STEVEN FRIEDMAN: ‘Political correctness’ has saved countless lives
‘Official’ bigotry signals to prejudiced people that it is acceptable to act on their hate
When some claim their right to air prejudices, others may lose their life. Which is why what some dismiss as “political correctness” saves lives. The slaughter at mosques in Christchurch last week, like that in a Philadelphia synagogue and at black churches not long ago, seem to have been the work of one lunatic. But it is no accident that they happened at a time when prejudices against people whose appearance or accents or faith is not that of the dominant group have become part of Western mainstream politics again. It is impossible to prove that the atrocities would not have happened if “respectable” politicians were not now able to get away with vilifying those who are not “European” enough for them. But no-one murdered people in houses of worship in the US until prejudice became “normal” again — not, at least, since the 1960s when a black church was bombed in a state where bigotry against black people was part of mainstream politics. So there is a direct link between climates of...
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