Trump’s bashing of political correctness shows how backward he is

Throughout this election season, we’ve all seen the outbreak of a major battle over political correctness. The Republican nominee Donald Trump has frequently expressed he is proud he is not politically correct because he doesn’t “have time” for it. Clint Eastwood even recently attributed this issue to much of his appeal to supporters, as did the co-founder of PayPal Peter Thiel.

Many of us were shocked when Trump’s campaign announcement last year, which accused Mexican immigrants of being rapists and drug-dealers, led to skyrocketing poll numbers. From proposing a ban on all Muslims until we “figure out what’s going on” to repeatedly calling Megyn Kelly a bimbo, Trump has never ceased to astonish us. The Republican nominee thinks his disdain for political correctness is a positive quality, but in reality it has simply been an excuse to normalize racist and divisive rhetoric in our society.

When the leader of the American Nazi Party says a Trump presidency could provide a “real opportunity”, we should all be concerned. Trump’s supporters seem to believe the Republican nominee is not actually racist, and that the media is to blame for this common narrative. But there is a reason Trump’s success has given new hope to white supremacist movements in the United States. Trump’s support is highly skewed from white, male voters, likely because he has deeply offended nearly every other demographic. As much as he may not want to admit it, words do actually matter. No one wants to vote for a candidate who seems to support, or at the very least doesn’t condemn, discrimination against their demographic when they speak.

When Trump called Megyn Kelly a bimbo and implied she must have been in her menstrual cycle while moderating a debate, female voters remembered each time they have had to endure similar sexist comments. They became convinced he does not respect women, and would therefore never fight for some of their most fundamental issues, including equal compensation. Trump could have criticized Kelly’s specific actions, but his decision to use such sexist and demeaning language demonstrated his honest attitudes towards women. On top of that, it was just spiteful. And it’s quite difficult to support a candidate who acts this way; it’s no wonder that 69 percent of women have an unfavorable view of Trump.

We need political correctness because it simply amounts to making an effort to treat people with respect and empathy. When we lose these traits in the language that we use, we also lose them in our behavior. And when society expresses outrage at these types of comments, we force people to question the validity of their own use of this type of language. The real need for politically correct language is that the words we use reflect our actual sentiments and the actions we are willing to take. The problem with Trump reducing women to bimbos and Mexicans to rapists is that it normalizes these views in society and thus enables individuals to believe that acting in a discriminatory way is acceptable and justified. This only leads to more division in our communities when we so desperately need a leader who will be a unifying force.

One supporter wrote in one of the many Trump Facebook groups: “How many people does it take to be slaughtered before being politically correct becomes criminal?” But being politically correct is not about revoking individuals’ freedom of speech. It’s simply an attempt to consider how one’s words may affect others. No one is claiming individuals should be imprisoned for their comments but we should all still strive to create a society in which individuals do not feel alienated. Politically incorrect language is deeply offensive because it so often relates to highly significant issues that have had serious and historical ramifications for millions of people. Muslims, Hispanics, African-Americans, and women have all faced real discrimination in the United States. And the continued use of this language only implies that, unfortunately, these attitudes could persist indefinitely.

Political correctness is not about an emotionally fragile generation that is too sensitive to deal with offensive language. It is the endeavor to speak thoughtfully about serious issues to ensure that everyone feels included and respected in the narrative. Political correctness means using empathy when we talk. Is this really what Donald Trump and his supporters oppose? And when did these qualities become controversial? Given Trump’s own severely hostile reactions to any verbal criticism (think Khizr Khan), it seems quite hypocritical for him to argue that the American public needs to get a thicker skin.

Donald Trump says we don’t have the time for political correctness, but the President of the United States needs to find the time for thoughtful consideration of a wide variety of issues and how they affect different groups in our society. If he thinks that it is too time-consuming to understand the true ramifications of how both policies and language affect people, then he is just not ready to be President.