I have spent the last 6 hours trying to search my vocabulary for words that might offend somebody. Thinking of every word that I know, that used in a sentence, in context, or out of, may offend.
I couldn’t count all the words I know, do not know how, but I did count the ones that could be offensive, I quit at 1,934.
Then it hit me like a rock, if I am expected to choose each word used in a conversation or communication, study it, bump it against each of the other words in the sentence, it would take me 5 to 10 times to say something. I am 75, so I have been exposed to a lot of words, think about children and the limiting affect this would have on their vocabulary and the limiting of their communications.
Being politically correct and worrying about offending someone is a double edge sword, I do not go out of my way to offend someone or some group unless they deserve it, I call that corrective action. But I am too old and spent 75 years exposed to every type of speech and have seen major changes in what is acceptable to say and do. Now that said, lets look at the verbally outspoken offendees, why is this group of people so small, maybe 3% of the population? What power and purpose does this group have to influence 97% of the population’s every days lives? How wise were our founding fathers, with the Shall Not Be Infringed wording. No small group or individual shall be able to control, intimidate, influence or interfere with the rights of the masses, otherwise they would have added a bite your tongue clause. Free is Free If someone or something offends you, you have every right to rebut, ( FREE SPEECH ) but you don’t have any rights to make that offending party to shut up or change. If you can get 51% of the people to agree with you, then you can change the wrong. You do have the right to cry, pout, scream, argue and swear.