Open Mouth, Insert Foot
Here we go, another stupid brouhaha over a
basically harmless, if politically incorrect,
comment by a public figure. Democratic presidential
candidate Howard Dean opened his mouth and inserted
his foot when he claimed that he wanted to be the
candidate for "guys with Confederate flags on their
pickup trucks" during a presidential debate
yesterday. His fellow candidates wasted no time in
jumping all over him for the supposed
inappropriateness of his comment. How many people
really think such an inane comment is hurtful,
racist or inappropriate?
Like Trent Lott, who was crucified for a
similarly innocuous comment last year, Dean fell
victim to the tyranny of political correctness that
has infected this country over the past twenty-odd
years. These days, if a public figure utters an
opinion that has the slightest hint of color or
varies even slightly from the razor-thin margin of
"approved" stances, he or she will face a terrible
wrath from rabid liberals. Only the most bland,
progressive and inclusive opinions are tolerated.
God forbid you have a strong opinion about
anything.
I understand the strategic rationale for
politicians to keep their comments as empty as
nonfat milk. If they alienate anyone, they risk
losing votes. I happen to think such strategy makes
for the worst politicians imaginable; we all know
what it's like to have a president who bases his
principles on the latest poll results. But it's the
vehement reaction from (mostly) the left, and
especially from the literati and the media, that I
can't fathom.
Why is it so unconscionable to offend someone,
if it wasn't your intent to offend? Often, a person
is persecuted for the political incorrectness of
his comments, when in fact the supposed "victim" of
his comments took no offense in the first place.
I've heard countless stories of civil liberties
groups fighting to force schools to abandon their
Native American-themed mascot, when the Native
American group in question was not offended to
begin with. Talk about political correctness run
amok.
My idealism got quashed long ago by the
overwhelming weight of cynicism piled on by the
last twenty years of my experience in this decaying
society. The ACLU and other organizations file
countless lawsuits every year to ostensibly protect
freedom of speech, but their ilk crippled that
fundamental right long ago.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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