When you call a group of people what they call themselves, their endonym (internal name), are you being “Politically Correct” or “Just Plain Polite”? Wouldn’t it just be easier if they’d accept being called their exonym (external name)?
Here’s a parable. Let’s say your name is Brett. You go by “Brett”. More than that, you identify as a Brett, in fact AS Brett. You are Brett. When someone asks you what your name is, you say, “Brett” or “I’m (a) Brett.”
They call you Steve. Why do they call you Steve? They say, “You look like a Steve. I’m going to call you Steve.”
Your endonym in “Brett”. That’s what you call yourself. Your exonym that was just given to you by “The Other” is “Steve.” Is it politically correct to call you “Brett”? Or is it just polite to use someone’s name when you talk to or about them?
Is it so onerous to call people what they want to be called? Is it politically correct? We think it’s just plain polite.
What, then, is political correctness? Political Correctness, to our way of thinking, are the terms your political party, ideology, or doctrine highly suggest you use when referring to an event, an idea, a person, or even a nation. It is often a form of propaganda, a twisting of the truth, it can be offensive, it can be manipulative, it can be a lie, or a mere untruth. It can be “fake news”. It can be a dog whistle, or shorthand, or a euphemism, or a wink wink. It can even be the expected belief you’re supposed to hold based on your party affiliation, political orientation, your race, creed, ethnicity, job, etc.
Not wanting to offend someone isn’t Politically Correct, it’s Polite. Wanting to offend someone by being jingoistic is Impolite and Politically Correct.
We strive to be polite but not politically correct. Just regular correct, but we can often be wrong. Tell us when you think we are. Thanks!
-F/S