Folks in America are having their minds, their attention and their 'news' viewing narrowly focused these past four days because of a single incident that involved the termination of an employee from a Radio broadcast company. People are fired from their jobs in radio and television often. So what's the big deal here?POLITICAL CORRECTNESS! And who came up with the term 'politically correct' when using euphemisms to try and be sensitive or tactful. In the olden days, before everything became 'politic' centric, people communicated with each other from a position of familiarity. If they were very familiar with whom they were speaking, say they shared sentiments and opinions on a topic, they felt free enough to just speak their mind. It was how you knew there were no 'games' being played between you. If one was unfamiliar with the other they would use somewhat more opaque terminology initially switching to translucent as the commonalities were established. It is how we got to know each other. First, start off with safe topics then move on to more controversial in baby steps to begin to mentally and emotionally catalog the individual. One may start of for instance establishing standards of acceptable expression by referring to someone who is grossly overweight by just that vernacular: grossly overweight. It isn't personally directed, it is an acceptable and reasonable statement of fact, and it is not considered objectionable when not personally directed. As you become more free to speak your mind, or, less guarded in your speech, you might next say 'obese' then move on to 'huge' and lastly, just say FAT! It is development of a comfort zone in self expression and communication with others.
Then, along came the 'politically correct' culture where everything must be diffused to its most obscure representation, tantamount to lying, or at the very least, covering intent, and voila you have a community as a nation of people who are afraid to simply express themselves.
The unspoken truth in all of this is the reality that today, our culture as a nation does not support reading, or in depth analysis of any situation not part of our job. Instead of words we now learn through pictures/graphics. Instead of using our heads to figure out a math problem we reach for a calculator. Instead of sitting around a dinner table encouraging frank, open and intense 'co'mmunication we grab a bite whenever, sit and eat in front of the television or sit at the table 'texting' by using a series of consonants to convey thoughts. The 'art' of communication is disappearing from every day life between all relationships from the most intimate to the most casual and yet EVERYONE knows the POLITICALLY CORRECT way to say something. Why? Because WE ARE BEING TOLD the right choice in verbiage! To what end? Well, what happens when you use an electric prod on a bunch of cattle? Or shepherds nipping and barking at a flock of sheep? They go, behave and think what you want them to and personal resistance is minimized. What is else is minimized?
Think about it! Critical thinking, personal freedoms, sense of self. There are so many people unable to cope with life anymore that masses are taking mood altering drugs; the way information is delivered in any medium is directed in terms of 'sound bites' and 'headlines' we even have a growing social medium which deliberately restricts the number of characters you can actually use to transfer data to 140 characters! Hence the need to use a combination of letters and numbers and symbols to convey the full idea between individuals.
So now 3 decades later, firmly rooted as a stalwart part of our society, we have POLITICAL CORRECTNESS! Let us not forget, the 'high minded' the 'elitist' believe one is judged on their ability to speak in PC terms! If you speak your mind, clearly, succinctly and honestly you are uneducated, lack class, socially challenged and inevitably dismissed without any consideration as to the substance, quality or genius the self expression may have contained. You are marked as 'Homer Simpson'!
In the olden days [50 years ago] we were taught if we did not have something nice to say about someone to keep our mouth shut! Now, we can indulge in 'talking stink' about someone so long as we use PC terms. Now, we can destroy someone's life and reputation by using PC terms. Ah, that reminds me, Juan Williams. The man was a guest on a FoxNews program and made a statement in conversation about how he feels about traveling via public transportation in the presence of someone dressed in a particular way whose appearance is generally understood to represent a 'group' -- the fringes of which is understood to have murdered thousands of people in several countries for no reason excepting those we would consider 'radical'. See how long that took to say politically correct? Instead of just saying, Mr. Williams said when he sees Muslims dressed in certain attire when boarding a plane he is uncomfortable. What's the big deal? Isn't he saying what most people here and abroad feel? Yet, it cost him his job with the company he worked with for over a decade. Why? Because they are so keenly focused on TELLING YOU AND I what to think by disallowing certain forms of self expression. They'd rather you 'hide' your honest feelings so as to circumvent any discomfort among a group of people who either represent the group as 'radicals' or who have failed to denounce the 'radicals' and distance themselves from such ones sufficiently to allow for comfortable co-habitation on an airplane! They are also part of a system that continues the 'indoctrination' of the practice of acceptable PC. COME ON!!!
It seems as though this has come to a boiling and roiling point and the PC movement may be in danger of crumbling down around the ankles of its master while people begin to slip back into habits from long ago where they express themselves honestly with each other and at the same time build trust among each other. TRUST, TRUTH, two things which the POLITICALLY CORRECT culture has surgically removed from the communication between people and instead of bringing us closer has insulated each of us from each other while creating 'group think' and 'group speak'!
The BORG from Star Trek had a saying 'you have been assimilated!' We have. It is through learned speech habits that creates the antithesis of commonality by making us all strangers while branding us all with the same iron.
It is definitely time to recapture our right to FREELY THINK, FREELY SPEAK, FREELY ENGAGE with each other, if so inclined. Time to be truthful, trust WORTHY and most of all, be a MAN [insert 'person' for PC] of our word.
Word to the 'wise'? If you don't want to be called a nut, don't act, dress, speak or live as one. Otherwise, you will be called a nut! There are provocateurs among us who position themselves to trap those who would 'react' to the art of provocation. After one reacts they are punished through public chastisements and law suits. Why? Because of honest reaction to a staged situation! You wear black leather vests, bandannas, look unkempt, ride motorcycles and have large gutting knives in your back pocket you will be called a motorcycle gang member with all the negativity that conjures. In my face with your lifestyle and I will respond based on the perception you want me to have. Leave me alone and no problem. The loss of 'quiet living' of 'personal' space and of honest self expression is one of the many underlying problems with the 'society' today as it is in the throes of decay and it is not at all by chance! It is by design and the 30 years of implementation have wrought exactly the fruitage intended by its designers.
So, what will you do? Help me grow thick skin? Call me fat? I am...you are speaking the truth. Is it your place to discuss my being fat? The whole of the US is a FREE SPEECH ZONE so have at it. That street runs both ways.
Juan Williams winds up scoring big on this in one way...he wound up with a contract making more money working more full time at a place he spent a part of each day anyway. Sadly, to get there his whole life has been the 'headline' one way or another everywhere, including here!
