OPINION: Lou Zako: Political correctness is killing us – Petoskey News-Review

The following guest commentary was written by Lou Zako, a semi-retired doctor living in Harbor Springs. His views are his own. Email him at lrzako@gmail.com.

As a person of faith, my world view recognizes that both good and evil are ever-present in our lives. While government can at times protect from evil, it is often ineffective, and at times counter-productive. We must look to our religions, our communities, and our families to help instill good in our psyches.

The radical left, which includes a significant number in government at various levels, much of academia, and much of the main-stream media, has been remarkably successful in silencing those of us with traditional values, including love of country, through the use of political correctness.

I challenge my readers to introspectively ask themselves if the threat of being called a racist leads them to remain silent in the face of obvious bias. How many of us are willing to go to a local school board meeting to challenge the board and the administration when they unconstitutionally prohibit students from expressing their religious beliefs.

An excellent example of the intimidation of the populace into silence is the insane issue of transgender bathrooms, forced upon every school district in America by the Obama administration, in concert with big business and the New York Times. The hypocrisy of pretending to protect a person of a specific biologic gender from harassment without any regard for an overwhelming majority of children deprived of their right to privacy is stark and dramatic. In graphic terms, this policy mandated public schools to permit a teenage boy with a penis to use the girls bathrooms and showers by simply declaring that he felt like a female that day. Most of us would label such an edict insane, but it is actually much worse. It is in fact, intimidation of the citizenry to bend to the will of a tyrannical leftist government.

Almost daily we witness the radical left silencing the rest of us by using the race card. While it is perfectly acceptable to mock a Donald Trump or a George W. Bush, rather than debating specific issues, we dare not mock or disagree with Barack Obama for fear of being labeled as a racist.

A frank look at the end result of the Western European and North American elite preaching to the rest of us about the virtues of diversity and multiculturalism leads to the conclusion that millions of ordinary Americans, Brits, or Germans are tired of being human fodder for radical Islamists. The elites have their high walls and their bodyguards to protect them from terrorists, while making every effort to disarm the rest of us and leave us as helpless prey to terrorists. The radical lefts definition of diversity, interestingly enough, apparently does not include diversity of political thought. Does one need to ask oneself how many conservatives are on the faculties of the University of Michigan, Harvard, and Berkeley? How many conservatives are on the staff of the New York Times, the Washington Post, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, etc. How many climate scientists who express skepticism of the role of human activity in climate change receive funding for their studies? Even changing global warming to climate change is an example of political correctness. When radical environmentalists were mocked for their almost religious belief in the coming end of the earth through global warming by ordinary citizens who often had to don sweaters during cold weather, rather than questioning the validity of their unproven assumption that the seas would rise during our brief lifetimes and we would all fry, they changed the terminology to climate change. In Michigan the climate changes month by month. Our ancestors have endured both ice ages and ages of warming.

To silence critics, the radical left invoke the piety that the overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that man-made global warming is beyond discussion or dispute. These same scientists fathers and mothers asserted that energy could neither be created or destroyed until a sole maverick, Albert Einstein, proved them all wrong. True science is not about forced conformity but rather a search for the truth and a healthy degree of skepticism for any theory.

As the Western World is now witnessing terrorist massacres of ordinary people in Europe and the U.S. on a frighteningly regular basis, still our governmental agencies, the intelligence community, the FBI, the military, and the local police are forced to eschew profiling. In other words, the Detroit and Chicago police are prohibited from stopping and frisking young black males any more often than old white ladies, in spite of the fact that a disparate percentage of violent crime is committed by young black thugs against defenseless black children and black seniors. Moreover, town after town in America has had imposed on its citizenry large numbers of refugees from violent areas of the Middle East, including young Arabic males, many of whom never assimilate or take on our Western values. Ask the families of the victims of terrorist attacks at the Boston marathon or San Bernardino whether political correctness was in any part responsible for the loss of their loved ones.

The next time you meet any of your liberal/progressive/morally superior friends, ask them whether they share more concern for the safety and welfare of their fellow citizens or for undocumented immigrants, aka illegal aliens.

Note the madness of the elites of the United Kingdom. In spite of terrorist massacre after massacre the vast majority of British police are unarmed. More than 90 percent of Londons Metropolitan Police Force carries no weapons.

A majority of rational people now agree that political correctness kills.

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OPINION: Lou Zako: Political correctness is killing us - Petoskey News-Review

What is the Source of Our Culture of Euphemism and Political Correctness? – Patheos (blog)

Nothing is as it seems these days (Juan Gris, Still Life with a Bordeaux Bottle, 1919; Wikimedia, PD-Old-70)

The sources of euphemism and political correctness are too close to be seen.

The Polish philosopher Leszek Kolakowski spent the better part of the 50s and 60s attempting to create a (Soviet Communist-) Socialism with a Human Face.Some of his more important attempts are collected in Toward a Marxist Humanism: Essays on the Left Today.The failure to square the circlewas one of the things that forcedKolakowski into exile in the West. His success in documenting the failure of real-existing socialismin his magisterial three-volume The Main Currents of Marxism made him a short-term pariah among Western Cultural Marxist intellectualswhen such a thing actually still existed.His book, along with Solzhenitsyns The Gulag Archipelago (Im surprised and disappointed to see it out of print) and The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression, put the final nails in the Western Marxist economic tradition. It hasnt recovered from the defeat, but those who keep on harping about the omnipresence of Cultural Marxism seem content with chasing a ghost, rather than dealing with the present. Im happy to let them chase their specters of Marx.

The collapse of Real-Existing Socialism (Soviet Communism witha Human Face) made it look like there was no alternative after 1989. It took less than 20 years for the world to realize that there is a problem with capitalism. 2008 was a watershed moment that made many realize that a project to create Capitalism with a Human Face is all thats left to us. That is,if we refuse to countenance other working solutions, what are called the Third Ways(between capitalism and communism). Mark Fishers little manifesto,Capitalist Realism: IsThere No Alternative?,is a kind of interim report card on how the human face refuses to stick to capitalism as it refused to stick to communist-socialism:

Really Existing Capitalism is marked by the same division which characterized Really Existing Socialism, between, on the one hand, an official culture in which capitalist enterprises are presented as socially responsible and caring, and, on the other, a widespread awareness that companies are actually corrupt, ruthless, etc. In other words, capitalist postmodernity is not quite as incredulous as it would appear to be, as the jeweler Gerald Ratner famously found to his cost.

Side Note: Gerald Ratner is famous for admitting during anInstitute of Directors annual conference at The Royal Albert Hall that some of his products are crap:

We also do cut-glass sherry decanters complete with six glasses on a silver-plated tray that your butler can serve you drinks on, all for 4.95. People say, How can you sell this for such a low price?, I say, because its total crap.

He became a laughingstock for hishonesty and lost hisfortunein the process, only to win it back.His is an unusual case of demaskingCapitalism with a Human Face?

99.9% of the time the mask stays on? What keeps it glued to the face of capitalism? Euphemism and political correctness.Polish philosopherTadeusz Gadacz, aformer pupil of Fr.Jozef Tischner (the Chaplain of Solidarity), explains in a Gazeta Wyborcza (only my Polish readers will understand the irony of this)editorial the gluing process using the categoryof thestructural lieas developed by his master.

[I would like to describe our situation of using euphemisms for everything] by referring to a very concrete concept, which Fr. Jzef Tischner, my master, called the structural lie. We live in a structural lie. In the past it was fascism, communism, today it is the neoliberal market. It is no longer the lie of a single person who is concealing the truth. This lie applies to whole structures of life: political, social, economical, medial, and also educational. We participate in it and we make our peace with it. We do not really believe that we are able to radically change the world, so we take part in it. After all, who can presently change the principles of the neoliberal market? Nobody? And so we say there is no exploitation, theres outsourcing and economizing, there are no murders, there is ethnic cleansing. It makes it easier for us to swallow our dinner.

As my friend likes to say, We no longer have garbage men, we have sanitation experts.' We cover upour economic garbagewith euphemism and political correctness, because we do not want to admit our complicity in the structural lie. That element of self-criticism was something that was sorely missing in the Occupy Wall Street critique of the 1%. The 1% would not exist if not for the complicity of the 99%.

Whos going to write The Black Book of Capitalism: Crimes, Terror, Repression?

Capitalist Realism: IsThere No Alternative? is a pretty good place to start for now.

Bon apptit!

For more on Fr. Tischner see: Solidarity Means Carrying One Anothers Burden.

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What is the Source of Our Culture of Euphemism and Political Correctness? - Patheos (blog)

Political correctness dampens UNLV logo – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Does a university the size of UNLV not have an art department? A graphics department?

So UNLV revealed its new logo, which depicts an updated PC version of the previous one. While I get that we must now say, act and feel PC all the time, why not take it a step further and depict an androgynous person?

Personally, I wouldnt care if the new logo had an otter and a bottle of shampoo on it. The real issue is the cost. The school spent $50,000 in donor money. Are you serious? Does a university the size of UNLV not have an art department? A graphics department? Why not offer a prize to the winning developer and allow the students and the boosters to vote on the best one? Use the donated money to either fund scholarships or feed the thousands of hungry children here in the valley.

The cost was excessive and, frankly, Im over the ridiculous PC culture that has taken over our lives and been crammed down our throats.

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Political correctness dampens UNLV logo - Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Betrayed Girls: A case of political correctness gone badly … – iNews

The BBC drama Three Girls, about the grooming of white teenage girls by Pakistani men in Rochdale, won critical acclaim earlier this year. Now a blistering feature-length documentary, The Betrayed Girls tells the story behind the headlines, exploring why the police turned a blind eye to systematic sexual grooming for decades.

The film raised uncomfortable questions about multicultural Britain and the failure of the establishment to protect societys most vulnerable. At its heart lay the conclusion that political correctness stopped the authorities from publicly condemning Pakistani men for fear of racist accusations.

It was only when a Muslim lawyer was appointed chief prosecutor of North West England that the abusers were brought to justice.

Political correctness was just one of the social attitudes that led to the failure of the police to prosecute numerous men, largely Pakistani, in cities including Birmingham, Bradford and Manchester. The indifference towards vulnerable, sexually active girls many of whom were in care and deemed to be deviant was also palpable.

Sara Rowbotham, a care worker in Rochdale, reported more than 100 cases of abuse to the police, but none was investigated. In the West Yorkshire town of Keighley, police dismissed reports of abuse of girls aged 12 and 13 because they were consenting even though sex with a minor is an illegal act.

Labour MP Ann Cryer tried and failed to make Keighley police take the reports of abuse by Pakistani men seriously. In the film, she blames political correctitude. Her fears that the story would be reclaimed by the far-right came true when BNP leader Nick Griffin seized on the reports to protest in Keighley against Muslim men abusing white British girls. It was a fear that also prevented Times journalist Andrew Norfolk from originally covering the story.

In another recent documentary, Channel 4s Wife Swap: Brexit Special, Leaver Pauline says she backed Brexit because of political correctness gone mad. The Rochdale abuse scandal broke years before Brexit, but at its heart lies a familiar narrative of the establishment looking after its own interests while white, working-class people are ignored.

The Betrayed Girls was unflinching in its verdict of the polices failure. Its rare to find I agree with a Daily Mail headline, but the only conclusion to draw is that the girls were betrayed by the PC cowards. Its a lesson we must all learn from.

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The Betrayed Girls: A case of political correctness gone badly ... - iNews

Political correctness ‘shames’ differing points of views – Daily Republic – Fairfield Daily Republic

Bigotry is the heart and soul of political correctness.

One definition of a bigot is a person who disagrees with your beliefs about any social matter. One who treats others with hatred and intolerance when someones opinion differs from their own. The Urban Dictionary states, a person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from their own.

Just as whites can be bigots, so can blacks, browns and yellows.

I have written over time about truth, love, faith the science and purpose of genders and I have written about equality as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed equality to be, only to have the hate and venom of politically correct bigots rain down upon me.

Read the replies to my opinion pieces. Political correctness is designed to shame us into being silent if our fundamental beliefs differ from the politically correct.

We are homophobes, racists or almost any other hateful term. The person who believes in the LGBT agenda is intolerant of any person with any other view. The PC bigot. The same is true if you believe all lives matter, not just black lives. You are called a racist.

Atheists essentially believe their lack of knowledge and faith makes them godlike. Anyone who doesnt believe as they do threatens their conviction that they know all there is to know. If they dont know, no one can know. Faith is a threat to them. They are the worst of PC bigots.

PC is a bigoted strategy to impose false beliefs on others. To silence them in order to advance a special interest. Usually based on a fabricated truth.There is one bigot who claims that all white males are born into privilege. A two-edged PC statement to make white males feel guilty about being privileged when they look at issues of color and gender. What can the white male aristocracy understand about a black womans issues? If he speaks, he is called many names to reinforce the guilt and shame of being a privileged white male.

I recently wrote a personal letter to the editor in which I criticized the Solano County Board of Supervisors for ignoring the tenets of the faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

They arbitrarily declared June LGBT Pride month, without any public input. A politically correct act that ignored their constituents. I reminded the public that these same supervisors on two occasions tried to dishonestly impose taxes on the public by dressing up special taxes as general taxes, cheating the public out of millions of dollars.

I criticized the supervisors, not the practice of unnatural sex. The LGBT supporters replied with hate dripping with the venom of politically correct bigotry.

PC bigotry has been most effective in shaming and silencing the leaders of centers of faith. No one has spoken out for their fundamental beliefs. Look the other way rather than be faithful.

Atheists shame the faithful into silence. Black Lives Matter shame white males into silence. So-called feminists shame women who believe in a childs right to live into silence. Living Constitution advocates shame those who believe in the original intent of the founders into silence. They are out of the mainstream.

Shaming us into silence so that their loudly repeated lies when unanswered will take on the mantra of truth. That is the bigotry of political correctness.

In speaking what I believe to be truth, I have been cursed, hated, threatened and called every bad name possible. Just for having an opinion that did not conform to the politically correct falsehood.

I will continue to speak truth and let them call me whatever they wish. Its beginning to feel good. Would you care to join me?

Murray Bass of Fairfield can be reached at 720-5139 or[emailprotected].

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Political correctness 'shames' differing points of views - Daily Republic - Fairfield Daily Republic

3 stories that prove political correctness has gone too far Jim Gearhart podcast – New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio

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If youre a regular listener of Jim Gearharts podcast, or you enjoyed his 25-year stint leading New Jersey 101.5s morning show, were not telling you anything new by saying he doesnt enjoy political correctness.

But some stories, Jim says, are more absurd than others.

I just throw these out as a couple of examples of how weve gone stark raving damn mad, Jim says in this weeks installment of the Jim Gearhart Show podcast, available here, on iTunes and Google Play.

How about the story of Professor Bret Weinstein at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., who had the gall to oppose the schools annual Day of Absence, or rather, this years reversal of it. Traditionally, students and faculty of color would skip out on the campus for a day and meet elsewhere, to show what life would be like when theyre not around. This year, white students and faculty were invited to step away, after minorities expressed concerns they didnt feel safe following the 2016 election.

He was a very liberal person, but he said that was going too far, Jim says. But to Jim, what was really to far was the backlash Weinstein received including threats and harassment.

This is how serious this has gotten, Jim says.

But thats not the only story hes got lined up. Check out the podcast to hear the rest. Email Jim at Jim@NJ1015.com.

The Jim Gearhart Podcast is available every week on New Jersey 101.5 and in the New Jersey 101.5 app. You can alsosubscribe with your favorite podcasting app for iPhones, Android devices or your computer:

Get The Jim Gearhart Show on Google Play

Get Jim on iTunes

Love podcasts? Also check out Forever 39, Annette and Megans new podcast about turning 40 and loving life along the way. This week, they explore the stresses so many of us face and how to escape them.

Also: The New Jersey Guys, Chris and Dan, are joined this week by NJ Devils legend Ken Daneyko. And in Speaking Millennial, Bill Spadea, Jay Black and Jessica Nutt proclaim (profanely) Eff the future!

Townsquare Media staff

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3 stories that prove political correctness has gone too far Jim Gearhart podcast - New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio

Forget political correctness; time to profile young black men | Myrtle … – Myrtle Beach Sun News

Forget political correctness; time to profile young black men | Myrtle ...
Myrtle Beach Sun News
If we want to put an end to the shootings in Myrtle Beach and elsewhere in the former great country of ours, we need to do one simple thing: start profiling.

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Forget political correctness; time to profile young black men | Myrtle ... - Myrtle Beach Sun News

John McEnroe, Serena Williams and political correctness – Washington Examiner

Speaking to CBS in New York City on Tuesday, former tennis star John McEnroe refused to apologize for saying that Serena Williams would be ranked around 700th if she played on the male circuit.

Questioned by the CBS hosts, McEnroe was unrepentant. He had no intention of upsetting Serena Williams, he said, but nor did he regret his comments.

Still, what was more interesting in the interview was how the hosts embraced political correctness.

Under fire, McEnroe threw the contention back at Charlie Rose, asking him what rank he believed Serena would hold were she on the men's circuit. Rose is a tennis fan and knows the tour. But he couldn't bring himself to answer truthfully. Even when pushed, Rose stated, "She seemed pretty strong to me."

Next up, Gayle King challenged McEnroe. His comments, said Gayle, "belittle" female sporting accomplishments. Evidently angered by McEnroe's rebuttal, King asked McEnroe where he would rank on the men's tour. The 58-year-old responded, "about 1,200th in the world." It was a clever riposte. McEnroe suggested that Williams is a better player than him (she'd be 700th, he's 1,200th).

Regardless, the exchange was embarrassing. The CBS hosts clearly believed that they had a responsibility to slap down McEnroe's original comment. They were not there to question McEnroe, they were there to flay him. It didn't matter that McEnroe was right or wrong, but only that he be punished.

Of course, anyone who knows tennis knows that McEnroe is right. In the power of shots and endurance of the players, the male circuit is stronger than the women's. That's not a sexist comment. It's a fact of nature. As comparative serve speeds attest, facts are facts. It's as obvious as saying that a B-2 bomber carries more explosive power than a F-18 Super Hornet.

And it's not just the statistics of the court. Consider the relative daily attendance and TV viewing figures for major tennis tournaments. At Wimbledon, for example, figures for the gentlemen's semifinals or quarterfinals are greater than at the ladies' equivalent. The viewers know that the men's game is faster and stronger. And for that reason, many find it more compelling.

This doesn't take away from the accomplishment of the female players on the tour. From working at Wimbledon for seven years, I know firsthand the exceptional athleticism and skill that defines female tennis players. In the end, this is just a question of biology. And up against the male circuit, Serena Williams would not find the extraordinary success that she has attained. We should be able to admit that and be comfortable with it.

And we should be able to celebrate Serena Williams for being the best tennis player of her sex. She is a far better player on the women's tour than McEnroe ever was on the men's.

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John McEnroe, Serena Williams and political correctness - Washington Examiner

Wednesday, June 28, 2017: Mueller will uncover the truth, ‘political … – Bangor Daily News

Millinocket hospital provides good care

Millinocket residents have recently been bombarded by mailings from an unknown author. The mailings speak of a malpractice lawsuit against the Millinocket Regional Hospital and how a pregnant woman was awarded $1.8 million from the suit.

While the story is true, Im not sure what the intent of these mailings are. They seem to imply that the residents of the Millinocket area should stop using Millinocket Regional Hospital as our health care provider. It seems this person is an advocate for closing down one of the only health resources we have left here in an area that has been devastated by an economic downturn.

To have this facility available in a town of 4,500 people is incredible. Is this person really asking us to drive 45 minutes to an hour for our health care? What about emergency care? Now these mailings have implied that the quality of health care is reduced because of the fact that Millinocket Regional Hospital uses physician assistants instead of real doctors. If Millinocket Regional Hospital has made a financial decision to use physician assistants instead of doctors for emergency room care, and that decision helps keep the hospital open, Im OK with that.

To imply that they are any less professional or knowledgeable is flat out wrong. Of the many occasions Ive visited the emergency room, both personally and with my business, Ive never had anything but the best of care, been seen promptly and dealt with true professionals.

Dean Rodrigue

Millinocket

Im certain Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors knows that because two things happen at the same time doesnt mean one caused the other. The reasons someone moves to one locale over another are varied and complicated and often have nothing to do with taxes.

People are supposedly abandoning Connecticut in droves because of a tax increase on high income earners. And he believes the same will happen in Maine if the Legislature recognizes the will of the people and leaves in place the 3 percent surtax on annual income above $200,000 to fund the states share of public education at the 55 percent level, as mandated by the voters many years ago.

Connors plays the economic development card in his June 26 BDN OpEd, hoping well believe we can have that as a state without adequate investments in education.

Fewer than 10 percent of small businesses will be impacted by the surtax. If I made $250,000 as a small-business owner, I will owe an additional $1,500.

The prosperity we experienced as a country in the 1900s was due in large part to the investments our parents and grandparents made in education, infrastructure, research and development.

Business owners should be applauded for their hard work and their willingness to take risks. And they need to acknowledge that their success is due, at least in part, to the collective investments weve all made in structures and systems that support our commerce and our democracy.

We get what we pay for. Just ask Kansas.

Mary Ann Larson

Portland

The similarity of Vladimir Putins and Donald Trumps personalities is remarkable and explains how each requires loyalty beyond anything else.

Putin surrounds himself with long-term, mostly business allies, and Trump, his family. Such is oligarchy. Within a constitutional democracy such as ours, Trump is a rat in the larder.

I have confidence that our system can right itself, and the first step is an exterminator such as Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The truth will come out, notwithstanding a parallel reality that is not real. Otherwise, two party representative democracy is on the pale.

Philip C. Groce

Union

Not using derogatory and offensive names for women, Jews, Roman Catholics, Irish, Native Americans, African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Middle-Easterners isnt political correctness. Using respectful names is simply decent behavior.

But if thats what we call being PC, then I definitely take issue with William Duddys pronouncement in his June 24 BDN letter to the editor that multiculturalism and being PC are the worst things to have happened to the United States.

Being kinder and generous to different peoples is an excellent way for us all to be decent human beings to each other.

Joyce Cornwell

Lamoine

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Wednesday, June 28, 2017: Mueller will uncover the truth, 'political ... - Bangor Daily News

There is always a cost for political correctness – Wahpeton Daily News

Its a miracle I survived my childhood. I wonder how my parents could have been so neglectful and this exactly one week after we celebrated Fathers Day. Gasp. Roll eyes. Tsk. Tsk.

After reading the Dakota Estates news this week, one thing became abundantly clear Dakota Estates cares more for its residents than my parents did for their children. Dakota Estates residents played lawn darts, not to be confused with the lawn jarts we often played when I was a child. Seriously, any excuse my dad could manufacture, he pulled out the lawn jarts. Now I wonder if he was just trying to kill off a child. He had five of us. Wonder which one was expendable? Im betting on the youngest, my brother Tom.

Lawn darts are caricatured versions of a plastic bomb, while lawn jarts could never be mistaken for anything else, not with the sharp metal tip on one end so the jart could sink deep into the earth. Lawn jarts was fun, an evil form of horse shoes.

We played lawn jarts all the time, and lived to tell the tale. No one was injured or maimed. Not even a little scratch. I remember those deadly tournaments with fondness.

It was fun, during an era that posed other obvious safety hazards as children routinely drank from the hose. I remember eating carrots straight out of the vegetable garden without thought to pesticides or dirt. We didnt use Clorox wipes every 15 minutes in case an itinerant germ suddenly sprang out of the air with the speed of a President Trump tweet.

I survived childhood and rarely visited my childhood pediatrician Dr. Dooley, unless it was for stitches that resulted from a dare. I had a lot of stitches in my youth since recklessness and being foolhardy often walk hand-in-hand.

On one hand, I can appreciate that lawn darts are safer, but on the other, I dont like the way they bounce when tossed. Lawn jarts stuck, unless you missed and they skittered across the grass. I understand theres less likelihood of death when playing lawn darts, but I really do miss lawn jarts. Political correctness has its place in the world, but there is always a cost.

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There is always a cost for political correctness - Wahpeton Daily News

Political Correctness Presents A Challenge For Progressives – The Daily Caller

A whole lot of sound and fury has been made over political correctness. Its impossible to avoid talking about it, given its important role in the culture wars.

The old conservative yarn about political correctness is that its a leftist tool to suppress free speech. It accomplishes this by conditioning political discourse according to the constantly evolving rules and mercurial sensibilities of the left. This set-up skews the conversation from the outset in favor of the left. In this sense, political correctness has mostly been bad for the right so far.

Political correctness has doubtless played a major role in transforming our society according to the progressive program, and it continues to be the lefts major weapon in the culture wars. But how long can this advantage last?

Because of the fragile sensibilities of progressives, the culture wars have become, increasingly, a battle about speech rather than ideas. And this is starting to be bad for progressives. A tool that was meant to give them an edge is turning on them, and making them look out-of-touch and foolish.

The thing about odd speech is that it excites our amusement involuntarily. Lewis Carrolls Jabberwocky is funny because its all nonsense. There is something inherently funny about nonsensical bullshit.

When leftists butcher language to make reality conform to their ideas, the results are often ridiculous and difficult for outsiders to take seriously. SJW talk has been the butt of internet jokes for a while now, long enough to almost stop being funny altogether. Once upon a time, it was edgy and original to satirize the odd lingo popularized on Tumblr to describe confused young people who didnt receive enough attention from their parents growing up. There was something funny about those non-binary conforming non-GMO eating otherkin because the language seemed innocuous.

Its not funny anymore because it has become obvious that the left was never joking. Recently, Cambridge University tutors were told to stop using the word genius because of its sexist assumptions. Too often, genius has been used to describe brilliantly inventive men; therefore, the term genius is offensive to women.

To observers outside this strange bubble, this linguistic revisionism is pretentious, confusing, and simply ridiculous. It does nothing but push people away.

Political correctness is not new, but there is a growing feeling, not only on the right but outside the extreme-left campus bubble generally, that it didnt used to be this crazy. It only seems new because it has reached such an intensity of ridiculousness as to impress itself as something completely original. We are free-floating in a whole new world of linguistic and logical possibilities. In this world, it is possible at one and the same time to be a radical feminist and a devout Muslim; race is a social construct, but whites are inherently guilty for past injustices; and cisgendered people, the normative group, are expected to treat transgendered people like the new normative group. Most people identify with their biological sex, so it goes without saying that most people would balk at being prompted to give their preferred gender pronoun. Only in the vacuum-sealed world of academia could a question like this make any sense.

This system of ideas, if it can be called that, has no internal logic because it is not based on time-honored common sense. We have become unmoored from the traditions that Westerners accepted for generations to make sense of the world, and in doing so, we have discarded common sense.

The left has become reliant on political correctness to conceal the illogic of this system. Open dialogue is threatening to the left because it risks exposing their ideology as illogical and indefensible.

Outside the campus leftist bubble, people in the real world arent taken in by this Panglossian junk.

All it does is hurt the left in the end. Jon Ossoffs electoral loss has demonstrated better than any recent election could that the left needs to rethink how it reaches the electorate. A platform based on political correctness and antipathy towards the President wont do.

Worse, political correctness brings down political discourse by making it all about speech and feelings rather than ideas. Part of having a productive conversation is having clear ideas. Every philosophy undergrad knows this. How is it even possible to have a productive discussion when the ideas arent at the forefront of the discussion? When the terms to signify those ideas are constantly evolving?

Political correctness has been helpful to the left so far, but it will only hurt the progressive cause in the long run. If progressives dropped the language games, the constant speech policing, and the histrionic hurt parades, they might well lose some support, initially. But if they want to stay in touch with the electorate, they will have to, at some point, reflect, develop a better strategy for reaching people, and come down to earth. Maybe, then, theyll start winning again.

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Political Correctness Presents A Challenge For Progressives - The Daily Caller

LETTER: Political correctness has gotten way out of hand … – Peninsula Daily News

It had never occurred to me to think Asian if I see the word slant until I read the June 20 article in the Peninsula Daily News, High Court Strikes Down Part Of Trademark Law Over Speech.

If some members of the band the Slants are of Asian ancestry and are comfortable with the name for business sake, it is their right.

Political correctness has gotten out of hand.

When I hear [Washington] Redskins, I think football.

However, this is a great reminder for students to study the history books to find out how the name came about as it pertains to Native Americans.

In my opinion, it is not derogatory.

It is a word that has been used to describe a part of history.

The list could go on:

The Oakland Raiders use the logo of a pirate with a patch over one eye.

Is this offensive to folks with sight challenges?

Those who look for fault in everything around them should take time to work in the yard and enjoy the beautiful landscaping nature has provided or volunteer in an organization that assists others in need.

Thank you, Peninsula Daily News, for keeping us informed.

Now, lets take on the day.

Linda Hindes,

Sequim

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LETTER: Political correctness has gotten way out of hand ... - Peninsula Daily News

‘Liberal, politically correct culture leaves West vulnerable to acts of terrorism’ – RT

Published time: 22 Jun, 2017 12:56 Edited time: 22 Jun, 2017 12:57

If we are not calling terrorism what it is, extremists like ISIS or radical Islamists will use Western liberal values of political correctness against it, Jennifer Breedon, international criminal lawyer and expert in extremism, told RT.

The FBI is investigating the stabbing of a police officer at an airport in the US state of Michigan as a potential terror attack.

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The perpetrator, who was detained at the scene, holds a Canadian passport and reportedly shouted "Allahu akbar" before stabbing the officer in the neck. The officer is now in a stable condition in hospital.

RT discussed this attack with Jennifer Breedon, an international criminal law attorney and expert in extremism studies.

RT: The FBI said the suspect shouted 'Allahu Akbar' as he carried out the attack on the police officer. Why did it take so long for the authorities to say the stabbing is being investigated as a terror attack?

Jennifer Breedon: Really, we are seeing this in media outlets throughout the West, not just the US, definitely in the US, but also in Europe, we are seeing this. For example, in the Manchester attack, they called it a balloon exploding. And there were about three other headlines that I saw that said he just shouted something while he was stabbing the police officer in Michigan. And it is crazy, we have to be calling it what it is it is a terrorist attack... but we refuse even to say that. And that is exactly what these extremists, like ISIS or their adherents or radical Islamists, are using against the West, specifically in the US and Europe are these liberal values. We are trying to be politically correct, and we are so concerned about offending people that we dont even tell the truth about what is happening.

There is always going to be usually a delay because they want to get the public relations correct. But this attack would be very much similar to other attacks that have been occurring: usually, almost self-radicalized individuals, using very low-tech weapons, like a knife or a vehicle... The good news, in this case, is that no one was actually killed. And when you are using low-tech weapons, it is not going to be a spectacular attack like 9/11, with thousands of people. So that is the good news. The bad news is that there is going to be many of them, essentially the propaganda and the wars are creating this self-radicalization. Unless something is done about stopping the underlying root problems, there wont be really a way to predict and prevent these lone-wolf attacks. - Coleen Rowley, former FBI agent

RT: The more these isolated assaults take place, the more police forces seem to be struggling with defining the reasoning behind them. In your opinion, will the latest crime wave affect our common understanding of terrorism?

JB: I think we should understand it now. There are a lot of countries where you dont see these kinds of things happening. But you are seeing it in the West, in the more liberal and democratic societies where we are trying carefully not to offend. For the last eight years, in the US we had policies that prohibited our law enforcement from looking into religious facets behind extremist attacks. It means any kind of religious extremism wasnt even allowed to be investigated. Thats why it is particularly in the West because of that and [the terrorists] are using that. Hopefully, we are going to see law enforcement start to notice these patterns. And because we see these stories as they come out and say, we dont know the motivation yet. If you are connected to Islamic State, or to Islamic extremism, it is always going to be the same motivation and intent, and that is to dismantle the West. And the West has made itself a very easy target, specifically Europe and the US, by not really investigating or allowing itself to look at that for fear of offending people or offending a religion.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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'Liberal, politically correct culture leaves West vulnerable to acts of terrorism' - RT

Sen. Grassley: On Many Campuses Free Speech Is Sacrificed at the Altar of Political Correctness – Townhall

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) presided over a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday on The Assault on the First Amendment on College Campuses. In his opening remarks, Grassley cited several recent concerning incidents on college campuses and expressed concern that on too many campuses today, free speech appears to be sacrificed at the altar of political correctness.

Grassley cited a requirement At Kellogg Community College for prior approval for speech in public forums, a two-fold violation of the First Amendment, adding that amazingly, students there were arrested for distributing copies of the United States Constitution. Their lawsuit against the college and against its administrators in their personal capacity is pending.

He said that many students erroneously think that speech that they consider hateful is violent, but some students engage in acts of violence against speech, and universities have failed to prevent or adequately punish that violence.

He cited the instances of safety concerns over mob violence at the University of California Berkeley which the university failed to control that prevented invited speakers Milo Yiannopoulos and Ann Coulter from speaking.

Grassley emphasized that the First Amendment is clear. The Supreme Court has decided that offensive speech is protected, that speech cannot be restricted based on viewpoint, that public forums must be places where free speech rights can be exercised, and that prior restraints on speech are highly disfavored. Otherwise, any speech that anyone found offensive could be suppressed. Little free speech would survive.

This point was reaffirmed Monday when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of an Asian-American bad named The Slants being able to trademark the term because of free speech despite the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office finding it to be offensive.

Many administrators believe that students should be shielded from hate speech, whatever that is, as an exception to the First Amendment, Grassley said. Unfortunately, this censorship is no different from any other examples in history, when speech that authorities deemed to be heretical has been suppressed based on its content.

Grassley also cited a recent Gallup poll which found that students by a 69-31 margin believe that it is desirable to restrict the use of slurs and other language intentionally offensive to certain groups.

Our democracy depends on the ability to try to advocate to inform or to change minds, he emphasized. When universities suppress speech, they not only damage freedom today, they establish and push norms harmful to democracy going forward. These restrictions may cause and exacerbate the political polarization that is so widely lamented in our society.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), thought that for speeches that inspire violent protest maybe universities should be steeped in and have the ability financially to really develop the kind of intelligence you need and the kind of policing that you need at some of these events.

I think our efforts would be much better finding methodologies to handle those incidents, she explained, pointing out that many universities are dealing with real safety concerns that they do not have the resources to address.

Its not a simple matter when demonstrations become violent, she emphasized.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pointed out that on many campuses You see violent protests enacting effectively a hecklers veto where violent thugs come in and say this particular speaker, I disagree with what he or she has to say. And therefore, I will threaten physical violence if the speech is allowed to happen.

Cruz added that far too many colleges and universities quietly roll over and say okay the threat of violence we will effectively reward the violent criminals and muzzle the First Amendment.

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Sen. Grassley: On Many Campuses Free Speech Is Sacrificed at the Altar of Political Correctness - Townhall

Supreme Court: Freedom of speech wins; political correctness loses – GOPUSA

WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Monday struck down part of a law that bans offensive trademarks in a ruling that is expected to help the Washington Redskins in their legal fight over the team name.

The justices ruled that the 71-year-old trademark law barring disparaging terms infringes free speech rights.

The ruling is a victory for the Asian-American rock band called the Slants, but the case was closely watched for the impact it would have on the separate dispute involving the Washington football team.

Slants founder Simon Tam tried to trademark the band name in 2011, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied the request on the ground that it disparages Asians. A federal appeals court in Washington later said the law barring offensive trademarks is unconstitutional.

The Redskins made similar arguments after the trademark office ruled in 2014 that the name offends American Indians and canceled the teams trademark. A federal appeals court in Richmond put the teams case on hold while waiting for the Supreme Court to rule in the Slants case.

In his opinion for the court, Justice Samuel Alito rejected arguments that trademarks are government speech, not private speech. Alito also said trademarks are not immune from First Amendment protection as part of a government program or subsidy.

Tam insisted he was not trying to be offensive, but wanted to transform a derisive term into a statement of pride. The Redskins also contend their name honors American Indians, but the team has faced decades of legal challenges from Indian groups that say the name is racist.

Despite intense public pressure to change the name, Redskins owner Dan Snyder has refused, saying it represents honor, respect and pride.

In the Slants case, government officials argued that the law did not infringe on free speech rights because the band was still free to use the name even without trademark protection. The same is true for the Redskins, but the team did not want to lose the legal protections that go along with a registered trademark. The protections include blocking the sale of counterfeit merchandise, and working to pursue a brand development strategy.

A federal appeals court had sided with the Slants in 2015, saying First Amendment protects even hurtful speech that harms members of oft-stigmatized communities.

2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Political correctness divides the country – The Intelligencer

A photo recently posted on Facebook showed a white family of four with the caption, "Only white people can be racist."

As a white, 74-year-old male, I lived through the turbulent 1960s in inner city Philadelphia but did not encounter the white-on-black racism captioned in this Facebook photo. Ethnic slurs against people of different nationalities were more the norm than racial slurs against blacks, in my experience.

I played in the Sonny Hill Basketball League in the late 1950s and early 60s. The league was formed by Sonny Hill, a local mentor who offered inner city youth, predominately black, a place to develop character and skill sets that applied to both basketball and life. At no time were any of the players who participated in this league, black or white, subjected to ethnic or racial slurs. There was mutual respect among all players as engendered by the coaches, and leadership that benefited all.

Which is why I cannot understand the need for today's blacks to denigrate themselves with the use of the "n" word in daily conversation, music lyrics, etc. while vilifying a white person's use of the same word. It shouldn't be a part of our lexicon at all.

We see how Confederate-era statues are being removed from prominence throughout the South in an effort to remove the palpable "hate" felt by their presence. Yet the racial tensions that were present during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s seem much more volatile today. One would have thought the election of the first black president would have done much to positively empower the black community to aspire to greater things. Unfortunately, the opposite seems true. The destruction of black communities is not being done by whites. But the media would have the general populace believe otherwise.

We are a nation of immigrants, arriving at different times and under different circumstances, but we should all want to be Americans ... without hyphenation. It's that "hyphen" that divides us unnecessarily, both racially and ethnically. I am of Italian descent, but I do not refer to myself as an Italian-American, just an American. My grandfather came here with his family to become Americans. He suffered ethnic slurs, as did his children and grandchildren, but we were undaunted in our pursuit of the American dream for our family through assimilation.

My children, however, were raised as I was, to be Americans, to be accepting of all races and ethnicities. Political correctness is not a necessary component in our lives. The PC culture has done more to divide this country along racial/ethnic lines than anything else. I believe that as long as we adhere to the PC mindset, we as a country will remain divided.

Leonard Vigna

Warminster

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Political correctness divides the country - The Intelligencer

Political Correctness Won’t Fix Uber’s Problems – Bloomberg

Time to focus more on strategy.

There's a disconnect between the way Uber, the ride-hailing company, is trying to transform itself and what it really needs to fix to become a sustainable business. Instead of reconsidering its business model and protecting itself against a regulatory backlash, it has decided to go politically correct.

Uber's Ex-Communications Chief on Kalanick Taking Leave

As a result of much highly public soul-searching, caused by accusations of mistreating women and fostering a testosterone-fueled internal culture, Uber nowhas no chief financial officer, chief operating officer, chief business officer or chief marketing officer, and its chief executive officer Travis Kalanick has gone on indefinite leave. But it's going to have achief diversity officer. That may be the first for a taxi company (which is ultimately what Uber is) and that's fine; but it won't address the root problem.

At a recentall-staff meeting, board member Ariana Huffington suggested that once a woman gets on a company's board, "there's a lot of data that shows" more women tend to follow. Fellow director David Bonderman retorted, "Actually, what it shows is that it's much more likely to be more talking." Predictably, this caused an outcry and Bonderman was forced to step down from the board. But he was right, not because women are more prone to idle talk than men -- they aren't -- but in the sense that the changes the company is making are about more vacuous talk than much else. The lasting image to illustrate it, supplied byHuffington herself, is Kalanick -- a driven macho who, in running Uber, has tried to bend every rule he encountered on his path -- headinginto a lactation room to meditate.

Thereporton the company's culture, written by former attorney general Eric Holder and Tammy Albarran, contains a set of standard corporate governance recommendations for startups that have lost their way: Less of a role for the founders, more seasoned executives, more independent directors, formal review, feedback and compensation-setting procedures, mandatory training for managers, a robust complaint process. But it also calls for reformulating Uber's 14 cultural values as set out by Kalanick. Uber, it says, should "eliminate those values which have been identified as redundant or as havingbeen used to justify poor behavior, including Let Builders Build, Always Be Hustlin',Meritocracy and Toe-Stepping, and Principled Confrontation."

The Sharing Economy

Uber is a company that sacrificed everything to super-fast expansion. It doubled its gross bookings -- the total amount passengers paid for its taxi service -- to $20 billion last year. "Always hustlin'" and "principled confrontation" is how that growth happened: Uberhas tried to steamroll over competitors and sidestep regulators, includingbydevioustechnicalmeans, to get where it is today. Its business model and its narrative to investors, who have made Uber the most highly valued startup in the world have depended upon that ruthless expansion.

It has beenarguedthat Uber's strategy in the urban transportation market has been to destroy the competition rather than simply muscle into hundreds of cities' low-margin taxi markets. If that hadn't been the plan, it would have made no sense for Uber to engage in debilitating price wars and subsidize rides, as it does in every city it enters.

In the process, of course, Uber lost$2.8 billionlast year, not counting the money spent trying (unsuccessfully) to conquer the Chinese market. That's more than any other startup has burned through in a year. But is putting in a mature company's corporate governance procedures and appointing a chief diversity officer the way to fix those losses?

If the company's business strategyremains the same -- growing the business at a breakneck pace to dominate every market -- then it's a mistake to reconsider the company's culture as radically as Uber appears poised to do with all the expensive consultants it's been hiring. Replacing a focus on achievement atany price with more meetings, meditation and new-age rhetoric while still trying to be aggressive can only lead to cognitive dissonance, flagging employee morale and more painful staff departures.

It would make far more sense to rethink the strategy first. Uber could focus on profitability rather than expansion. That would mean cutting costs, phasing out subsidies and perhaps leaving markets -- primarily European ones -- where the regulatory climate is only going to get tougher for "gig economy" companies. It could also mean doing the math in case Uber drivers are eventually recognized as employees, not independent contractors, in many markets. Fareincreases -- and not necessarily cleverly packagedones such as the current price differentiationplan-- would also be on the cards. The company could decide to spend more on its driverless car push rather than on trying to win dominance in specific cities: Gaining an edge in automated driving could differentiate Uber from competitors who now have pretty much the same technology as it does, from a customer's point of view.

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The internal culture would inevitably shift in line with a more prudent new strategy. Uber wouldno longer be a privateer running a black flag -- it would be a reasonably cautious player, attracting a different type of employee. Perhaps the new management team, when it's hired, will move in this direction -- but then the culture-altering moves should be left to that new team. Instead, Uber is tearing itself apart before it decides where it's going as a business. That's putting the horse ahead of the cart; culture change should be organic and constructive, and a highly public political correctness show definitely isn't.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

To contact the author of this story: Leonid Bershidsky at lbershidsky@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Therese Raphael at traphael4@bloomberg.net

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Maybe Bernie Sanders and political correctness are signs of the … – New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio

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Maybe, just maybe, the Antichrist isnt a man, Jim Gearhart says. Maybe, just maybe, its an ideology.

And maybe the latest controversy whipped up by Sen. Bernie Sanders is just another sign of it, Jim says.

Wait what?

Jim was incensed a lot of people were when he read about Sanders questions of Russell Vought, nominated by President Trump to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. In a hearing earlier this month, Sanders suggested Voughts belief that non-Christians are condemned to hell amounted to Isamaphobia and perhaps anti-Semitism.

Do you believe people in the Muslim religion stand condemned? an account by NPR quotes Sanders saying. What about Jews? Do they stand condemned, too?

Vought answered over and over again: Im a Christian.

Jim references a column by Fox News Todd Starnes that shares his indignation. Jim says he suspects a Muslim or other non-Christian would have never been subjected to the same sorts of questions. But he says the politically correct forces of the left see badgering a Christian over his faith as perfectly OK.

What earthly or celestial difference does it make who believes what, really? Jim asks in the latest edition of the Jim Gearhart Show podcast, which comes out every Thursday on iTunes, Google Play and the New Jersey 101.5 app. Were talking about beliefs. Now, putting things into practice is another matter. But you can believe anything that you really want. The important thing is the existential predicaments of mankind, I would think personkind, sorry about that and the inevitability that wed better get our acts together before our mutual annihilation, which, if you watch cable television, you will know is imminent.

In that case, Jim says, certainly all theology is moot, and theres nobody left to believe anything.

But hows that get us to the Antichrist?

Youll need to check out the full podcast for the answer.

The video just part of the latest installment of the Jim Gearhart Podcast, available every week on New Jersey 101.5 and in the New Jersey 101.5 app. You can alsosubscribe with your favorite podcasting app for iPhones, Android devices or your computer:

Get The Jim Gearhart Show on Google Play

Get Jim on iTunes

Love podcasts? Also check out Forever 39, Annette and Megans new podcast about turning 40 and loving life along the way. This week, they explore the average number of sexual partners men and women have.

Also: The New Jersey Guys, Chris and Dan, ask talk about the best sports trophies and top sports rivalries. And in Speaking Millennial, Bill Spadea, Jay Black and Jessica Nutt meet to discuss how millennials shop for groceries, Jays hate of both the National Spelling Bee and hipsters, and the shocking reveal of Jessicas fathers secret life as a spy.

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Political correctness is about more than being polite – St. Cloud Times

Adam Ulbricht, Times Writers Group 7:30 a.m. CT June 13, 2017

Adam Ulbricht(Photo: Submitted photo)

One can little doubt the power of language. We learn our vocabularies at a young age and continue picking up phrases and beliefs as we go through life.

Like many things, language is learned beginning with family. As we grow, we attend school. Literature and pop culture eventually lend a hand in expanding our knowledge base.

But language is also susceptible to change. The norms of today are vastly different than in the 90s when I was a young kid. We are currently living in a time of change where political correctness is the prevailing movement.

The notion of political correctness was defended in an editorial on May 27 by Times Writers Group columnist Ben Ament (Relish refusing to be politically correct? Thats just rude). Here, Mr. Ament argued that the PC movement is nothing more than just being polite to one another.

This over-simplified explanation doesnt address the full reality, though. Youll get no argument from me that we should strive to be civil in our interactions with other people. However, this is not whats necessarily playing out everywhere.

Political correctness has played a role on college campuses for around a decade now. Since then, there have been plenty of examples of student groups across the country shutting down speakers in a rather not-so-polite manner. Be it Charles Murray or Milo Yiannopoulous, members of the PC crowd have shown they will act to silence opposing speech.

A free society is dependent on our ability to express ourselves and disagree with one another. Sometimes thoughts, words or ideas that we dislike, or outright reject, are unpleasant.

The recent photos of comedian Kathy Griffin holding a fake severed head of the president serves as a good reminder of that lesson. Although you may disagree with her, she has the right to such expression.

But it doesnt just stop there. Political correctness can also find itself devoid of logic at times. For example, the accepted term undocumented immigrant has replaced illegal immigrant in order to provide greater dignity for those that fall into this category. The problem is that we do document those who are here without legal status. The Pew Research Center says the illegal immigration population remained at a little more than 11 million in 2016 for the eighth consecutive year.

Mr. Ament also touched upon a larger philosophical debate. According to his article, the long held Golden Rule is a bit too self-serving. Instead, he introduced the Platinum Rule in which he wants to treat others as they would like to be treated.

On the surface this may sound pleasant. After all, theres nothing wrong with being respectful to others. However, the idea that you can somehow abandon your self-serving ways is misguided.

Everything that we do is self-serving in some form or fashion. If you give to charity, help a stranger or call someone by the gender pronoun they identify as, do you not receive self-gratification?

What makes the Golden Rule successful is that humans are self-interested. This acts as a powerful incentive when following the Golden Rule. Being self-interested and treating others with respect are not mutually exclusive ideas.

I believe that we can live in a mutually beneficial society based on the belief of individualism. The average entrepreneur serves as a great example. If someone takes the risk and starts up a company that hires employees and provides a product or service of value, are they not serving both themselves and fellow humans? Their success provides employment and a tax base to communities, which reaches to other areas like local schools, libraries or churches.

Will there be people who violate rules? Absolutely. There will always be those who take advantage of others. Im certain that this new Platinum Rule has its own limits, which people will test.

Again, Ill say that political correctness is about a lot more than just being polite. Its a political philosophy as much as its a way to control the meaning of words and language. If language didnt hold such powerful meaning, Mr. Ament and I wouldnt be writing our columns and you wouldnt be reading.

This is the opinion of Adam Ulbricht, whose column is published the second Tuesday of the month.

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Political correctness is about more than being polite - St. Cloud Times

Comedians can strip away political correctness to expose heart of the matter – DesMoinesRegister.com

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Comedians have stepped into the shoes of journalists as truth-tellers because comedians have the license to strip away political correctness

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Jamison Lewis, Charles City, Letter to the Editor 5:15 p.m. CT June 13, 2017

Comedian and writer Kumail Nanjiani gives the commencement speech at Grinnell College Monday, May 22, 2017, where he graduated from in 2001. Described as "the future of funny" by GQ magazine, the Pakistan native earned a bachelor's degree in computer science and philosophy before moving to Chicago then New York City. He became a go-to guest on popular TV shows such as "The Colbert Report," "Veep" and "Portlandia." Since 2014, he's been playing the role of Dinesh, a witty but hapless software engineer, on the HBO hit "Silicon Valley."(Photo: Rodney White/The Register)Buy Photo

Daniel Finney writes that comedy is confused in its purpose when it mixes political messages with laughter [Comedy's missteps are killing the political left, June 8]. That "confusion" is called satire and it can be traced back through Lenny Bruce, to Mark Twain, and on to Aristophanes.

Comedians have stepped into the shoes of journalists as truth-tellers because comedians have the license to strip away political correctness and liesto expose the heart of the matter.

Two of the three professors Finney quoted, who moonlight as stand-up comics, must certainly be aware that in either role they are vulnerable to political attack. That's why most of Finney's article sounded like the cautionary wisdom of those who may be hearing footsteps and anticipating loud bangs on their doors. Lenny Bruce went from straight comedy to performances where he read from law books. His "degree in free speech" was a baptism by fire.

Pity the poor wretch whose speech transgressions become political fodder. For an Iowa example, look up Carl Childress, an English professor at University of Northern Iowa who in 1970 assigned his class to write about selected forbidden words. Chuck Grassley, as I recall, pounced like a cat that had stumbled on a free meal.

Jamison Lewis, Charles City

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