Just want to throw this out there because it’s been bothering me for awhile.

You don’t need me to tell you that the nation’s swung hard to the right ever since our esteemed Leader took over piloting the ship and has been looking for icebergs to ram ever since. I’m greatly troubled by the fact that a lot of the damage being done can’t be undone, or will take a long, long time to repair. This includes damaging the environment, intrusions on privacy, and warping the language. It’s that last one that I’ve been stewing over lately.

Smarter people than me have already pointed out that the language of politics has changed, where “liberal” is a dirty word, and being on the right is synonymous with being patriotic while being on the left is akin to being a traitor. We’re also distorting how we define ourselves as American. Instead of a melting pot of diversity, I guess we’re starting to believe that an American is white, Christian, and middle-class (even though the rich are getting richer while the rest of us the country remains stagnant.)

My big concern in this regard is the increasing number of attacks on “political correctness.” Just as being liberal has come to mean “ineffectual and weak,” political correctness has come to mean foolishness that tip-toes around the Truth. So if we, as a nation, no longer see the point of being p.c., that more or less gives the green light for racism and (less overtly) sexism.

Constructing the “other” gives those in power a lot of control, and right now membership to the “other” is pretty inclusive. The easiest way to qualify for being the “other” is to be non-Christian. If you’re non-religious then you’re also amoral (or outright immoral) and a danger to our Christian nation’s founding. If you’re Muslim, you’re one step removed from being a murderer. Another way to qualify as the “other” is to be non-white. Because we hear so much about the immigration policy, I guess it’s safe to assume that all Hispanics are illegals and ought not to be here. Or if your life was washed away by Katrina, we’ll give you some sympathy but not much else. Rebuild! That’s what we would do. Because the country is founded on personal responsibility, not receiving hand-outs. Oh, it almost goes without saying that if you live outside our nation’s borders, you’re an “other.” Unless you agree with all of our policies. Then you’re okay. For now.

Language has a lot to do with perceptions, and political correctness is a method by which you’re supposed to check your assumptions. To take a moment and put yourself in the shoes of the “other.” So when I see chain emails lauding the sheer stupidity of ignorant assholes it makes me sick. The fact that the good professor can’t distinguish between a religious faith on one hand and a violent political agenda on the other is disturbing; and the fact that he lumps all Muslims together as if they’re one homogeneous, unilaterally thinking group suggests he’s never known a Muslim, much less two. The tone in the email is unmistakeable as Wichman assumes the voice of dominance and authority as the “American” while the students cast in the role of the “other,” and his message is definitive: this is the way things are here.

The subtle shift in language has also spilled over into the abortion debate, where being “pro-choice” is rapidly becoming defined as “pro-death.” I fear that this battle looms on the horizon and I’m a bit uneasy in this era of the gung-ho “kill the killers” mentality we’ve got going on here.

In 1998, an abortion doctor was murdered in New York State. Gov. Pataki called it “terrorism” at the time but that word didn’t quite mean the same thing back then, did it? On these shores, the most politically active anti-choice (the language war goes both ways) groups are fundamentalist Christians who claim moral superiorty; they argue murdering an abortion provider saves countless lives and is therefore just in the eyes of God. Maybe I should go on a rampage lambasting Christians (as a homogeneous, unilaterally thinking group) the next time an abortion provider is murdered.

Political correctness doesn’t stop violent people from commiting violent acts. But learning to see the world through someone else’s eyes has a funny way of defusing that violent impulse. And heaven forbid we, as a culture, deplore violence as a legitimate (if not preferred) way for resolving a conflict.

But check that thought. There’s more money to be made by war than peace, we’re easier to control when the world is seen as black and white and when we’re made to believe everyone’s out to get us.

To think otherwise is positively un-American.

Current Mood: Pissed Off |
Currently Listening To – Bob Dylan – “Modern Times”