In a nation that wouldn’t exist if not for the stoutheartedness of men willing to die for the freedom to disagree, there should be no place for coddling, safe spaces and trigger warnings.
On his tombstone, founding father Thomas Jefferson didn’t want a braggadocios epitaph about his having been an American president and a distinguished statesman. Instead, literal author of America wanted to be forever remembered for writing the Declaration of Independence, for the Virginia Statute which paved the way for religious freedom and free speech, and for establishing the University of Virginia.
Jefferson’s decision to leave out what many people would consider more impressive additions might seem odd to some casual observers of history. But the nation’s third president understood that political power was only temporary and that the things he had listed would continue to enrich the country he loved forever.
Jefferson was proud to have declared this a country free from the restraints of dictatorial leadership; and he was hopeful the foundations he provided for free speech and education would keep the nation forever free.
Unfortunately, Jefferson probably never could have imagined that the nation would be gripped by the tyranny of political correctness by the time it reached its 240th birthday.
Modern political correctness has roots stemming back to 1960s radicalism. But it wasn’t until the late 1980s that American academics began assembling the machinations necessary to neuter language of any turn of phrase capable of offending those on the outer limits of the mainstream majority.
In the early 1990s, the tools necessary to render the language used by American society an asset to liberal fascists were in place — newspaper style guides and workplace behavior policies were primed for edits. And once political correctness became fully institutionalized on campus, waiting for the newly indoctrinated to work themselves into positions of power was all that remained.
And they have.
On college campuses throughout the country today, students misguided by the notion that uncomfortable situations and conversations should be avoided at all costs are being coddled by college administrators who believe total comfort is more important than learning to think about and debate tough topics. Political correctness, and the trigger warnings and safe spaces that come along with it, is making the whole of American society less capable of critical thought.
As I recently noted, it’s pretty easy to win an argument as an adherent to the rules of modern political correctness: “If your opponent argues facts, you delegitimize them as hate facts. If you’re opponent looks like a person whose hard work has provided financial comfort, you tell them they wouldn’t understand your point of view because of affluence. If you’re arguing with someone brazen enough to suggest life is tough but everyone is capable of success with a little go-getting, just let them know you’re uncomfortable and need to retreat to your safe space.”
It’s time to declare independence from political correctness and remember why Jefferson was so proud of his university and the foundations he provided for free speech. If he and the nation’s other founding fathers had retreated to a safe space when things got a little uncomfortable, there’d be no independence to celebrate today.
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