Monthly Archives: February 2017

Here we go again. People are getting offended over some little TV seriesand even threatening to boycott not only the show, but Netflix, the platform that serves it.

But its not the usual suspects getting triggered over slights to their perceived notions of political correctness. Its not the social justice warriors outraged over lack of diversity, cultural appropriation or past crimes of the director.

No, its white conservatives. The same people who mock and deridepolitical correctness. The same people who claim that broad labels like sexist and racist hamper the free speech of creatorsof entertainment to explore controversial ideas. Now they are the ones peddling their own rightwing version of political correctness to shut down a TV show they do not fully understand.

Netflixs upcoming series Dear White People has created a furor online among some right wingers, even spawning the hashtag BoycottNetflix. Some on Twitter are even claiming they will cancel their subscriptions based on this slight to the white race.

Rightwing influencers like Mark Dice and Paul Joseph Watson are calling the show anti-white and praising the massive amounts of dislikes the promo trailer is receiving on YouTube.

The trailer is certainly transgressive, almost like it was designed to offend some on the right. Does that sound familiar? These are the same people who say that provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos speech, which is also designed to offend, should not be silenced by the left. But by encouraging this boycott they are essentially doing the same thing to this Netflix series.

Part of being against political correctness is having a thick skin. Its not allowing broad, knee-jerk labels to influence your thinking on pop culture. To encourage controversial art that may offend. To promote free speech in the face of those who wish to silence it. These right wingers dont believe in free speech, only free speech they find politically correct.

The hilarious part of Dear White People, is that its not even as controversial or anti-white as these boycotters think it is.

The series is based on a 2014 film of the same name. The longer trailer for the movie paints a completely different picture than the Netflix promo.

In the trailer, its clear the filmis a satirical take on race relations in America. It takes on white peoples lack of empathy for the experiences of black people, but also seeks to challenge the protagonists anger and bitterness over racial injustice, which only hampers her personal relationships with both black and white people.

And spoiler alert: the film ends with the main character, Samantha, entering into an interracial relationship with a white guy and learning to put aside her resentment of white people as a whole. Thats not controversial, thats just a movie taking on controversial subjects.

But even if the film or series did not have such a universalist message, and perhaps kept its edginess right to the end, should people be trying to silence it? Hell no. Least of all those who claim to be fighting against political correctness and censorship.

All these people are doing is fighting back against identity politics with more identity politics. The identity politics of white men. This should be a sinister signto anyone in the free speech, anti-political correctness camp, who dreams of a post-racial world where everyone can be seen simply as humans. These people are not working towards that goal, they are simply propping up a special interest group for white people.

Follow me on Twitter @William__Hicks

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Netflix Boycott Over 'Dear White People' Is Right-Wing Political Correctness in Action - Heat Street

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Federalism is a cornerstone of our constitutional system. Every violation of state sovereignty by Federal officials is not merely a transgression of one unit of government against another; it is an assault on the liberties of individual Americans. (2016 GOP Platform)

In a stunning moment on the Senate floor, Sen. Elizabeth Warren clashed with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday night after McConnell determined the Massachusetts Democrat had violated a Senate rule against impugning another senator. In an extremely rare rebuke, she was instructed by the presiding officer to take her seat. Tuesday nights rule means Warren will be barred from speaking on the floor until Sessions debate ends, McConnells office confirmed. (Warren cut off during Sessions debate)

On matters of moral and political principle, and on almost every critical policy issue I can recollect, I stand diametrically opposed to Senator Elizabeth Warren. But I felt outrage when I read the above quoted report. I felt outrage because Senator Mitch McConnell prevented the duly elected representative of the State of Massachusetts from freely speaking as such. I felt outrage that any Senator would be barred from exercising freedom of speech during formal debate, in order to offer relevant evidence in support of her position on the Sessions nomination, or any other issue. Especially when speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate, U.S. Senators do not speak as individuals. They speak for the governments and people of the States they respectively represent.

It ought to go without saying that they must do so in accordance with their own conscientious assessment of what the good of their State, and the United States requires. Now, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution states that No state shalldeny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law. When her speech was cut off, Senator Warren was reading into the record a 1986 letter, relevant to this Constitutional requirement. In it Martin Luther Kings widow, Coretta Scott King, expressed her opposition to Sessions nomination to be a Federal judge. In it King said:

I write to express my sincere opposition to the confirmation of Jefferson B. Sessions as a federal district court judge for the Southern District of Alabama. My professional and personal roots in Alabama are deep and lasting. Anyone who has used the power of his office asUnited States Attorneyto intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot by citizens should not be elevated to our courts. Mr. Sessions has used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters. For this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with a federal judgeship.

I would not presume to dispute the fact that this letter communicated Coretta Kings sincerely held views. Given the checkered reality of our countrys history with respect to racial attitudes and relations, (particularly in states where racial discrimination and segregation were once enforced by law) I would not presume to impugn her motives for writing as she did. But as a Christian, who believes people can and should repent, I also believe that when good fruit proves their repentance to be sincere, they should be forgiven. Accordingly, the proper answer to Coretta Scott Kings letter is not to silence Elizabeth Warrens effort to use it as evidence for her views of Senator Sessions record. It is to answer her speech with evidence that, as Attorney General, Senator Sessions will fulfill the Constitutions demand that no person be denied the equal protection of the law.

This is a reasonable thing to expect from the person who will, if confirmed, be responsible for overseeing, the Federal governments law enforcement activities, on the Presidents behalf. I respect Coretta Kings sincerity. But I also respect sincere testimony from others that, like our people as a whole, Senator Sessions has risen to the challenge of our nations now broadly accepted determination to make the ideal of equal justice for all a reality. Thats among the reasons I support confirming him as Attorney General.

But the action of the GOP majority in this instance is like a high-handed ruling from the bench in a court of law, to prevent testimony about conduct that bears on the issue being tried. It is an act of Party tyranny; no more acceptable than the judicial tyranny the vast majority of GOPs constituents deplore. Moreover, it shows little respect for Senator Sessions judgment, courage and good faith in allowing himself to be nominated for the position of Attorney General. He knew that his record would be discussed and examined, in light of the Constitutions relevant requirements. He did not shrink from the test.

From what I know of him, he must deplore his colleagues no doubt well-meant but truly misguided attempts to suppress criticism, rather than frankly rebut it. Otherwise, we would have to fear that, as Attorney General, he would seek to suppress dissenting speech, by force of law, instead of defending the freedom of speech, while competently rebutting its content, as appropriate. I would not be surprised to see him speak out, on Constitutional grounds, against suppressing one of the voices the people of Massachusetts have chosen to speak for their state in Congress.

Such majority tyranny, enacted to suppress the duly authorized voice of any State, is an egregious and damaging blow against federalism. Moreover, if the representatives of the states, in Congress assembled, do not have the freedom to cite in debate, relevant testimony supportive of their views, doesnt this contravention of their freedom also portend the very assault on the liberties of individual Americans, the GOPs 2017 platform decries? Doesnt it exemplify the politically stultifying culture of political correctness, extending it into the very heart of political deliberations on which the whole safety, welfare and integrity of our self-government as a people depends?

The GOPs Senate leadership should have let Warren speak. It is for the people of Massachusetts to silence her voice in the Senate, if they will. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate should display the self-disciplined restraint so many Americans have had to show throughout our history. Their sacrifices in this countrys battles proved their dedication to the often-repeated sentiment rightly expressed with the words: I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your freedom to say it. During his service in the U.S. Armed Forces, my own father did so, in WWII and during the Korean War. He put his life on the line, for a country in which the nations laws still spoke in wrongful derogation of his God-endowed human worth. Is our nations government now so crippled by partisan passion that those in Congress, sworn to the goal of securing the blessings of liberty, no longer have the self-possession liberty requires? Pray God this is not so; and that the U.S. Senates leadership will reverse the action by which they have called for action that suggests that it is.

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Foregoing Political Correctness, The Senate Should Have Let Warren Speak - Daily Caller

The Rev. Peter West, pastor of St. Johns Catholic Church in Orange, New Jersey, will soon have quite the following on social media once America catches on to his not so politically correct liberal bashing that includes more than a little humor.

beginning with hisTwitter profile: Im a Catholic Priest at St. Johns Church and a Russian agent personally assigned by Vladmir Putin to stop Hillary Clinton.

West, a big supporter of President Donald Trump, doesnt hesitate to take on liberals and their revered institutions, like Planned Parenthood, on Twitter and Facebookwhere hes already amassed 7,300 followers, according to NJ.com.

Renewed calls to get rid of Fox News Shepard Smith after hes unable to control his contempt for Trump

The priest even takes on Islamic extremism, calling moderate Islam a myth while supporting Trumps executive order on immigration and refugees, NJ.com reported.

More from the NJ.com on the clergymans political bomb-throwing, as characterized by the author:

Westhas assailed millennials as snowflakes who attend cry-ins and described liberals as smug and arrogant people who find solace in puppies and Play-Doh.

He has called Hillary Clinton an evil witch and former President Barack Obama a bum, at one point sharing a post that challenged Obamas authenticity as an African-American because he wasnt raised by a poor single mother in the inner city.

In response to the charge of calling liberals snowflakes, West offered up a defense of sorts on Facebook.

I never called all millennials snowflakes I have great respect for family, friends and especially members of our military who are millennials, he wrote.

Now theyre deporting her: NY Times piece stirs seismic reaction on Twitter, but not a lot of sympathy

However old you are, if as an adult you demand a safe space where you wont hear opinions contrary to yours, you are a snowflake, especially on a university campus where there should be debate and a free exchange of ideas.

How can you not love this man?

Here are a few samplings from Wests Twitter feed:

Tom is a grassroots activist who distinguished himself as one of the top conservative bloggers in Florida before joining BizPac Review.

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Pro-Trump priest casts political correctness aside and creates quite ... - BizPac Review