When political correctness is used to prevent citizens from saying the words that they feel best describes the situation, then political correctness becomes censorship.

Today in the United States we have been challenged and sometimes berated for the words we use. The use of undocumented immigrants instead of illegal immigrants is a prime example. If someone is an undocumented immigrant what makes him or her undocumented? The answer is very simple. They are here illegally which makes them an illegal immigrant. It is all about semantics and censorship rather than simplicity.

Our colleges and universities were built to educate our citizens. Part of any good education is the free flow with the free exchange of ideas. At most of our institutions of higher learning political correctness has replaced the free flow and exchange of ideas. The original intent of institutions of higher learning no-longer exist due to the effects of political correctness. Most universities have become a breeding-ground for liberal thinking and in doing so they have censored the speech of those who disagree with them. Within the breeding-ground of liberal thinking in higher education if you disagree with the professors and other students who have become intolerant to a differing of thought you will be brow beaten, intimated, or worse shouted down until you cannot freely express your idea!

It is time that we took back our free speech that has been granted by our Creator and the founding document of the United States. It is also time that we required our elected officials to use simple but descriptive language to tell the citizens exactly what they are doing. We do not need to allow our elected officials to use deception by the use of so called political correctness language or tactics. In our institutions of higher learning we must require that all ideas are openly discussed without fear of intolerance, censorship, and repercussions that exist today.

Ray Shamlin

Rocky Mount