I am often confused by the language used by you moderns. Recently I encountered the phrase PC gone mad. It was used as an accusation. As I am eager to learn, I asked some very wise people what is meant by the phrase. They told me that term PC means Politically Correct and that the phrase gone mad means that is has gone overboard. In other words, they said, there is too much of it.
I understand what it means to have too much of something, but I was still confused about the term Politically Correct. My friends told me that Political Correctness means reducing racism and sexism. They explained that a Politically Correct person does not like racism and sexism, and thus seeks to reduce them. My friends argued that racism and sexism are unjust behaviors. I accepted their arguments and am ashamed to admit that these things did not concern us in ancient times. We did practically nothing to be Politically Correct. But over the centuries people have made progress and have come to abhor the practice of racism and sexism.
But now I am even more confused. You moderns have come to understand that racism and sexism are not good, and yet I hear the complaint that PC has gone mad. People seem to think there is too much PC. In other words, people think that there is too much reduction of racism and sexism. Do you moderns believe that there is an optimal amount of racism and sexism? Do you think that removing more racism and sexism will be a bad thing? If so, it seems that you believe that some racism and sexism is good.
I am old and unwise. Perhaps I have misunderstood. Or perhaps you have not made quite as much progress as I thought.
-- Socrates
