It's nice we don't call black people ns, negroes or coloureds anymore, and was mindful of what they wanted to be called despite people growling over have to learn 'appropriate language'. It's nice we don't call gays fags for the same reason. It's nice we don't call people with Down's Syndrome, mongs or mongoloids and hopefully America will catch up on not using 'spastic' and 'retarded' as much as they currently do.
Having said that, the suggested gender neutral pronouns are ham fisted, but maybe you should be asking people what they want to be called, before you start calling them? It only takes a few seconds. I'm sure you can all spare it.
^ this is what proper and positive political correctness is, though I dislike the term "PC" because of how it's been mutated. Not being an asshole to other people about things they can't control doesn't make you politically correct, it makes you not be an asshole. Not saying things that are intentionally demeaning or offensive, etc.
This nonsense on campuses now where discussions about rape or somebody voicing politics you disagree with as being "violent" or "aggressive" behavior is not. Tarring and feathering people as "prejudiced" doesn't prevent genuinely offensive discourse, it creates a thought police. It isn't about understanding other people and learning to overcome prejudices, it's being protected from anything that might you might disagree with, ever. Hopefully this trend gets stamped out sooner rather than later in academia.
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