that once led to a war between brothers of the same nation; a hatred that cost the lives of many; the hatred that allowed for one human being to feel superior to another? It is impossible to achieve a perfect sense of political correctness within the American society, among all people; however, it must be emphasized how important it is to show respect for one another, through lack of degrading labels. To say that people who are offended are overly sensitive may be true in particular cases, however, one does not know how or where to draw the line, when we as humans are incapable of knowing what may offend another.