During the opening convocation for the class of 2019, the president of the DePauw Alumni Association, Don Phelan ’79, gave brief remarks on behalf of the alumni. His comments, which Vice President of Academic Affairs, Anne Harris, along with many other families, faculty and staff were deemed seemingly offensive.
“The moms I can see have tissues in their hands, and the dads have this pained look on their faces from carrying Gods-knows-what in the weight of luggage up three-and-half flights of stairs in Bishop Roberts Hall,” noted Phelan. Understandably, this immediately spurred indignation from a feminist-sensitive camp. However, did Mr. Phelan maliciously, or even deliberately target those groups? I find such a proposition highly doubtful, but the larger problem remains: Does it even matter?
Under such the United States Constitution, individuals can freely express their thoughts, using various channels of free speech. Though the government is constrained from infringing on this basic right, many individuals within political, social and academic circles have adopted a new policy of censorship: political correctness.
According to Meriam Webster, political correctness can be defined as “conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated.”
As a result of constant media coverage, political correctness has resurfaced in insidious forms. Many Republican presidential candidates, such as Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson, have issued indictments on the abhorrent nature of political correctness. During an interview with Fox News T.V. Host Bill O’Reilly, Dr. Carson stated, “We need to be in a place where people feel free to express themselves and not to be intimidated by political correctness [because] it’s destroying our nation.”
Dr. Carson became a household name in America during the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, where he notably sparked a crusade against political correctness. He criticized an array of issues, ranging from progressive taxation to the political correctness police, all the while President Obama sitting two seats away. The Obama Administration asked Dr. Carson to issue a personal apology to the President for his “embarrassing” and controversial comments, but the famous neurosurgeon respectfully declined.
When examining Don Phelan’s “controversial” comments to the class of 2019, we must understand the reasoning behind the speech. Put simply, Mr. Phelan made a personal observation. He exercised his own rationale, and drafted a speech in congruence with his own thought processes. If the University wanted the message to fit a certain criterion, they should have meticulously drafted the speech themselves.
As citizens, we should always err on the side of more speech, not less. If we disagree with the premise or conclusion of one’s claim, we should intelligently deconstruct their argument, not place a muzzle on their voice. The moment we allow political correctness to seep into our academic spheres will be when we disengage with the basic fundamentals of a liberal arts education.
DePauw University should be an academic environment that promotes the free flow and exchange of different perspectives. The University should not endorse a platform that attempts to discredit or censor unprogressive comments.
If you develop an opinion and someone disagrees, labeling you as “intolerant” or “small-minded,” stand tall. If someone wants to drown out your voice, speak up. We must boldly stand by our principles and embrace our individualism.
I will never apologize for being myself. And if that makes me political incorrect, then I will proudly embrace that title.
“I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it.” – Voltaire