US free speech strangled by political correctness

Freedom of expression in the US has given way to many things; pornography, provocative artists, gay pride and political correctness – language that aims to offend no one.

Is the so called PC way of speaking stifling Americans to a point where remaining silent is safer than speaking your mind? America is a country that pioneered freedom of expression, but is the rising tide of political correctness reigning in the right to say what you think?“Sometimes you want to call a spade of spade, and sometimes you want to call it a f**king shovel,” said New Yorker, Ray Andlew. According to a Rasmussen Poll, the majority of citizens think the US is overdosing on PC. Turning the land of the free into a nation of hypersensitive sissies, where even Dorito’s can cause mass controversy. In this a new company ad, a Roman Catholic priest substitutes the corn chip for the Eucharist, the body of Christ. The commercial was created for a possible super bowl broadcast. But after an uproar among Catholics, Frito lay apologized and pulled the plug on the satirical spot. “The Doritos's commercial being pulled is a classic example of Americans freaking out over something to do with religion. I understand why the Catholic would flip out, that’s their job. However, you gotta be able to laugh at yourself folks, “said political comedian Sarah Benincasa. But the price of humor can end up costing big. Navy captain Owen Honors – entrusted with a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier worth half a billion dollars was fired over racy moral boosting videos he had helped make several years ago. Having survived 85 combat missions Owen was shot down by fraternity style gestures and comments.As for the man who wrote 19th century classics, not even Mark Twain is protected from present day PC.Two of Twain’s books are being republished with the word slave replacing the “N” word. “It’s about laziness.We don’t want to trust people to learn and examine. To look at something and go beyond that and examine and say what does it mean? What were those times like? What is the author trying to say,” said Christopher Chambers, a Georgetown University professor.When film critic Roger Egbert took to Twitter to criticize the censorship, he was criticized for simply writing the “N” word. Who can speak the “N” word has become a battle in court. A federal jury will soon decide if white people can use the “N” word at work. This as a white TV reporter is suing a local Fox News affiliate in Philadelphia after being fired for using the “N” word during a staff meeting.Of course the R-word can also make you a glorified villain.As was the case last year, when former US Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel privately called a group of liberals “f**king retards.” At ESPN, sensitivity surrounding sex has become a touchy subject.Announcer Ron Franklin was fired this month for allegedly calling a female reporter “sweet baby.”Many say political correctness has neutered the American language and created a super-sensitive society incapable of laughing things off.A PC influence that’s left more people biting tongues for fear that freedom of expression may be more trouble than it’s f**king worth.John Romano, the founder of YesButHowever.com asks; ‘where do we draw the line?’“We are at the precipice where we are about to go over the edge. Where does it stop,” he said. “I like the idea we have some respect, but where do we draw the line?”American society is heading towards a place where everyone will be afraid to speak freely, he argued.Forcing political correctness requires people to back-step, constantly apologize, to remove or delete comments they have made. However, this is not a positive. “If we have people constantly saying something and then cow tail to a popular opinion, it doesn’t look so great,” explained Drew Grant, the deputy editor of Crushable.In today’s America, political correctness has become a “tool of politicians to punish their enemies,” argued Romano.

Scott Blakeman, a political comedian and liberal pundit argued that Americans have free expression, and that political correctness is not all that wide spread in America. “It’s not a nationwide trend taking over” he said.Commenting on the firing of Navy Captain Owen Honors, Blakeman argued it is possible he should not have been fired. “Quick firing, I don’t think that should happen,” he said. “If Captain Owen Honors was discriminatory to his sailors, if he treated gay sailors worse than other sailors he has no place in the military. If he is just guilty of having a horrible sense of humor, a low brow stupid sense of humor and videos with sex jokes and gay jokes ,that didn’t reflect on the environment his ship operated in, than I think it was unfair to push him out.”