What people usually refer to when they say “Politically Correct” is some piece of legislation or local regulation that seeks to modify people’s attitude, language or behaviour – often towards some perceived disadvantaged or minority group.
But can you change attitudes by making laws?
The short answer would seem to be “No you can’t” (will it really stop bigots disliking people of other races, just because the government says that it’s now illegal?) . However, history appears to prove that the long answer is actually “Yes, legislation can help change attitudes, but it takes time”. So it would seem that it’s part of the ebb and flow of public debate, and that such laws can eventually contribute towards a (slow) change in standards and attitudes. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />
