New survey also compares attitudes to those in U.S.
A majority of Canadians believe that political correctness infringes too much on their freedom of expression, a new poll suggests.
The numbers released Monday from the Angus Reid Institute show that 76 per cent of respondents think political correctness — loosely defined as the avoidance of certain words or actions that might offend marginalized groups — has gone “too far.”
Eighty-two per cent of Canadians over the age of 55 said they shared that view, compared to 78 per cent of those between 35–54. Sixty-seven per cent of those 18–34 feel the same.
The poll comes as America considers the possibility of electing Donald Trump president — a man who has railed against political correctness and who frequently spews offensive and outrageous remarks.
Though most Canadians have told pollsters they would not like to see Trump in the White House, the Angus Reid survey suggests many on this side of the border believe people are too easily insulted.
Two-thirds of respondents told the firm “too many people are easily offended these days over the language others use.”
Thirty-three percent, meanwhile, said people should be more careful with their words to avoid upsetting others with different backgrounds.
Angus Reid contrasted those results with numbers from Pew Research in the U.S., which found 59 per cent of Americans feel people need thicker skin in the face of politically incorrect speech.
And when it comes to political stripes, past Conservative voters were the most likely to say people today are too easily offended. Seventy-nine per cent of Tory supporters expressed that view, compared to 21 per cent who said people should be more careful with their words.
By comparison, nearly double the number of Liberals (40 per cent) and NDP supporters (38 per cent) said more should be done to avoid offending others with words.
Source: Ryan Maloney | The Huffington Post Canada
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