According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, political correctness is defined as: “Agreeing with the idea that people should be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people.”
The notion of being P.C. has entered into our nation’s discourse regarding a plethora of topics, causing numerous battles in Washington, D.C.
The term was recently discussed by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during his Hillsdale College commencement speech, in which he alluded to the world “gone mad with political correctness.”
Thomas told the graduating class:
“Today of course, there is much more focus on our rights as citizens and what we are owed. It is not often that one hears of our obligations or our duties as citizens, unless of course there’s talk about duty to submit to yet another new policy being suggested or proposed.
“Why is it not the case then that if we continue to consume the benefits of a free society without replenishing or nourishing it, we will eventually deplete it? If we are not making deposits to deplenish our liberties, then who is? Are we content to let others do the work …?
“Do not hide your faith and your beliefs under a bushel basket especially in this world that seems to have gone mad with political correctness. Treat others the way you would like to be treated if you stood in their shoes. These small lessons become the unplanned syllabus for becoming a good citizen, and your efforts to live them will help to form the fabric of a civil society and a free and prosperous nation where inherent equality and liberty are inviolable.”
During Monday’s edition of NewsOne Now, Roland Martin took issue with Justice Thomas’ remarks, saying people of color in this country still have to fight for their rights.
Martin told his panel of guests that African-Americans have only been “full Americans for 46 years of the 397 years we’ve been in this country — so yeah, Justice Thomas, we are still demanding to be treated as a full American.”
“This whole idea of demanding full rights as guaranteed by the Constitution ‘technically’ — hell yeah, we’re still trying to do that — that ain’t political correctness, that’s called doing what’s right,” said Martin.
NewsOne Now panelist Angela Peoples, the Co-Founder of GetEqual, agreed with Martin’s sentiment and refuted Thomas’ comment about “making deposits to deplenish our liberties” saying, “Black folks have been depositing for hundreds of years and not seen any return on that — so we are still trying to get what is owed to us, very much so.”
Watch Roland Martin and the NewsOne Now panel discuss Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ remarks made during his Hillsdale College commencement speech in the video clip above.
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Supreme Court Justice Thomas Speaks On Political Correctness During Hillsdale College Commencement Speech was originally published on newsone.com