Upon inspection of old newspapers in The Aztlán file cabinet, we came across a very specific paper dating back twenty years to this day: Nov. 14, 1997. In it, an article written by then-opinions editor Matt Connelly criticizes a decision made by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) that banned Native American mascots. Connelly felt as though the legislation was an infringement on the First Amendment and was taking political correctness too far.

Obviously, the appropriation of Native American culture is still an issue to this day, the Washington Redskins controversy being the most prevalent example. However, average views on the matter are much less heated than those presented in Connelly’s article. Though some of the difference can be explained by a difference in time period, one has to wonder how much is accounted for simply by his own beliefs.

In the time since its writing, “PC” culture has evolved considerably. Much legislation on issues such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, and race has been fought for and passed in the 20 years since the article’s writing. As a result, it’s much more commonplace for less accepting people and practices to be called out on their behavior.

This is far from a bad thing, however. To live in a more accepting society is to understand that your opinions will differ from those of your peers, but to maintain one is to ensure that such opinions do not disenfranchise those same peers. This means that the evolution of political correctness has the capacity to broaden the conversation beyond hateful confines of forced division and ostracization, such as those presented in Connelly’s article.

Editorial Board Vote

Agree – 7

Disagree – 0