Can Anyone Define 'Politically Correct'?
By Harris R. Sherline
March 31, 2008
Page 2 of 3
Political Correctness is not just about speech. It permeates every aspect of our daily lives, including what we wear, what we eat, our entertainment, our schools and institutions of higher learning, the names or slogans we use, such as nicknames of sports teams and schools, the definition of acceptable behavior, individual rights and more.
"One of the most common questions I am asked is, 'What can I, a simple citizen, do to make our country better?' The answer: Change the little things first.... Here is a seemingly small project that any American who works at almost any company can initiate. If successful, it will send shockwaves through the country: Rename your company's 'holiday' party a 'Christmas' party. Nothing is quite as symbolic of the narcissism at the heart of contemporary 'progressive' policies than the belief that because there are non-Christian employees at a company, its Christmas party may not be called one. ... And when someone asks you whose idea it was, tell them it came from a Jew who doesn't observe Christmas, but who loves and honors the fact that the vast majority of his fellow Americans do." -- Dennis Prager (The Federalist, September 23, 2003).
"There's something terribly wrong when an American soldier overseas can't receive Scriptures in the mail, but a Muslim chaplain can preach freely among al-Qa'ida and Taliban enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay." -- Michelle Malkin
Stop Hyphenating Americans.
"Personally, I'm disgusted with everybody's continued use of 'fill-in-the-blank American.' If they are Americans, they're Americans." ('College Dems Anger Indian-Americans for Attack on GOP Candidate,' October 10)
"If they are Indians, Mexicans, Africans, or whatever, then let them claim their original ethnicity, but don't claim to be Americans."
"This idea of worshiping diversity is nothing more than saying that all other countries have a culture, but America does not."
"America may not be as old as some other countries, but we do have a culture of our own, and it is different from that of most others. People in other countries often have their own idea of what an American is, and they attribute certain characteristics to Americans. Some of these characteristics are complimentary and some are not, but they are American."
"I am an American, and proud of it. I am thankful that my ancestors came here and started a new life as Americans." -- Roger F., Houston, TX
It seems to me that defining Politically Correct is a little like Supreme Court Justice Stewart's statement about defining hard-core pornography (Jacobellis v. Ohio): ". . . . . I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description . . . . But I know it when I see it . . . ."
Political Correctness is really not about speech at all, it's actually about controlling people's thoughts, ideas and expression, defining acceptable behavior according to some nebulous and variable standard that is laid down by various special interest groups for everyone else to follow and manipulated for political purposes. In the final analysis, PC is whatever certain vocal individuals, minorities or special interest groups say it is from time to time. It's about using the power of censorship to stifle dissent for political advantage and monetary gain through the power of government. The oft-quoted statement, "Follow the money," applies here as well.
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