Letter: A guide to political correctness – Carroll County Times

There has been a great uproar in this country over the use of political correctness. I feel that this is part of the reason that Mr. Trump was elected; because many Americans feel that "he speaks his mind" or "says the harsh truths." While one may agree or disagree with those statements, I speak with confidence when I say that Mr. Trump is far from politically correct. But those of us who choose to believe that the actions of a few do not speak for the actions of the many and fight for equal rights and protections for our Muslim brothers and sisters, we are not simply being politically correct. When we refuse to refer to the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" as such and when we refuse to follow the racially and ethnically divisive lead of Mr. Trump, we are not just being politically correct. By taking these, albeit small, steps we are saying that truth matters. Principles matter. Justice matters.

If any of the terms or descriptions that Mr. Trump used accurately conveyed the truth of the situation, even if it was unpleasant, I would use those terms. But this is not the case. The so-called "radical Islam," as Mr. Trump refers to it, is as much related to Islam as the Charleston, S.C., church shooter Dylann Roof is to Christianity. The term "radical Islam" is vague, contradictory, confusing and divisive. It clarifies nothing about this supposed threat to the United States and instead conveys only stereotypes and prejudice to further divide an already divided nation. Mr. Trump has an expansive vocabulary to choose from now that he has access to the greatest minds in the nation and 140 characters to tweet them in. He should not have all that much trouble finding some other words that clarify the reality of our complex world.

So I have taken the liberty of creating a brief list of terminologies that would be better suited than "radical Islam" to describe the self-proclaimed "Islamic State": terrorists; a group of actors using violence and fear against civilian and government targets for political gain; a violent group who use the banner of Islam falsely to create chaos and distrust among people.

When given a choice between words that express the truth clearly and precisely and words that convey "alternative facts" with vague and divisive tones, we should always choose the former over the latter.

Sadie Allgeier

Westminster

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Letter: A guide to political correctness - Carroll County Times