(December 29, 2015 at 3:11 am)J.S.C. Wrote: I actually think that opposition to political correctness is becoming a dangerous force in this country.
Let me clarify what I mean by that before it's misconstrued. Clearly, if someone limits what they say to the point where they say practically nothing at all, that is a bad thing. But it should also be a given that terms like "illegal alien" are unseemly -- knowing full well that the term "undocumented immigrant" would not hamper the ideas you are trying the communicate in any way. But people like Donald Trump are harping off of the fact that politeness often frustrates those with bigoted mindsets by limiting what is socially acceptable to say, even to the point where "Merry Christmas" ends up being an extremely politicized phrase.
"Illegal" is a perfectly apt descriptor. Changing it to "undocumented" is exactly how PC goes overboard, insofar as it clouds meaning in order to appear more polite. I agree that "alien" is a charged word, but "illegal" is exactly what it is; and it describes the nature of the act that brought illegal migrants to this country.
