Times of trouble
Where have we gone with politically correct speech??
posted by Anonymous at 6:14 AM
Friday, December 08, 2006
Where have we gone with politically correct speech??
Where have we gone with politically correct speech??
9 Comments:
To save a few keystrokes, we covered much of this same ground last December, so interested readers might go here:
'Tis the season for ... ACLU bashing?
In today's chapter of a week-long series that might have been entitled "A Season for Proselytizing," our friend Healthblogger returns to the topic of the American Civil Liberties Union and finds it a rhetorical straw man well worth bashing.
And this rejoinder to the increasingly tired line Hb espouses:
How The ACLU Didn't Steal Christmas
When the angry phone calls and emails started arriving at the office, I knew the holiday season was upon us. A typical message shouted that we at the American Civil Liberties Union are "horrible" and "we should be ashamed of ourselves," and then concluded with an incongruous and agitated "Merry Christmas."
We get this type of correspondence a lot, mostly in reaction to a well-organized attempt by extremist groups to demonize the ACLU, crush religious diversity, and make a few bucks in the process. Sadly, this self-interested effort is being promoted in the guise of defending Christmas.
For whatever its worth, I was amused at HB’s cartoon and simple message.
But, after reading New Albanian’s response, I wondered not about the message of the cartoon, but whether or not it’s even possible in a fractured society like ours to find a moment of intellectual amusement in something, even if it contradicts our own ideological views?
As to the merits of the debate in the NA’s response, I’ll add my two cents only to say that while I'm certainly an advocate of our constitutional rights & protections, I think that somewhere out in the political continuum, there needs to be a little common sense applied as well.
Sometimes, I do feel the ACLU spends its time and resources fighting silly fights. On the other hand, I find much of what conservative religious right (via certain "coalitions") advocates as societal morality to be a little over the top as well.
It’s a slippery slope both ways.
In the end analysis, perhaps I’m just one of those "middle of the road" folks. For whatever reason, it doesn’t seem like there are too many of us out there any more. Most people tend to fall on one side or the other of the political/religious spectrum.
In such an enlightened society like ours, it’s a shame everything has to be so black & white.
Whatever happened to grey?
Can’t anyone just share a good laugh anymore?
The cartoon's funny, to be sure. And like the funny papers always have, it's reflective of the real world and capable of observations about it.
If I venture a salutation this time of year, and usually I don't, it's "happy holidaze." My use of this predates the current hullabaloo by about 25 years.
If someone says "Merry Christmas" to me, and I'm out in the position of responding, the trick I learned from an old irrelgious co-worker years back is to respond, "same to you!"
Use the proper lilt, and it sounds almost festive.
To be honest, the whole thing's mostly a mountain out of a molehill, but as long as the evengelicals push, I intend to push back. In fact, my radicalism is tremendously exaggerated, and I stand forever ready to call a truce and co-exist. After all, I can do it. Not sure about them, though.
Well we would be able to just share a good laugh if there wasn't some truth to the comic.
It is ridiculous that a child could get in trouble at school for saying Merry Christmas.
Our schools are now in the business of telling our kids what is appropriate to believe and not to believe. Our children spend a ton of time in the school system and if they are taught it is wrong to express their beliefs in school then how are we going to teach them to express their beliefs in society and stand up for what they believe in. The schools are teaching our children now to shut up in the future and go along with what is politically correct.
You have to be careful in the grey areas because that is where people will use manipulation and guilt to slowly lead you down a path that you wouldn’t normally go. Let us look at TV shows for example. We use to have shows like Andy Griffith and Little House on the Prairie now we have Sex in the City and Desperate House Wives. If we would of went from Green Acres to Desperate House wives people would have been outraged, but instead we slowly went in that direction so people would adapt to it and not see the wrong in it.
Well that’s my two cents for what its worth.
Did I read "grey"? I am about the greyest person around.
I find it absurd that some will avoid "Merry Christmas" at all costs. I find it equally absurd that some want to force the usage of same.
I find the comments about Sex in the City and Desperate Housewives funny.
According the rating services, some of the highest ratings for these shows are in the "red" states and cities. Bunch of hypocrites.
The cartoon was for humor but glad it stirred some emotion. I like stirring the pot as most of you know.
It makes no difference to me if you say Merry Christmas or not as long as I am entitled to state it.
NA and I may never agree on our religious beliefs, but I still care about him and appreciate his friendship.
I's also agree that from my discussions with iamhoosier, "grey" is certainly his favorite color
Nice to find something to agree on during this Christmas season, isn't it? And yes, I chose my words carefully, out of respect for your beliefs.
For the record, I respect HB quite a lot, and reciprocate in valuing his friendship.
We just disagree on practically everything.
It's that Ted Kennedy/Orrin Hatch thing.
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