Political correctness restricts free speech. Basiclly everything you said
pingouin, is irrevelevant. While using
racist or
sexist terms are in my opinion, bad, I do not believe that they should be
illegal. Yes there was/is
racism in the
US. That doesn't mean that people should be
forced to
speak, and subsequently
think the
same as the
majority.
Thats what freedom of expression is all about. The ability to think for oneself and express those beliefs, whether good or not. I won't bother quoting Voltaire.
Fredrick Douglas disagreed with many Americans and worked to end slavery. Had "political correctness" existed in his day and age modeled after the beliefs of those times, he wouldn't of been able to do so. Communist nations such as the former Soviet union and its satelite forced individuals to speak in a special manner and harshly punished those who dissented. They dared call for the barbaric practices of capitalism, comrade.
Racism is wrong but chaining the words and thoughts is worse. Add this to the far too strenous enforcement and many people are hurt, socially, economically, emotionally, and mentally. For instance, I was punished for calling a friend black instead of "African-American", something that did not offend him in the slightest. And all this is basically to spare the feelings of anyone who isn't white/male from words that may or may not offend them.