Political Correctness

We live in a world which has changed so much in my brief time and so fast it is mind blowing. Not just in the technology but in social and human interaction and attitudes. The moral outrage of my youth would now be considered a quaint prudishness by comparison, our values are ever shifting and public awareness of these shifts, far more quickly absorbed into the public's conscious.   
Much of the change in public acceptance has been and is positive, more equality for women (nowhere enough yet), gay men and women, less racial prejudice (still more to be done) to name but a few. 
One of the things, that has in my opinion that has perhaps been pushed to far, political correctness. Don't get me wrong, there are many words and phrases the most right thinking people and the public in the majority, no longer use and have become taboo and rightly so. When I think back to my schooldays and recall the names some pupils called each other, often not understanding what the meaning was, I shudder at the prejudice that was displayed and am thankful, that in most of society it is no longer tolerated.
Like all moral compasses, which evolve and change,when they have swung to far one way, it will always swing to far in the opposite direction and this is what has happened with Political Correctness. It may eventually balance it itself but at present it has become a stick with which we can all become so easily beaten. Magnified by social networking and the instantaneous publishing of our every day thoughts and comments, a reputation can be ruined by a single tweet! This correctness does not just apply to our speech, it manifests itself in our actions as well. 
When I was younger (much) the idea that you pick up a child and play with them, in an innocent  and perfectly natural way, was perfectly acceptable. Now you fear to do such a thing in case even the slightest suspicion was raised the you maybe a pedophile, indeed I suspect even the previous sentence is enough these days to suggest that some people so eager are they, to look for the sinister in every nuance? It is right that we should be more aware of the evil hidden within society and they should be routed out and kept separate from the object of their sickness, no question. We are almost daily bombarded with tales of this kind of behavior and it is more shocking when it is perpetrated by trusted members of the community such as priests etc.
We seem as always to er to far on the wrong side of propriety, thus making everyone cautious about their behavior and especially men.Some will argue that it is better to be too vigilant than not vigilant enough and there is some truth to this but we are in danger of allowing human contact particularly the interaction between kids and adults  become almost obsolete in the full glare of public opinion. 
I am not naive and I know that today's child is more sophisticated and grows up faster, as each subsequent generation pass (pity in my opinion). They have access to unrivaled communication available 24 hours a day, when was the last time you knew of a child in the west (or almost anywhere these days) who does not have a mobile phone? I understand that today's generations, grow from day one, with technology just part of the fabric of their lives. They have seen and possibly done, things which in my youth we did not even know about never mind participate in! This is a subject I may return too!
I digress, Political Correctness has stopped many from being critical of what have become sacred cows and  you are not allowed to be critical or detrimental of and to them.
Among these, the most sacred of sacred cows is religion. We have lost all perspective when it comes to being a critic of any religious beliefs and one belief in particular (no names, you see I am coward!).
Political Correctness has become a barrier against free speech! There are many offensive words and phrases that have been correctly stopped from everyday use and rightly so. We have also eradicated many actions that are no longer acceptable. 
I ask, in society, have we have become so cautious, we have lost the freedom, to comment and  point out hypocrisy and injustice because we are afraid we may offend and are we no longer allowed to oppose that with which we do not agree?
I am not advocating a return to the days when offensive terms were the norm and insults so utterly vile that we had to bring in laws to regulate what can and can't be said but I do beleive our right to free speech has been irreparably damaged. 
To para phrase "sometimes you have stand up for the person who shouts, that to which you are totally opposed, in order for you to shout about that with which they are totally opposed"