I’ve been under “fire” lately from those in the general public who have chosen to voice their opinions on my writing. Political correctness is the main theme behind the uproar. I’ve read that my writing would never be found in The New York Times because of the vulgarity. I’ve also read that I’m an embarrassment to the Daily and that I shouldn’t be allowed to voice my opinions because they are offensive to women.

So let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about what it means to be “politically correct.”

Who are the people most concerned with political correctness? Politicians, right? Of course they are. That’s where the phrase “politically correct” comes from. That is the manner is which politicians choose to speak. We know politicians ride the fence of mediocrity, always fearing that what they say may be construed negatively by voters.

A politician would never call a single woman with multiple sex partners a whore, but rather a sexually promiscuous woman. So we are clear so far, right?

So who is the top politician in this country? Wild Bill Clinton! What a great guy he is, too. I mean, I loved how Clinton had Monica Lewinski jam a cigar in her vagina. Very “PC” if you ask me. It was also pretty cool how he lied to America, his wife and daughter and a Grand Jury while under oath.

Do you see what I’m getting at?

When I write a column, I tell you exactly how I feel in the most honest way I know how. I don’t know how to discuss an issue I find interesting without discussing it passionately. Would you rather read that, or do you want someone like Bill Clinton telling you what you want to hear?

The problem with political correctness is you lose the element of truth. People don’t speak in definitions. They speak with emotions. If I called an ex-girlfriend a whore, you would know I hold a negative view towards her. If I call her a sexually promiscuous woman, you’re not real clear on how I truly feel about her.

Sensitivity for people’s feelings is not a good enough reason to alter your true thoughts.

If somebody has a problem with the way you speak, then do us all a favor and tell them to eat shit. How we speak is who we are. The power of speech is amazing, and I don’t think most people realize that. Look at Hitler. Sure, he was one crazy bitch, but he understood the power of language.

When you start conforming your thoughts into garden-variety ideas to make sure that you don’t offend, you are compromising who you are. To me that would be hell — the worst reality I can imagine.

Then there is the question of art. Do you realize the bottle cap that political correctness puts on artistic expression? I don’t even want to imagine how boring our world would be if Edgar Allen Poe, The Beetles, Stephen Spielberg, Madonna, Stephen King, Quentin Tarantino and many others were forced to express their ideas through a tourniquet of mindless fear.

So to those I offended, I offer no apology, but the hope that you realize how important it is to be yourself. I honor your hate mail and welcome more. It shows me that you are using your powers of expression, and I can’t think of a more beautiful power. Keep reading, keep writing and we’ll all make it out alive. We’ll talk later.

Chad Calek is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Persia.