Say what you mean, mean what you say, and stop being afraid to offend

The requirement to qualify every statement with disclaimers is one of the characteristics of political correctness that squelches free exchange of ideas. The charge that a non-qualified statement insults every member of a group is a bullying tactic that attempts to keep us from stating our opinions. We have been conditioned to be overly cautious about offending someone. There is no right to be free from offense; it is not automatically true that being offended indicates you have been wronged. Adults understand that the spectrum of opinion and observation in our society is wide and varied. If you find yourself in disagreement with something you read, or see, or hear examine it to determine if you may have taken it wrong. Consider that it may be a topic on which there is not an absolute right, or wrong position. Allow that defining right and wrong has never been a universal standard. Decide if its important enough to you to offer your differing opinion for consideration by others. And by all means, stop assuming people are deliberately trying to hurt your feelings, or oppress you when they have arrived at a different conclusion about our world than you have. If you can't stand chocolate, and I dislike strawberry we can still have ice cream together, because the world offers us different flavors in the same shoppe. Thanks.