Daily Archives: March 27, 2017

By Bonita L. Rettman/Guest Columnist

As I try to fit more pieces in the puzzle that has become our new administration, Ive been thinking a lot about the recent campaigns, in particular, the themes that defined rallies.

Im struck by how frequently the Trump base attacked political correctness as a barrier to their vulgar, anti-social behavior and a curb on their right to speak their minds without having to consider sensibilities of others, especially the disadvantaged.Its nothing more than being told yet again that theres a proper way of going about things and theyre not doing it. And those doing the finger pointing are - who else? - Northeastern nabobs, the ones with the big degrees and even bigger vocabularies.

With the my country first crowd, any call for decency and sensitivity is an affront, another attempt to muzzle their god-given right to call things as they see them. Political correctness, to them, is a liberal know-it-alls strategy to shut them up.

But they have it wrong. Theyve made political correctness all about themselves. We know it is anything but.

Political correctness hasnt come about because one group - typically more educated and more culturally aware - is embarrassed by those using bad language in public discourse. Its not another way of saying conversational manners need shoring up. It is a recognition, an acknowledgment that certain groups - typically people of color - have been wronged in their interactions with the dominant society.

This recognition puts into place a language that elevates rather than denigrates. And this language is determined by those whom it defines. So, in the case of people with African roots, for example, black and African-American are the preferred identity labels, self-chosen to replace the descriptives born of their slave history. Where once they were The Colored and Negroes, they are now, by their choosing, black and African-American.

To define oneself empowers. It puts those who would oppress or subjugate on notice that This is who I am, not who you say I am.

As a woman I dont wish to be called Gal or Girl, Lady or Little Lady. Ill throw The Missus in there, too. Each of these reflects an era when I, as a woman, would have been little more than an adjunct to men, whether brother, father or husband.

These are not innocuous words; they come with baggage anchored in attitudes of debasement, ownership, inferior social and economic status - much of it legitimized by law. They say, Im weak and dependent. I know Im worth less than you. Im not talking about boorishness. You can call me Bitch and Ill hear a lapse of good manners. Call me Girl in my workplace, however, and I lose power as you devalue my authority.

Its no wonder that so many women took immediately to Ms. Like Mr., it tells the world nothing about social position. Is Ms. Jones single, married? Guess what? Its none of your business unless Ms. Jones wants it to be. Attitude!

I used Ms. for a brief time, during which I was aware that it caused discomfort in some. Once, after filling out a required form for my school system, my Ms. elicited a repeat of You need to clarify this for our records, but I had only two choices, Miss or Mrs. For the records, I told the secretary, I was neither. The interaction caused tension and quieted the office chatter. I left the office Ms. Rettman, the same way I entered. Attitude, indeed!

What harm does it do to honor someones chosen identity? How does a Native Americans demand that he not be called a Redskin or an Indian compromise the workings of society? The Stock Market doesnt free fall. Real Estate isnt devalued. Families dont break up. And we certainly dont face an existential threat because of it.

The only negative the self-naming seems to have we saw is in the behavior of the Take back our country set who interpret it as a power grab by people whove forgotten their place.

Generally operating with scant knowledge of history, theyre stuck, incapable of seeing, let alone accepting, that societies develop as we read and reflect, travel and celebrate common humanity. We become more enlightened, as new attitudes inform better policies and more humane interaction, creating a better community for everyone. In short, we become more civilized.

Political correctness isnt a pejorative. Its an acknowledgment that we can be better than our history has shown us to be.

Bonita L. Rettman lives in Sudbury.

See the article here:

Rettman: Political correctness ... and then some - Opinion ... - MetroWest Daily News

The phrase politically correct is about as combustible as any. Bring up those words and you know youre treading into ideological war territory.

For many, I think the term politically correct represents a type of stifling of honesty. People feel hemmed in by a societal pressure to conform to a belief system that they dont accept an elitist message, which restricts language and actions. I feel thats why theres such a fierce rejection of political correctness. Its received as a type of pat of the head, a sort of let me tell you how to think, cause youre an idiot and not intellectually or morally on my level.

Does anyone ever respond well to that sort of feeling? Ive always felt bitter when Ive thought someone is looking down on me. I think our partisan politics have been reduced to this disrespect battle. One side is bitter at the perception of intense disrespect. The other side feels exactly the same thing. And because we all feel so angry and disrespected, were ready to lash out with a hostile dismissal of strangers humanity, which is a circular problem, a tornado gathering velocity.

I think Donald Trump has so much power because he is the big societal voice of a common individual rage against a perceived collective pat on the head. He is absolutely a finger in the eye of that idea of liberal condescension. Because of this, his questionable behavior and statements seem to pale in comparison for many, at least to his aggressive fight against liberal condescension, which he rails against without apology. I think thats why he gets a pass on things that would surely doom other politicians and why there is such huge passion at his back. Let me add, I dont claim to know what you think. This is just my perception of bigger political trends. And I may be wrong.

Of course, when we talk of political correctness, we inevitably turn to college campuses. And I think colleges have erred in a really big way acting out of fear, not bravery when it come to ideas. What I mean is, I dont think colleges should have safe spaces or trigger warnings regarding ideas. A college should be a place where ideas arent muzzled but are expressed with passion, whether theyre left or right, nice or mean. Then, such speech should be opposed with whatever passion and eloquence another speaker can muster. College is not a place to restrict thought but to realize that the world is big and that your own worldview is contradicted, no matter how right you think you are. And how are you going to deal with that? Well, that inner conflict is actually critical to education and critical thinking. Hateful speech calls for forceful rejection, but it doesnt call for a muzzle. It calls for more speech, delivered, hopefully, without mirrored hate.

But I also think political correctness is used in lazy ways these days. Any action, any language that angers someone can be dismissed as politically correct. But I think actual political correctness can apply to left and right. I see it simply as the pressure of a societal norm on an individual, which can be good or bad, depending on the pressure. For instance, its good for someone to feel pressure not to call someone the N word in public, right? That form of political correctness was once not there. But, for the good of civilized society, it needs to be. However, shutting down conservative dissent on a college campus would be an example of such political correctness gone too far. So, theres a sort of balance worth seeking.

We should recognize that there is always societal pressure on you to be a certain way depending on where you are. And what is that pressure anyway? Well, its the battle over common decency. We feel theres a type of common sense that we understand and that others should see too. And were horribly frustrated furious, actually when they cant see things the way we do. If they cant agree with my decency, well, then theyre indecent, right? Who hasnt felt this? And sometimes, maybe were right. But its worth being skeptical of our own passionate judgment about strangers, because people are usually more complicated than we understand. Many people dont seem to have any hesitation to judge strangers with extreme passion based on very little information. I dont find this admirable in a Democrat or a Republican or in myself which I certainly do at times. Who doesnt? But I can at least recognize that what is admirable is the effort to learn more about others and to resist simple judgments in my head.

When we throw out our labels, such as knuckle-dragging conservatives or libtards, we seem to ignore the fact that our manner of addressing each other is just as important as whatever point we want to make maybe more important. Because our manner of speech toward others establishes an attitude of respect or disrespect. And we react completely differently to one versus the other. All of us do, no matter our political persuasion. Were all human.

What I say may or may not ring true to you. But this is an effort at honest speech. And this isnt necessarily politically correct. But its not elitist either. Its just a guy trying to make sense of a complicated world with the limited tools he has.

Zach Mitcham is editor of The Madison County Journal.

See the article here:

OPINION: 'Political correctness' in modern America - Madison Journal TODAY

|

Posted: Mar 25, 2017 12:01 AM

On the morning of March 16, a 14-year old girl was allegedly raped by two illegal aliens in a high school bathroom in Rockville, Maryland. One of the alleged rapists, Henry Sanchez-Milian, is an adult, 18 years old, while the other suspect, Jose O. Montano, is 17-years old. They have been charged with first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual offense for allegedly dragging the young girl into the boys bathroom, sexually assaulting her and forcing her to perform sexual acts.

This incident has shocked the nation and exposed the dangers of open borders and lax immigration enforcement. By allowing millions of illegal aliens into this country, the safety of law abiding Americans has been put at risk. Daily, tragic stories are reported of Americans being victimized by illegal aliens. This case is even more disturbing for the victim is an innocent 14-year old girl.

Conditions are so dire that Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, said to all parents in his state that their children are potentially at risk. He said, I am not sure I can give assurances that their children will be safe. The Governor expressed his outrage that an 18-year old man was in the same class as 13 and 14-year old girls. He said the status of Sanchez-Milian was not known to the Rockville High School parents.

Hogan also condemned the attitude of public school officials in Montgomery County, Maryland who administer Rockville High School. The Governor said that there was a lack of cooperation and a lack of information from the Montgomery County school system.

Another pressing issue involves the countys sanctuary policies which protect illegal aliens. According to Fox News, in 2016, the county disallowed 63 accused illegal alien criminals from being turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. Montgomery County is among many sanctuary areas in the country which refuse to work with federal immigration authorities to deport illegal immigrants. Hogan said that the sanctuary policies were a big part of the problem.

Regrettably, the message has not been received by Dr. Jack Smith, the Superintendent of the Montgomery County school district. Instead of focusing solely on the plight of the victim and the safety of children in his district, Smith blasted the response from parents and warned against racist, xenophobic calls and emails. He was upset at the anger directed at his office from parents rightly concerned about the well-being of their children. Sadly, the Superintendent placed his focus on maintaining politically correct sanctuary policies instead of taking corrective action in his district.

In the aftermath of the incident, parents staged protests outside Smiths office and expressed their concerns at a public meeting. Not surprisingly, the major broadcast networks ignored the story, with only Fox News giving it significant coverage.

This tragic incident also highlights the problems of coddling immigrants who illegally cross the border. Sanchez-Milian is from Guatemala and was captured by border patrol agents in August of 2016 at Rio Valley Grande, Texas. Instead of being immediately deported, he was detained for 12 days and eventually released. ICE allowed him to fly to Baltimore, Maryland to live with his father. In the fall, he was enrolled at Rockville High School and only a few months later he is accused of brutalizing and raping a 14-year-old girl who will be traumatized for the rest of her life.

At the time of his ICE release, Sanchez-Milian was ordered to appear before an immigration judge; however, after seven months, the hearing has still not occurred. If he had been deported, this travesty would never have occurred.

His attorney, Andrew Jezic, said that Sanchez-Milian was released because the inflow of illegal immigrants is too great for federal authorities to handle. According to Jezic, Theres been so many people that have come through the border that are underage in the last year, so what happened is that immigration just doesnt have the resources to deal with all of these people coming in.

Jezic believes that the massive influx of illegal immigrants has also caused significant delays in scheduling the court hearings. Thus, in the case of Sanchez-Milian, what should have been handled in short order, has taken more than seven months.

This has resulted in not only a delay in justice, but also a horrific act of violence. It is a sad reminder that forceful action in dealing with illegal immigration is essential for the safety of all Americans, especially those who are most vulnerable, our children.

Continue reading here:

In Maryland Rape Case, Liberals Adhere to Political Correctness - Townhall

Recently the specter of "political correctness," which as I have previously stated is strictly political and not particularly correct, reared its ugly head once again. I refer to the removal of the bust/statue that commemorated former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America and Maryland native Roger Brooke Taney from the grounds of the Frederick County courthouse. This was done simply to appease those who wish to cleanse our history of anything that might make them the least bit uncomfortable by today's standards.

To be sure, the majority opinion that Taney wrote in the Dred Scott decision, if written today, would be unanimously declared unconscionable by the current standards, however it was written at a different time with much different social norms. It also must be remembered that this was a majority decision and the chief justice simply wrote the opinion with which at least four other justices agreed.

Having that statue on the grounds of a courthouse, instead of being hidden away in a local cemetery, seems to be the more proper location. It would serve as a reminder that even the best intentions of the finest legal minds of the day sometimes make decisions that could prove to be in error in future generations. Witness the decision that equates unlimited financial contributions to political parties and candidates by wealthy individuals and corporations with freedom of speech.

I wonder if eliminating every person or symbol with any connection to the practice of slavery might include removing the portrait of George Washington from the dollar bill or Thomas Jefferson from the $2 bill. Each of these Founding Fathers and they were not alone in the practice had slaves to till their fields and serve in their mansions. At Mount Vernon, the slave quarters are prominent displays that show the hierarchy present within the slave ranks.

In Baltimore City, there is an ongoing discussion about the removal and relocation of several commemorative statues featuring Confederate themes or people. I'm of the opinion that none of them be moved or removed. They represent the history of the United States. Although that period was unpleasant to say the least, in the end it did bring the country back together.

History is the story of what happened and to whom it happened. We cannot change the past. We can only hope to learn from it and strive to do better in the future. We cannot judge the actions and words of our ancestors through the prism of modern mores. They did what they did in their times and under the laws and customs of their day. It is simply wrong for modern man to attempt to hide from future generations the history and many conversions that this great nation has gone through.

Every generation it seems has had a wave of immigrants who came to our shores, which has been discriminated against at the time of their arrival. At one time, help wanted signs had the notation "no Irish need apply." Italians and Germans each had their hardships assimilating into the general population. Asians arriving on the West Coast had their difficulties as well. Witness the Japanese internment camps of World War II. Today, it's the Middle Eastern Muslims and Latinos who are the people of choice to discriminate against. I wonder who's next on the list?

Unfortunately, the descendants of the original slaves and those who willingly followed them to our shores are still, although much more subtly, being discriminated against. As a nation we need to open our minds to the fact that each person has a nonmonetary value to our society, and we need to embrace those who wish to be a part of it.

Bill Kennedy writes every other Monday from Taneytown. Email him at wlkennedyiii@verizon.net.

Read the original here:

Kennedy: Political correctness can't alter history - Carroll County Times

On Saturday afternoon, Girls creator Lena Dunham fired off a shower thought on Twitter about how the definition of P.C. should no longer bepolitical correctness. Dunham, implying perhaps thatthe acronyms meaning has become tired and useless in our currently busted climate for political discourse, asserted that powerful consideration or proactive compassion would be better fitting as a reminder of tolerance because thats what were all trying for.

Dunhams suggestion, while hardly as catchyas something like peaches and cream or as delicious as Pringles can, respectsthe original definitions corporate speak style while imaginatively promoting awareness for humanity and civility in ahostile era. Though Acronym Finder has a bevy of modified uses for the term, ranging from prayer corner to Pokemon center to piece of crap, all of which maintain a certain relevance and may be worth submitting to the ad hoc committee.

As for having the inclination to reconsider hot-button terminology whichoften finds itself unnecessarily misconstrued and politicized, Dunhams not alone. The usage of trigger warnings and safe spaces in academe continues to take flak, but one website is enforcing aneditorial policy that may further the conversation: EverydayFeminism.comdoes not use the term trigger warning in front of its articles, not because it dismisses concerns for distressing readers susceptible to sensitive material, but because the word trigger relies on and evokes violent weaponry imagery.

According to an editors note, we strongly encourage the term content warning instead of trigger warning.'

[photo: Getty]

Visit link:

Lena Dunham suggests 'PC' should no longer mean 'political correctness' but 'powerful consideration' - Death and Taxes