Culture may seem to be dominated by trigger warning and hypersensitivity. A sizable new poll, however, finds that 81% of Americans agree that “people are too easily offended these days,” an opinion that also spans political beliefs.
The poll found that 94% of Republicans, 82% of independents and 70% of Democrats agree with this idea.
The finding comes from a Morning Consult poll of more than 13,000 U.S. adults.
The public also reveals a certain weariness with both the culture wars and the social dynamics at work these days. Only about a third of Americans would describe themselves as “politically correct.” Though half of the nation says there’s prejudice in the country, about half also say there is too much political correctness as well. And three-fourths of the nation say they have censored or changed their words or actions when around people who were “different” than themselves.
A sampling of numbers from this wide-ranging research:
• 75% of Americans have censored their words and actions when with people “different” from themselves; 75% of Republicans, 72% of independents and 79% of Democrats agree.
• 72% overall agree that “rules about what you can and cannot say change so fast it’s difficult to keep up”; 85% of Republicans, 70% of independents and 64% of Democrats agree.
• 65% overall agree that “people should be able to say what they really think, even if it might offend people”; 75% of Republicans, 66% of independents and 55% of Democrats agree.
• 52% say there is “too much prejudice in the country today”; 29% of Republicans, 50% of independents and 75% of Democrats agree.
• 48% say there is “too much political correctness in the country today”; 71% of Republicans, 50% of independents and 25% of Democrats agree.
• 43% overall “strongly agree” Republicans should be more “open-minded” in their views; 25% of Republicans, 40% of independents and 64% of Democrats agree.
• 42% overall “strongly agree” Democrats should be more “open-minded” in their views; 61% of Republicans, 39% of independents and 27% of Democrats agree.
• 34% overall would classify themselves as “politically correct”; 32% of Republicans, 25% of independents and 46% of Democrats agree.
Source: A Morning Consult poll of 13,206 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 6-March 15 and released Wednesday.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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