I don't feel guilty for being captivated by babes in bikinis, but I should. If we miss out on those things, we lose them. So let's focus instead on what is real and beautiful all around us. To a certain extent, this prevents hurt feelings and keeps people happy. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, we forgot why we felt that the words had to change.
Political correctness is only one symptom of our society's commitment to word etiquette.
In the end, politically correct expressions can be almost as offensive as the unspeakable words they are meant to soften. People are so worried about offending someone that they fail to address important issues in a direct and constructive way. Racism is fueled by hate and an inexplicable desire of a small minority of people to subordinate other human beings. It is time to stop buffering the brutal reality of inequality with cutesy and distracting jargon. Changing the way we talk does not diminish the problem.