PC Police
Laughing in disgust at 'political correctness' is like a cottage industry today. While there is no doubt that some have acted as if they were our collective conscience, as self-appointed new sheriffs in town policing speech in ways that do not help us figure out how do this thing call life better.

At the same time, the core insight being criticized is too important to throw it out with the bath water. Who disagrees with the expectation that we should try to speak to each other in less offensive ways whenever it is possible to combine that with candor? It is certainly true that if our objective is problem solving and we value community then speaking to each other in ways that are thoughtful, and designed to be clear and respectful and loving should always be preferred to alternatives.

Further, and this might not be as widely shared an expectation (though I believe it should be), it is entirely reasonable to expect that we will listen to each other and, particularly relevant to the back & forth on political correctness, to listen when others tell us that this or that language is offensive.

Is this more complicated than using the scorecard from our childhood George Carlin albums as our never-changing guide? Yes. But we do this all the time with aging family members with out-of-date sensibilities, neighbors we happen to be from the other party, and bosses or co-workers we want to strengthen our relationship with...so, why do we resist so self-righteously when expected to extend this same courtesy to our neighbors of color or women or non-Christians?

Having a president model disdain for this skill, and the shared expectations we advance together by valuing this skill, makes it even more difficult than it already is to problem solve, revitalize communities, and protect family values. But it is not his fault; he is more a consequence of a longer-term trend here (though he is amplifying that negative consequences of this trend).

Maybe we should all list non-offensive speech as our second major? Why? Because doing this well is a skill. Like any skill it takes practice to master. Most of us learn this on the streets, at parish picnics, and in school or family interactions. Some never learn it or master it.