I always find myself the only defender of "political correctness" when this question is asked on these threads.
I am for political correctness when it comes to people not using the term "nigger" and terms so blatantly offensive. I honestly haven't heard the term "nigger" used very often. I was raised in the south during integration. I hardly ever heard anyone say the word and I did see a few mammas marching kids through the neighborhood by the ear for using the word. My own mother would have smacked us good for saying it. Thinking on it, I hear it more nowadays because of the gangsta rap culture. That culture uses the terms: nigger, bitch, ho/whore, etc. It's very disrespectful to females of all ages.
I have found myself stumbling over the term African American and I fight the feeling of sounding patronizing when using it. Over the years the acceptable term has changed more than once and I never know which term has become offensive. Is it okay to say black anymore? Is it okay to say colored person? Person of color? NAACP? Is the CP okay anymore? And some native Americans want to be called Indian and some prefer Native American. How do you know until you put your foot in your mouth, what a person prefers to hear?
I don't get offended when some man calls me girl or Mrs.or Miss. I am not offended by the term Indian.