I thought it prudent to respond to Jim Baileys Feb. 23 column about political correctness.

I agree that political correction has gone too far. However, a large swath of right-leaning citizens have somehow become victims in their own mind. Id like to clear up a few of his anecdotes.

Being born white, like I was, does not automatically make us racists. What makes a racist is the belief that others not of our skin color are somehow lesser. A racist may even speak that they love all peoples, yet their actions speak louder than words. Heres a good way to know whether you hold the belief that people of color are lesser: If you believe people of color use more food stamps than whites, then you hold beliefs which lend you to be racist. The facts show more whites use food stamps.

Being fiscally and morally conservative doesnt make you a fascist. Imposing those morally religious beliefs upon the rest of society in a country which espouses freedom of and from religion makes someone a fascist. Fiscal conservatism without actual fiscal responsibility is a facade, and unfortunately many on the right are guilty of this. This is fascism.

Being branded as homophobic is something that is done far too often. However, homophobes seek to impose their will, their religion, and the power of the government on the public. Many on the right dont hesitate to quote another book on the subject rather than the U.S. Constitution.

Being non-union is just fine. Its sad, however, when you see factual evidence that shows our country is strongest with a unionized workforce. For those whove lived in Anderson over the past 36 years like I have, you can see the effect the loss of all the union jobs has had.

Mr. Bailey also falls into the trap of believing all Muslims label Christians as infidels. As a columnist, he should really get his facts correct, because they matter. The holy book of Islam, the Quran, says infidels are those who dont believe in God. Christians and Jews are People of the book, and in fact Muslims view the figure of Jesus as a prophet and revere him in that way. It is important to note that the vast majority of Muslims interpret the Quran in many different ways, just like Christians interpret the Bible in many different ways. The Old Testament verses of violence far outweigh those of the Quran, and I believe it is important to render our thoughts on the actions of the believers rather than the holy book they are interpreting.

I love my country, the great United States of America, but its not perfect, and recognizing the imperfections and tribulations we have allows us to be wise. The left began eating itself last year on the plate of political correctness, so I agree that PC has gone too far. The left is notorious for being offended at absolutely everything, and this came to a head when the Democrats put up a flawed candidate for president in Hillary Clinton. Many failed to understand that being against Hillary had nothing to do with her being a woman, but nonetheless, people were called sexist. I think the true difference between right and left lies in how we govern, and it is my belief that the right, more often than not, seeks to impose religious and ideological beliefs upon people at the cost of religious and non-religious rights, civil rights, and wealth.

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Reader Viewpoint: Recognizing our imperfections, tribulations allows us to be wise - The Herald Bulletin