A Different Kind of PC

Here we are, starting a new year, 2009. For years I’ve just carried the same New Year’s resolutions over and over again: eat healthier, keep exercising, save more money, etc. But this year I’m going to emphasize an old favorite—try to be nicer.

While it’s pretty much unanimous that political correctness stinks, few have come up with a replacement. I’m nominating a different kind of PC: polite courtesy. Being politically correct means covering your back so that you don’t get blamed, acting in a way that lessens your vulnerability to lawsuits. It means thinking of yourself first.

Polite courtesy requires thinking of others, treating your neighbor as you would want to be treated. It’s an old fashioned concept, one that worked for centuries. It involves a bit of humility and empathy.

Maybe it’s the result of the media or internet social networks, a lot of people act like they’re being interviewed on a talk show. They voice their opinions loudly and forcefully whether anybody asked or not, and they assume everyone agrees with them. I eagerly opened a Christmas letter anticipating family news from a friend only to discover that the opening third of the letter wasn’t about them, but about Obama. Merry Christmas, here’s my in-depth political opinion.

Then there was the Christmas vs. atheist sign controversy in Olympia. I think the atheist sign was just plain mean. A nativity scene is not trying to convert people to Christianity. It’s a symbol offering peace and hope. Why is that offensive?

The world is full of things that people don’t like. Should we protest and get rid of everything that rubs someone the wrong way? You’ve got to have a pretty big ego to think that the whole world should be forced to do things your way. Should the lactose intolerant call for a ban of all milk products because they can’t digest them? I’m not fond of the color orange. Should I launch a campaign against all tangerines and basketballs?

Drivers are impatient, flying easily into fits of road rage. I really noticed this while teaching my kids to drive. People got furious if they hesitated. At best they got arms flying up in the air, at worst they got honked at, flipped off, or had things thrown at them. Guess what, that infuriating slow person in front of you may be an out-of-towner who isn’t sure where they’re going, may be a new driver who’s overly cautious, may be a senior citizen, or may be someone driving an unreliable car.

I can’t do anything to stop political correctness or mean spiritedness on a worldwide level, but I can resolve to take it down a few notches in my personal life. I’ll try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I’ll try to remember that especially with this economic crisis, a lot more people are facing hard times and stressed out. I’ll voice my opinions respectfully and appropriately. I’ll do my best to keep these resolutions permanently. Good luck with yours in 2009!

You can reach Laura Keolanui Stark at lkstark@yahoo.com. (Originally published in The Herald, www.puyallupherald.com on 1/1/09.)