Political Correctness is Always Having to Say You're Sorry

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Political correctness (PC) is nothing new. It was developed at the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany, which was founded in 1923 and came to be known as the "Frankfurt School." It was a group of thinkers who pulled together to find a solution to the biggest problem facing the implementors of Communism in Russia.

The problem? Why wasn't communism spreading?

Their answer: Because Western Civilization was in its way. What was the problem with Western Civilization? Its belief was in the individual, that an individual could develop valid ideas. At the root of communism was the theory that all valid ideas come from the effect of the social group of the masses. The individual is worthless.

In addition, they believed that the only way for communism to advance was to help (or force, if necessary) Western Civilization to destroy itself. How do you do that? You undermine its foundation by chipping away at the rights of those annoying western individuals.

One way to do that is to change their speech and thought patterns by spreading the idea that vocalizing your beliefs is disrespectful to others and must be avoided to make up for past inequities and injustices. And, call it something that sounds positive: "Political Correctness."

Inspired by the brand new communist technique, Mao, in the 1930's, wrote an article on the "correct" handling of contradictions among the people called "Sensitivity training" - sound familiar? Speech codes were then born and so was the ACLU.

Things seemed to quiet down for a number of years until Political Correctness erupted again in the 1980's. It was a spontaneous declaration that particular ideas, expressions and behavior, which were then legal, should be forbidden by law, and people who transgressed should be punished. It started with a few voices, but grew in popularity until it became written and unwritten law within society. Some who became publicly declared as being not politically correct became the object of persecution by some in the masses, if not prosecuted by the state. So where has that taken us over the years?

Political Correctness has gone mad. It is literally out of control. It has made me think twice before I speak extemporaneously in public; which I do quite often. I feel that before I say or write anything, I need a battery of lawyers and a representative from the ACLU to review my remarks prior to me presenting them. Even then, someone will find something I say or write objectionable.

When civilizations decline, they become increasingly troubled with form over substance, generally with respect to language. Let us examine the evolvement of Politically Correct terms over the years.

For example, during WW I when a solider became depressed on the battlefield we called it shell shock-- a simple term, two one-syllable words, clear and descriptive. Later, after WW II ended, we called it combat fatigue. It meant the same thing, and there were still just two words. Today the two words have doubled, and the original pair of words has expanded to four. It even has its own acronym, PTSD--post traumatic stress disorder. It still means the same thing, and it still hurts as much or as little, but it is more in harmony with current sterile sensibilities.

Punishing your child has become "take a time out." You cannot say a person is fat anymore, they are "horizantally challenged." Lazy students in school are now considered "motivationally deficient." Failing students are "temporarily academic deficient." Does it all mean the same thing. "A rose by any other name is still a rose."

Let us examine what has recently occurred in the name of Political Correctness.

- In New York City, Muslim taxi drivers may elect not to pick up passengers who are carrying acoholic beverages. So if you are dressed to the nines (searing a tuxedo and your date is in an evening gown) and you are carryng a bottle of Dom Perignon, do not bother to hail a cab.

- It is fast becoming Politically Correct to mark students whose answers are incorrect with a "Purple Pen" instead of red. It seems that a university study has shown that red is a negative color and stands for failure. Purple is softer. Red is negative because of what it stood for. How long will it take purple to become negative because it now stands for failure? What will we change it to in five-years? Yellow?

- It has become Politically Incorrect to call terrorists what they are, Terrorists. They, according to Reuters News Service should be called "freedom fighters." Whose freedom were they fighting for on 9/11?

- A hospital in the United Kingdom refused to serve Cross Buns for Easter; a tradition that was in place for years. They did not want to offend Muslim patients.

- In children's organized sports, such as soccer or little league baseball, the fifteenth place team in a fourteen- team league gets trophies. Why are we rewarding losers? We are creating a generation of losers with the current view that children are all winners. We are failing our kids by refusing to teach them how to lose.

- A student in a New England town was suspended from school for sitting down at a lunch table eating a ham sandwich while a Muslim student sat at the same table. They called it a racially insensitive hate crime.

- A Muslim Congressman was sworn in to office with a Qur'an. I wonder what would have happened if Senator Joe Lieberman wanted to be sworn in holding a Torah. Would he be laughed out of the senate?

- Shock Jock Don Imus was fired for calling the Rutgers girls (I mean young women's) basketball team a bunch of "Nappy Headed Ho's."

- The Reverand Al Sharpton, the country's biggest hypocrite, now wants to go after all the radio Shock Jocks if they step over the line. My suggestion to the Reverend is, if you actually care about anything other than getting your name in the news for fighting imaginary racism, you should look into the problem of why there is a double standard in the Black community.

Political correctness is no longer a plea for equality. Instead, it has become a tool for the greedy to gain more money, more influence, and more power. Our courts constantly condone this farce.

The declared rationale of the ACLU is to prevent people from being offended; to require everyone to avoid using words or behavior that may upset homosexuals, women, non-whites, the disabled, the stupid, fat people, bald, the ugly and illegal aliens.

This reveals not only its irrationality but also its motivation. The set of values that were detested were those held by the previous generation who knew that "sticks and stones could break my bones." You know the rest. Is it an act of adolescent rebellion by the new generation or is Political Correctness merely the resentment of spoiled children directed against their parent's values?

Political correctness is the practice of censoring viewpoints disparaging to the liberal agenda or embarrassing to powerful people. It is tearing down the fibers of this great democracy. Maybe it just took the "Frankfurt School" a little longer than it thought it needed to spread its message.

In all fairness to the Reverend Al Sharpton, I must admit that maybe he is right. Maybe the word "Ho" is a racial slur and should never be used in any context.

Therefore, here is my question to you Reverend Al. This Christmas when a Black female child climbs upon Santa's lap in the local mall and he utters those three words he has been saying for centuries, "Ho, Ho, Ho," will you insist that all the malls in America be closed?

And, that is my opinion.

Michael Solomon

Author of 'Where Did My America Go?"

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