Political Correctness vs Free Speech

I was thinking about the idea of free speech and the censorship, and political correctness after I heard a commentator and his guest on the radio complaining about how political correctness is limiting their right to free speech. The main point he and his guest were making is that people should have the right to say whatever they want about individuals and groups without the "political correctness brigade" bringing them to task and causing them or their reputations harm. 

Words are powerful, they can be used to incite peace or violence. I remember when I was growing up, we were taught a song "Sticks and stones, will break my bones, but names will never hurt me." This was taught to help us deal with name calling and bullying without resorting to physical violence to get even. Even though I had the song down and could use it, when words were used against me, I felt hurt and angry.  Words can be used to create images of wondrous worlds, adventures, and fun, and they can make us laugh, cry, or be afraid.

Political correctness means that we take the time to think about and understand what our words mean and how some words are damaging and hurtful to groups and individuals. Political correctness means that if we understand that words we are using can debase, belittle and demean others.  At an early age, we understand that words we use have power and we can use the power of words to help or hurt. In earlier times, the majority of people in our society did not seem to care that their words hut minorities and others. As our society matured, and minorities and others started to demand their rights, the majority of us realized that the words we were using could be hurtful. So over time, the language used to describe minorities and others shifted from words that were hurtful, to words that were respectful.   As a result, phrases and words used in earlier times were deemed to be incorrect. Our society is a better place than it was because we have been forced or have learned to control what we say and so to not hurt others many of us don't use these the words used by our parents and grandparents.

A saying I learned and one that I believe is true is "The pen is mightier than the sword." The pen is used to write down words and once written those words have a power that lasts longer than the might of any sword. Words form ideas, ideas, form opinion, opinion forces action, action changes events.  

 As powerful members of society began to lose power, the term political correctness has gone too far started to appear in print and in speeches and in private conversation. As power shifted the rhetoric around political correctness increased and more and more people began to believe that political correctness has gone too far.  "This is a phrase used by some to take us back to a "better time" and at the same time devalue the respect that society now has for minority groups and individuals. 

We as a society were moving away from the idea that if a person or a group was different because of their ethnicity, color, religion, sexual orientation or disability they were different from the majority. There is a small but vocal group in our society who want to move back to the days when we could disrespect a person, or a group of people because they were different. They toss around the concept of political correctness impeding our "free speech" and claim that free speech is more important than political correctness. This claim is made so they can again feel free to demean, debase, ridicule or otherwise dehumanize other groups. This is done to hold on to power and stay in control.

Can we have "political correctness" and 'free speech"? The radio commentator I heard and his guest said no, political correctness impeded free speech. I don't believe this is true and I am sad that this idea is starting to make inroads into mainstream media.