Political correctness can sometimes be a hard pill to swallow. As defined by dictionary.com, political correctness is “marked by or adhering to a typically progressive orthodoxy on issues involving race, gender, sexual affinity or ecology.”

Many say it goes too far in its efforts to appease all types of people. I, however, argue that the main promoters of this idea are members of the white majority in America. It is very easy to underestimate the importance of PC when you’ve never had the experience of being a minority.

The population of non-white citizens is growing every year. According to “U.S.-born Hispanics drive growth,” an article on usatoday.com by Haya El Nassar, “A third of the nation’s 296.4 million people are considered minorities.”

It is only natural the U.S. would accommodate this growing demographic. This remains extremely difficult because most citizens are nationalistic and wish to cling to any historical U.S. customs there are. The reality is these nationalists are hardly entitled to their customs in the first place. The problem is that European-Americans have always had a slight problem when it comes to sensitivity toward minorities.

First, the genocide of the Native Americans is an often overlooked atrocity. Say what you will about manifest destiny, but the annihilation of a group of people is never tolerable. Citizens’ lack of empathy toward the Native American people is completely politically incorrect.

Second is the issue of slavery. It is strange how a country that promoted freedom and liberty also condoned the enslavement of a race of people. Once these slaves were freed, it took nearly 100 years for them to be able to vote like any other citizen. So, while the white majority of the U.S. may feel entitled to dictate which customs should not be altered, remember the people that were stomped on in order to get here today.

One of the big issues regarding political correctness is God in the classroom. People yell and scream over the issue of removing the word “God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. Removing the word “God” may seem asinine and tedious, but remember we live in a secular nation. This means a separation of church and state. Federally-funded public schools should not have any religious affiliation.

“It’s up to the parents if they want their children to be exposed to religion,” said senior philosophy major Robert Fisher. “Spirituality should never enter the classroom.”

Also, students with many different types of religious affiliation attend public schools. When kids are pledging allegiance to their country, there shouldn’t be anything in that pledge that makes them feel like an outsider.

Never in the past have we been so connected to the world around us. Multiculturalism is a growing force and the U.S. should not be one to avoid it. In the past, nationalism has led to war and extreme prejudice toward others. It is true that life is difficult and people are bound to be offended at some point. But given our history, isn’t it time we made a conscious effort to be a little more sympathetic toward others? Instead of clinging to the remnants of the past, let’s take a new approach toward something a little bit more politically correct.

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