It’s not only a question of “political atmosphere” in the culture at large — the Human Resources and General Counsel drones in nearly any company are politically correct apparatchiks of the Commissar culture.
You can be right about larger trends but wrong about the micro-trend within any particular company. Anyone who wants to stall or end a career, just run afoul of any PC Commissar in the counsel’s office or HR, etc.
Yes, I agree with you. However, while federal reach is pervasive throughout American society, its influence depends on where you are at.
An HR Rep will have a different level of influence, say for example, in an upscale Manhattan department store vs an aerospace company in Witchita, Kansas. That's because people, including HR employees, are influenced by the sentiment that surrounds them. A situation not unlike referees being influenced by the home team.
And today's PC environemt (since about the 1960's) is nothing more than a PC environment that cuts both ways. Ever hear of Jack Johnson? He was a black heavy weight boxing champion between 1908-1915. He often moved about in public in the company of white women. He was hated for it. Even many fellow blacks discouraged him from this behavior. His behavior, for a lack of a better term, was POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
Just to give you one of many examples of how PC can affect minorities, a person of color has to worry about not coming across unpatriotic. A white American can speak well of Europe and their European heritage and even speak of it in glowing terms without coming across as they are betting against America. Anyone of any other race cannot do that about their ancenstrial country. Do you think an Arab American can promote his country and culture in America the way an Irishman can? Of course not. Even though both are sending the same message, i.e., proud of their heritage, the Arab American's message will be received with greater hostility, even if that hostility isn't open hostility. Whereas with Irish events, people will pull up a bar stool for a second round of brew.
There's no doubt, PC is something that can cut deep, the only difference is, in today's PC environment, its a two edge sword.