In reply to Chuck.

“If it causes you real pain to hear or see something, and I MAKE IT A POINT to inflict that thing on you merely because I object to your reasons for finding it painful, then there’s something wrong with my sense of proportion, or my recognition of your basic humanity, or both.”

"Basically, though: does someone’s right to be offended take precedence over whether or not I intended to offend? If someone says, “That offended me,” is it insensitive to respond with anything other than silence or a full apology?"

I feel weird clarifying the comment of someone I don't know, but I happen to agree with Mr. Wallace's point very much. I've capitalized the part that is the most important to me. It's not just making an offensive, offhand comment, it's when you FORCE someone to listen to offensive comments. I had to deal with this in school all the time. Bigots I had dealt with all my life, and from a young age I dismissed them and their comments as unimportant. There is no point in arguing with a bigot, because bigots are not logical. Bigotry never is; hating or insulting a group of people based on one shared trait is ridiculous.

But when you're forced to read texts that are offensive and inaccurate or face getting a lower grade that is very, very different. And when I explained to teachers that they were spreading misinformation, and they said they had no control over the curriculum and I should "suck it up" or "deal with it" or else get a lower grade that was wrong. (And yes, I did read the texts because I couldn't point out their inaccuracies without doing so. And I did point them out in class the next day. That was MY way of dealing with it >:)

If you say something once, and someone says they're insulted that's one thing. And if you're confused, ask why, politely. You don't have to keep silent or apologize. They might even appreciate your interest and being given a chance to explain their point of view.

On the other hand, if you were someone's boss and you KEPT making comments you KNOW make them uncomfortable, that is a completely different thing. It's not being politically incorrect, it's being rude and perhaps even abusive. I think it is that sort of situation Mr. Wallace was referencing.

As a side not, the ironic thing about political correctness is how it's often insulting and/or funny for people on the receiving end. Like when people say "Happy Ramadan!" at Christmas time ... even though the Muslim calendar is lunar so Ramadan (which is a month anyway, not a day) moves around the Gregorian calendar and it hasn't fallen near Christmas for years ... I just smile and say, "And Happy Holidays to you, too!" They feel so proud of their little bit of knowledge, why should I bother correcting them?

So the Big Bang Theory is a TV show and it's politically incorrect? Did I just lose my Geek Cred? Can I trade in a Nerd Token for a new one?