"Now I don't want to get off on a rant here, but...." -Dennis Miller
Here is my Rant and Roar page. My rants vary in length depending on how I feel and how much I have to say about each issue. Once again, I'd like to point out that I am not trying to offend anyone in particular. This is just me blowing off some steam.
I get the feeling that you're not surprised to see a rant on Political Correctness here. It seems almost required by law that any kind of rant section should have someone bitching about this current state of political correctness that we live in. I'm sure you're wondering (besides *groan, why am I reading another PC rant?*) why I'm putting up this particular rant at this particular point in time. Well, it's due to an article I read in the Montreal Gazette the other day about a minister in Winnipeg who was "offended" by the book Of Mice and Men because it used the term "god-damn" and several other swear words. He is now fighting to have the book banned from school systems.
Before I go on, I want to make my stand on Political Correctness crystal clear... I agree with it. Yup, you heard right. On a basic level, I think it's a good idea. In a world where people get kicks out of kicking people, it's nice to know we have laws which try to give people the right walk down their own street without being ridiculed.
What's that you say? What about freedom of speech? Your freedom of speech ends when it limits the rights of another person. If someone can't function because of your continual insults or offensive remarks, then you are limiting their right to lead a normal life. Freedom of speech was created to help minorities speak out over an oppressive majority. Somehow, we've managed to take this right of free speech and turn it against the very people it was trying to help. With the right to say anything they want, we had racists who were verbally attacking minorities simply because they were minorities. Political Correctness wasn't created to limit the rights of people, it was created so that we could all be treated with some sort of respect.
Unfortunately, we've once again taken something which is supposed to help promote understanding and equality, and completely corrupted it. Political Correctness is now completely out of control. Our society made the mistake it always seems make. It assumes that if something is wrong, then the exact opposite must be right. First, we had oppression. We learned this was wrong, and so we implemented the exact opposite. Instead of not being able to say anything, you can say everything. This caused problems, so now we are gravitating back to not being able to say anything.
This brings me back to our minister friend from Winnipeg. It's idiots like this who abuse the laws we have to suit their own personal preferences. Of Mice and Men is a classic and a book which tries to show reality as it existed during that time. Reality isn't a comfortable place where everyone speaks the word of God. If you aren't comfortable with that sort of reality, then you can live in your own little world and you don't have to read the book. To try and ban the book in the name of political correctness is just narrowminded. In fact, I find it offensive that he would limit the ability of others to read this book. Everyone is offended by SOMETHING, doesn't mean we should outlaw it. Only if you are in a position where you can't function normally because of it should you be allowed to try to ban it. And don't you DARE say that this is the case! Of Mice and Men is not inhibiting the minister's ability to work. He just wants the book banned because he doesn't like the way it sounds. Period.
The minister is only one particular case, but we see this sort of thing all the time, We can't get away from it. People are trying to get things outlawed, not because it's offensive, but because they just don't like it. Call someone a secretary and they'll yell at you for not being 'PC'. Don't you dare call them Garbage Men, they're Sanitation Engineers! Fireman? That's sexist! It's a firePERSON! Everyone needs to sit down, relax and take a REALLY deep breath, because this is completely ridiculous. Suddenly, everyone is a victim of some sort of verbal assault and needs compensation. The part I find most frustrating however, is that political correctness is being abused by the very people it's suppose to be helping. There are people who are part of a minority that will scream injustice if things don't go their way, and why? Simply because they're part of a minority.
As a society, we need to stick our head in a bucket of ice water and cool down. Not everything that's said is a jab or insult. If something doesn't go your way, then just try to accept it and let it go. If you don't get the job, maybe.... just maybe.... it's not because you're a woman, or a black, or a Jew, or a blond, or bald, or too short, or too tall. Maybe, the other person got it because he or she is more qualified for it.
We need to ease off on the political correctness before it gets even more out of hand. People need to learn that there is such a thing as a happy medium. Many people say things like "if they take away our right to _______, what's next?" or "Where will they draw the line?" People need to realize that things don't always have to be at the extremes. We need to have free speech, but we shouldn't be able to say anything at all. We shouldn't be able to say anything at all, but we also shouldn't remove everything we don't like or agree with. There is a golden mean out there, we just need to look for it
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