Political Correctness and Bigotry

Donald Trump has brought the topic of "political correctness" to the forefront of presidential politics. As he put it, "I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I've been challenged by so many people, and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn't have time either."

His first refusal to be "politically correct," came the day he launched his campaign, with the statement that "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems to us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." He soon followed with the claim that Senator John McCain, who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war, was not a hero because ""I like the war heroes that don't get captured." Subsequent comments about groups as diverse as women, Muslims, and federal judges have created an image, beloved by Trump supporters, of someone who "tells it like it is." They see an authenticity they find lacking in public life today. Left unexamined, of course, are questions about the accuracy of his perceptions and whether authenticity is to be valued irrespective of what one is authentic about.

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