"POLITICALLY CORRECT", TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

So what exactly does it mean to be “politically correct”?  Lately I’ve become confused at the convoluted meaning of these words. Originally, the definition , according to Wikipedia was: “ a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, religious belief, disability, and age-related contexts, and doing so to an excessive extent.”  (2/24/11 Wikipedia.org ) As I understand it, that means try not to say or do anything that might offend anyone.