Category Archives: Political Correctness

The barman glanced up at the sky over Ocaas elegant main square before dragging a couple of tables outside. Like much else in Spain, the recent weather could charitably be described as changeable.

On Sunday, the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers party (PSOE) won the countrys fourth general election in as many years, the far-right Vox stormed into third place, and the Citizens party once touted as the future of the Spanish centre ground collapsed into an ignominious heap.

Fewer than 48 hours later, the PSOE and the anti-austerity Podemos announced the preliminary coalition deal that had proved so elusive after the Socialists won the last election in April but failed to secure a majority.

Juan Francisco Cruz, a Vox supporter to his core, described the deal as just a horrible situation as he stopped for a mid-morning drink and a cigarette in the towns damp plaza mayor.

His dismay was lessened by Voxs national showing and by its performance in Ocaa, a town of about 11,000 people an hour south of Madrid, where the party overtook the PSOE to finish first.

The far-right grouping, led by Santiago Abascal, won 34.5% of the vote in the town, the PSOE 28.3%, the conservative Peoples party (PP) 21.6%, Unidas Podemos 7.2%, and Citizens 6.5%.

Three years ago, Vox had attracted 0.62% of the vote in Ocaa. Cruz, 58, had a simple explanation for the surge.

Theyre just right on everything, he said. Id always voted PP before but theyre very weak now and theres been a lot of corruption. Its also about immigration: there are too many illegal immigrants and they get help that Spaniards dont. Its just out of control and somebody needs to get a grip.

Another local Vox voter, 75-year-old Juan Montoya, offered his own, understated take on the main issue driving Voxs rise in towns such as Ocaa.

Catalonia is a big mess, he said. I voted Vox because I want order and I want peace.

Corruption scandals and the political deadlock prompted by the death of traditional two-party politics in Spain have bred disillusionment among millions of Spanish voters.

By seizing on that, weaponising the issue of Catalan independence and calling into question the countrys current system of regional self-government, Vox has succeeded in moving very far, very fast.

Abascal who not so long ago was ridiculed for a video in which he appeared on horseback to announce a reconquest has managed to cut through with a simple proposition: do voters want to be able to retire comfortably, or do they want to carry on footing the bill for the government of Spains 17 autonomous regions?

Or, as he pithily put it: Pensions or regional governments?

Cristina Arranz, a local businesswoman, said people were simply sick of the status quo.

They want someone who can offer them something credible, she said. Its easy to promise things but its difficult to deliver them. People are desperate, and when youre desperate you go to the extremes, whether of left or right.

Arranz, 56, said people were using Vox as a protest vote, just as people had begun to back Podemos in the aftermath of the economic crisis.

She said Citizens whose leader, Albert Rivera, resigned on Monday had found itself on the wrong side of history by refusing to join the Socialists successful attempt to unseat the corruption-mired PP last year, and by trying to compete with Vox by moving further to the right.

Both the PP and Citizens have also helped to legitimise Vox by enlisting its support to take power in Andaluca and Madrid in the past year.

Arranzs friend, Lola Carrero, said people were leaving the PP for Vox now that Abascal had slightly recalibrated his rhetoric.

Its basically the same people voting for the same ideas, she said. Vox have softened their message and its worked. Well see if they go back to it soon.

Pablo Simn, a political scientist at Carlos III University in Madrid, said Voxs results in satellite towns around the Spanish capital and in places such as Ocaa suggested it was widening its socioeconomic base.

Vox is a party whose origins lie in the middle and upper middle-class vote people who used to vote for the PP and Citizens, he said.

But in these elections, it seems theyve done a bit better in relative terms among the rural and working classes. Were starting to see that working-class people who voted PP in the past are now turning towards Vox. As it grows, the party is developing a slightly more heterogenous electorate than it had before the April election.

Simn said Vox looked set to continue its growth, fuelled by media that sustain the partys momentum whether the coverage is positive or negative.

Having capitalised on voter discontent and the question of Spanish unity, he added, the party may now ape other successful European far-right parties by adopting chauvinist strategies over the welfare state.

Vox still hasnt really started doing that, but Im sure they know that its a strategy that would help them grow, said Simn.

If there is a PSOE-Podemos government backed by Catalan pro-independence parties, that will only help Vox keep hammering away when it comes to territorial questions and general political discontent. Add to that a discourse over immigrants taking up resources and youve got three elements that could help Vox grow still more at the next election.

There is much that is familiar and contemporary in Voxs appetite for border walls, in its paradoxical, if not hypocritical, antipathy towards elites, and in its demonisation of immigrants.

And then there is the nostalgia that verges on the atavistic. Juan Montoya hankers after the peace and co-existence of the past and cannot fathom the Socialists decision to exhume Franco from the Valley of the Fallen last month.

What has it achieved? he wondered. Its just revived tensions between people. They should just have left him in his tomb.

Juan Francisco Cruz, meanwhile, mourns the political correctness of the present.

Its a lie to say that Vox are racist. Theyre just the only party that has the balls to come out and tell the truth about things.

Read more from the original source:

'They tell the truth: Spanish town where 34.5% voted for far-right Vox - The Guardian

Ron MacLean (left) sits beside Don Cherry as Rogers TV unveils their team for the station's NHL coverage in Toronto on Monday, March 10, 2014. MacLean addressed Don Cherry's dismissal during the first intermission of Saturday's "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Chris Young/The Canadian Press

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Readers respond: On Saturday, Don Cherry was erased from Hockey Night in Canada in more ways than one

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Some changes make you feel good. Some make you feel sad. You are aging. You will experience changes and feel the same when your time comes.

Don Cherry was saddened by the fading support for the poppy program, and consequently, for the sacrifices others made to our benefit. Nothing wrong with that.

I am saddened by the lack of effort to understand Cherrys concern. Primacy was given to vilifying him, in an ugly display of current societys gang-up attitude toward slights perceived or real.

We beat people up; we move on to the next beating; and somehow this feels satisfying to the angry hordes. Ron MacLean has embraced this change. Enjoy your next beating, Ron. I hope you feel better for it. George Bay

The man made bigoted statements on the air for decades. Finally one of them was too much for his employer, and they fired him. The true ugliness is in the bigotry and the chord it struck in his supporters. Alceste

I have said many dumb things in my time, lashed out in anger, had words misconstrued and sometimes had to apologize, clarify, retract, explain. I am thankful that in pretty much every case, the person I was speaking to recognized that they were also flawed, and perhaps either of us imputing the most nefarious intent to every word spoken is not entirely fair and no way to conduct human relations.

Sportsnet has the right to fire Don Cherry if they deem him damaging to their image. But I find the vindictiveness of todays social media mob the desire to destroy peoples lives and careers with no second chances if every word does not pass muster to be disheartening. Freshycat

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The problem with demonizing Don Cherry is that he is not the problem. What readers think of his firing from Hockey Night in Canada

Don Cherry, Colin Kaepernick and why stick to sports doesnt work

Don Cherrys downfall: He became more interested in his own opinions than hockey

Hockey has long defined Canada, but its time to reassess our relationship

Don Cherry poses for a photo in Toronto on March 10, 2014. When sociology professor Kristi Allain saw that "Hockey Night in Canada" commentator Don Cherry was fired for on-air, anti-immigrant remarks Monday, she was hopeful that it spoke to a change in Canadian social values and social life, and an intolerance of racism. But then she logged onto Twitter and saw the reactions. While some have been jubilant he was axed over his rant accusing immigrants of not wearing poppies, others have called for a Sportsnet boycott and are using the hashtag "Don Cherry Is Right." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Chris Young/The Canadian Press

Still upset about it. Im all over being multicultural but this is the end of Canadian culture as we know it. 10 years from now, itll be Soccer Night in Canada. Again, Im all for multiculturalism, but Canada is losing its identity and fast. Pretty sad. Will96

Canada is growing up, and we have room for more than one sport. Oooooops

Hypocrisy at its highest. This Buds for political correctness, not for you, Canada.

From Coachs Corner to HRs Corner.

Sportsnet reran the segment in the late game. Should they not fire themselves? BJBeat

Having met Don Cherry a few times, Ive seen firsthand what a gentleman he truly is, taking over a room with genuine warmth. In person, he is simply a pro at making people feel good. Having witnessed that, what becomes apparent by contrast is how his role on HNIC had become just that: a role he came to play on camera, and one that his fans (myself included) expected of him. The way he spoke, his defiance, his mispronunciations, his put downs on Ron MacLean.

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But it had all become pretty redundant. Even Johnny Carson and David Letterman knew when to eventually take the exit door. Ill miss Don Cherry, and wish him well. There will, no doubt, never be another quite like him. Lorne M-G

On Hockey Night in Canada's Nov. 9 Coach's Corner segment Don Cherry with Ron MacLean.

CBC/CBC

There isnt a question that Don Cherry was wrong, even he begrudgingly admits that he could have chosen better words. However in the new world, as Ron MacLean puts it, there are no second chances, no lighter sentences or rehabilitation, you are out.

When California first introduced their infamous three strikes and you are out rule on crime, most Western democracies found that to be cruel and unnecessary. In the world of political correctness, it has become the norm that one strike and you are out, and most people seem quite fine with that.

In an age of reconciliation, understanding and acceptance of different views and, of course, compassion, there is also a blank spot where the wrong few words can get you banished, as in Cherrys case.

Cherry, at 85, will be fine. He doesnt need the money and will find something else to do, although it is unlikely it will be in media. However, we should consider that regardless of the fact that Cherrys comments were wrong, is this the type of justice we want? JeffSpooner

Don Cherry was a character with a lot of interesting stuff to say. He has had a great career and was an integral part of our Saturday nights.

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I wonder why he didnt jump right in the next day and say that he was angry at everybody who didnt wear a poppy, and that he didnt intend to single out immigrants. He knows that a blanket condemnation of any group isnt right.

It is too bad that it ended this way. one-eighty

Whats missing from the present situation is that Don Cherry made clear he wanted no rehab. Instead of acknowledging his error, stepping back from and softening his comments, he spent the week digging his heels in and doubling down. He did all but permanently tattoo his rant across his own forehead.

I think recovery from his big slip-up could have been easy, but he refused to participate. And so, there is no lighter sentence, no rehab, no parole. JPP221

Don Cherry had many second chances. If you want to share the blame, maybe its the people (his producers) who let him stray by a few degrees every year from his original Coachs Corner mandate. Like a ship thats only off course by a little, after a lot of time, its way off and ends up on shoals.

Cherry is a grown man and was a highly paid professional. He made his own mess. Not the Alliance

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CBC HANDOUT -- MOLSON HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA -- Ron MacLean and Don Cherry

Archie Bunker would not exist today. What a pity! We need to get rid of our enormous chip on our shoulder and learn again to laugh at ourselves. Not everything is done and said with malice, sometimes its just plain humour. If we dont, then anything, by anyone, can be considered offensive by the next person. Silva2

I love Archie Bunker. The writers were decades ahead of their time. Im not sure they couldnt pull it off again, even today. Archie wasnt given a bully pulpit the best scenes were with Jeffersons son, who would make Archie look simple and wrong by playing along.

In 99 per cent of the cases, Ron MacLean did a good job of pushing back on Don Cherry when he was being Archie. MacLean was right: If he caught him on this most recent faux-pas, Cherrys run as Archie probably continues. PeterK2262

Cant help but think this would be a good time for Ron MacLean to exit. patti o furniture

Oh but there are second chances for a select few. Our Prime Minister comes to mind. billy112

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Don Cherry had many second chances. What readers thought of Hockey Night in Canada without Coachs Corner - The Globe and Mail

I have always thought of myself as an analytical and, okay, opinionated person. Some folks may not analyze every little event in their lives, the way I do.

But when it comes to opinions, from race to religion, from the sexes to politics, our personal beliefs and opinions are pretty much set. (Especially at my age.)

That divergence of thought is what makes life in this world so interesting.

These days however, talking out loud about how you feel on a particular issue, could land you in a tub filled with scalding-hot water.

It's that whole political correctness thing, or PC, as it is called for short.

But has PC speak gotten out of hand?

In this new era of social media, we've become especially vulnerable. I constantly find myself second-guessing most comments or observations, before I put them out there.

I analyze each thought and choice of words as I prepare to express how I feel on this keyboard.

No matter how innocent my intent, I'm thinking, are my comments going to come across as insensitive, racist, disrespectful of some group or...oh, the list goes on.

These days, we have to watch every word, especially those words going outside our own close-knit circle of friends, landing for public consumption. (Annoying, isn't it?)

I'm not always the most politically correct person.

In fact, I frown on the whole language-police thing, deeming it necessary to watch everything I say. Or, in the case of social media, every word I write.

Something I might think is funny, the next person may find crass or mean-spirited.

Can't anyone take a joke these days?

I'm the first person to poke fun or laugh at myself. (And certainly provide enough material.)

But when did we become so ultra-sensitive about every little thing?

Certainly, I'm glad we're working hard at becoming a more enlightened and sensitive society, but when those benevolent qualities begin to hinder our ability to speak freely and honestly, political correctness becomes a problem.

I believe we're wise enough to know there are certain lines we should make an effort not to cross, ethnic slurs being among the more egregious.

But in today's world, there are just so many ways to offend, even with the most benign intentions.

It's like walking on eggshells, covering a bed of hot nails.

We have to be especially careful not to offend.

I feel it's wrong when some public universities, in an effort to maintain the idea of political correctness, forbid certain lecturers from appearing on their campuses, simply because of a speaker's political persuasion.

A couple of years ago, hundreds of protesters on the Berkeley campus of the University of California went berserk, crashing windows and setting fires on campus.

All in protest of a far-right speaker, a news editor from the ultra-conservative Breitbart News scheduled to speak there.

Apparently, the university's famously-liberal campus wasn't going to stand for it.

In what I thought was a cowardly act, U.C. Berkeley cancelled the speech.

Oh, please! Let the guy have his say. Perhaps the university's decision was based more on safety concerns?

But I say the protesters, themselves, are the ones who made the situation unsafe.

There are proper ways to channel our anger or disagreements on issues but, and we should all agree, violence should never be the route taken to express that displeasure

Whether they agreed or disagreed with the speaker's views, by behaving so dangerously, the protesters at U.C. Berkeley betrayed their own cause. (How "politically correct" were their actions?)

If there's any place free speech should be encouraged, it's certainly on a university campus. But what about attempts at quelling free speech?

If you ask me, that seems to qualify as politically IN-correct, and every bit as wrong.

Which brings me to a recent appearance by the nation's President, Donald Trump, at the historically African-American Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.

The college invited Mr. Trump to be its keynote speaker at their 2019 Second Step Presidential Forum, held last month.

The landmark First Step Act, signed by Mr. Trump in 2018, was a bold action, addressing criminal justice reform here in the United States.

The purpose of the forum was to discuss the "Second Step," as in where do we go from here.

It should be noted, most of the Democratic candidates for President were also invited to attend and present their own proposals.

I must admit, when I first heard about the forum, alarm bells went off in my head.

Donald Trump speaking on the campus of a largely African-American college?

Oh, my. What could possibly go wrong?

In my head, I hoped for the best. But I did fear any student protests that might result on campus while the President was visiting.

According to most polls, Mr. Trump routinely garners only single-digit support among African-Americans.

I was afraid his appearance at Benedict College might have turned into an unpleasant one. That is, considering some of the things Mr. Trump has said on the subject of race in the past.

But here's the thing.

By design, Mr. Trump's speech was largely unattended by the college's students. Columbia's Mayor, Stephen Benjamin, said most of those in attendance were hand chosen by the White House.

Only seven students from the college were allowed to attend the President's speech.

But wait, it gets even more curious.

In conjunction with the Secret Service, classes were also cancelled and most students were, reportedly, asked to remain in their dorms while the President was on campus.

The decision was said to be made for security reasons.

I find that all a bit strange.

We've seen Donald Trump's political rallies on television, where there're often tens of thousands in attendance.

Are residents asked to "remain in their homes" because the President is in town, giving a speech?

You'd think the Secret Service would be a lot more concerned with a public event like those huge rallies, than with safety concerns on the campus of a relatively small college.

Sounds more to me like Benedict College officials, the White House and the powers that be, made a dedicated effort to make sure student voices were not heard while Mr. Trump was on campus. Isn't the end result to stifle free speech?

I'm guessing some of Benedict's students may have wanted to protest the President's appearance. (And?) By forbidding students from even leaving their dorm rooms, was it an effort to ensure there were no protests on campus?

It smacks of, to me at least, a sideways form of censorship. Like the officials at Berkeley behaved, it would be another example of political incorrectness. .

A tale of two colleges, and I don't agree with what happened on either campus.

The protesters at U.C. Berkeley succeeded in making themselves look foolish. I would expect many observers, myself included, were less likely to sympathize with their cause, as a result of their actions.

Likewise, those officials responsible for making sure student voices were not heard on the Benedict College Campus, while the President was there, behaved foolishly, too. What was the point? To protect Mr. Trump?

I'd say, the goal of the day was designed to insulate him.

Both incidents come across as attempts at controlling the narrative, silencing the voices of those they don't agree with, or want to hear from.

The protesters at U.C. Berkeley didn't want to hear what the Brietbart reporter had to say. But what about those people on campus who did?

On the same plain, the White House went out of its way to keep Mr. Trump enclosed in his airtight and sealed bubble, so he doesn't have to see or hear from those people who disapprove of his job as President.

Free speech.

Political correctness.

Censorship.

Where do we draw the line?

It's easy to see how blurred things can become when those lines intersect.

Elijah Jones is a writer and a proud graduate of the Hattiesburg Public School System and the University of Southern Mississippi. Send him an email (or seven or eight) at: edjhubtown@aol.com

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Enough: Where should line be drawn between free speech and political correctness? - HubcitySPOKES.com

On Wednesday, Fox News reporter Sam Dorman wrote an explosive story with the headline CIA staff complained about Obama White Houses political correctness, new book claims. Explosive stuff! You see, a new book by conservative writer Doug Mead claimed that when asking his sources about the Obama administrations White House, he was told that President Obama wasnt able to get things done because his administration was too busy dealing with snowflake issues like what to call people!Next thing they said was that, in the previous administration, they spent a lot of time in the White House doing nonstop PC [political correctness] meetings.

Man. Damning! This fit so perfectly into the right wings fantasy narrative that President Obama was a secret Muslim, snowflake, bleeding heart liberal communist, neer do well, you couldnt make it up if you tried! Or, actually you could only make it up because you were trying but were also dumb. You see, it turns out that the Obama administration did hold PC meetings, and they held them frequently. However, the term PCmeans Principals Committee, a top-level interagency meeting convened by the National Security Council.

Numerous people pointed this out to Fox News and Doug Wead, because let us be clear, Sam Dorman is a dummy, but he isnt the idiot who wrote a whole book about the inner workings of the Trump and Obama White Houses, without doing the bare minimum investigation into what a government acronym means.

I am dying.

Principals Committee meetings, Fox. Not political correctness meetings!

PC meetings were often not at all PC.Cc @DenisMcDonough @AmbassadorRice https://t.co/mRbHWqxPv7

Loren DeJonge Schulman (@LorenRaeDeJ) November 6, 2019

According to Business Insider, Fox News and Wead have both been incredibly lukewarm in their apology, and more importantly, their correction of the original, erroneous reporting. Fox News has taken the tact of throwing Wead under the bus by saying that Dorman did accurately report on Weads assertion, but that Wead was wrong. And Wead is reportedly half-blaming his source for not realizing how dumb Doug Wead was. The author has since informed Fox News this was due to a misunderstanding between him and his source and that the initials referred to Principals Committee.'

You can make some things up, but you cant make up how truly loathsome and incompetent and intellectually dishonest Fox News and their conservative hucksters are.

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Originally posted here:

Fox News erroneously reported that Obamas PC meetings were political correctness meetings - AlterNet

Gender equality may be an idealistic goal, but the point of humanity is to get more out of our lives

November12, 20194 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

By now, mostly everyone has seen the viral photo of Nancy Pelosi standing and pointing at Donald Trump, around a table full of men.

There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to this image, depending on how you want to frame it. Is it not enough that Nancy Pelosi is the only woman at a powerful table? Does she need to gesture aggressiveness to the most powerful men in the room? Or is this a symbol of empowering women - an iconic, badass woman?

This image does not only happen at The White House, or to people with political power. It happens in everyday life, at home and in the workplace. The lens we view the world through is the same, whether we judge our leaders, spouses, children, co-workers, or boss, with preset expectations about how each gender needs to behave. We objectify ourselves and live in these stereotypes.

But what happens when people feel boxed in by stereotypes, limited to a role they dont want to play? When Nancy Pelosi stepped out of the lines of the conventional role she was expected to behold in front of powerful men, she was referred to as, Nervous Nancy on the brink of an unhinged meltdown. When women step out of that box in everyday life, it can have consequences: mansplained responses, belittling, discredited either overtly or masked in political correctness, and ultimately being silenced. And not all women will have the strength to deal with this.

The response cant be that this is how things are - success still hangs on relationships. A Gallup survey found that a majority of Americans no longer prefer a male boss to a female boss. This is a step in the right direction, as in the past, workers have had bias working for male-led firms. Silicon Valley is full of innovation, and most venture capitalists admit that start-up investment is a high touch, personal business. Investors fund people they like, and people typically get along with those who think like them. Women in technology are being photoshopped into stock images to show diversity. Stereotypes about brogrammer culture and inherent differences make women feel that they dont belong.

The gender gap in science, engineering, and leadership is not because of a talent pipeline problem, but instead is the result of stereotypes. Alienating women with unconscious bias creates an environment thats less hospitable for women.

Although we have seen many important social changes, the perception that women do not fit the image of the ideal leader is still pervasive and resistant to change. On the other hand, women are raised to hide their ambition, fearful it will be viewed negatively and prevent us from being liked.

We fail to realize that these are human-created stereotypes that have not adapted with time. We dont use the same gadgets and technology, and live the same lifestyle as our grandparents or great grandparents did a century ago, and similarly, perception about gender has changed.

This photo is not about encapsulating the idea that the future is black or white, male or female. We dont need to look at the world as male vs. female, and have our future generations mold themselves into stereotypes that were created for us.

Gender equality may be an idealistic goal, but the point of humanity is to get more out of our lives. Gender stereotypes imprison us rather than set us free to live a truly free life politically, socially, economically, and spiritually. Equal doesnt mean identical, there are differences, but equality means those differences shouldnt translate into different levels of access to opportunities in society. We need a gender-independent human culture to propel the world in the future.

Continued here:

One Image, Two Very Different Interpretations: What Does it Mean in Business? - Entrepreneur

What I'm Hearing: USA TODAY Sports' Kevin Allen discusses the firing of longtime Hockey Night in Canada commentator Don Cherry. USA TODAY

"Hockey Night in Canada" analyst Don Cherry said he believes he was fired Monday because of two words he used during his Coach's Corner segment.

"It's the two words, 'You people' and you know people are very sensitive like that that got me," he said Tuesday night during an appearance on Tucker Carlson's show on Fox News.

The popular, outspoken former coachdrew criticism for complaining Saturday nightthat people in Toronto were being disrespectful by not wearing poppies to honor Canada's fallen military heroes leading up to Remembrance Day. His words wereviewed as a criticism of immigrants.

"You people ... love our way of life, love our milk and honey," Cherry said during the segment. "At least you could pay a couple of bucks for poppies or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada.

OPINION: Cherry's popularity with his fans couldn't save him this time

'TALK WHATEVER HE THINKS': Russian hockey team tweets it wants Don Cherry as analyst

Sportsnet said Monday that Cherry's remarks were divisive and "it has been decided that it is the right time for him to immediately step down."

Cherry, who has made other remarks through the years that sparked controversy, argued that all of the good stories he did on the show were ignored by his bosses.

"I suppose if I had to do it over again, I would have said 'everybody,'" he said. " 'You people' are the people they listened to. The silent majority, as you know, are always silent.

"The police are with me. The forces are with me. Everybody is with me, and the firefighters and the whole deal. But it doesn't make any sense and I was brought in and I was told I was fired after 38 years. I stand by what I said and I still mean it."

Carlson, who often complains about political correctness, said the people who criticized the remarks weren't sensitive but were fascists.

"All I was saying in Toronto, wear your poppies," Cherry said. "These soldiers died for our way of life. ... They died so we can have our way of life and please wear a poppy in their honor."

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Don Cherry tells Tucker Carlson on Fox News he was fired for using the words, 'You people' - USA TODAY

Don Cherry isnt backing off.

The legendary Hockey Night in Canada announcer was fired Monday for comments about you people that come here not wearing poppies, the traditional symbol of support for Canadas soldiers on Nov. 11. The remarks were construed as anti-immigrant.

In a phone interview with the Toronto Sun, the former NHL coach known for his loud suits and louder persona, was unapologetic.

I know what I said and I meant it. Everybody in Canada should wear a poppy to honour our fallen soldiers, Cherry said.

He also said that he wouldnt have wanted to continue his 35-year run as host of the Coachs Corner segment if he had to feign political correctness.

To keep my job, I cannot be turned into a tamed robot, Cherry said. I would have liked to continue doing Coachs Corner. The problem is if I have to watch everything I say, it isnt Coachs Corner.

For decades before the weekends firing, Canadian nationalism had been a part of Cherrys broadcast persona, which is also heavy on braggadocio.

When Scandinavian and East European players began playing in the NHL in large numbers in the 1980s (and in the latter case, especially after the fall of Communism) Cherry would often lament both the influx of foreigners and the influence of them on Canadas national sport and league.

During broadcasts, he would mispronounce Slavic or Scandinavian names; offhandedly refer to the East Europeans as commies or reds; and say how, in an easily mocked Canadian accent in words hed frequently use, these European softies were taking roster spots from hard-working Canadian boys.

Cherry finished the Toronto Sun interview by reminding Canadians to wear your poppy to honour our fallen soldiers.

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Don Cherry not sorry for 'you people' remarks: 'I know what I said and I meant it' - Washington Times

The intolerant left is at it again. I regret to inform you that, in yet another case of political correctness gone mad, the woke brigade has shut down free speech and censored a courageous conservative intellectual. Over the weekend, Donald Trump Jr was heckled off stage while promoting his new book Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us at the University of California.

Oh, hang on a minute. It looks like it wasnt the hateful left that silenced the presidents eldest son; it was his own supporters. You see, shortly after Sundays event kicked off, Trump Jr informed the audience that there wouldnt be a Q&A because leftwingers would inevitably twist his words. The lack of dialogue enraged a far-right faction of the crowd who believe the Trump administration isnt anti-immigrant enough and were eager to challenge Jr on this.

We wanted to ask questions about immigration and about Christianity, two of the protesters, who identify as American Firsters, told the Guardian, but [Trump Jr] didnt want to face those questions.

The booing got so bad that Jrs girlfriend, former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle, had to step in and save him. Youre not making your parents proud by being rude and disruptive, Guilfoyle yelled at the audience. She added: I bet you engage and go on online dating because youre impressing no one here to get a date in person. Which is; 1) dreadful syntax and 2) a quaint insult to throw at college students in 2019. Its a bit like yelling: I bet you kids use electronic mail because you are impressing nobody with your sub-par cursive. It is also not clear why Guilfoyle thought people had turned up to a book launch to pick up dates. Despite her witty barbs, the crowd would not be silenced; eventually Trump Jr stormed off the stage.

It is tempting to have a good laugh about the disastrous book launch and, believe you me, I have. Ultimately, however, there is nothing funny about the fact that the Trump administration has emboldened so many bigots that Maga-hat-wearing supporters are now coming after Jr for not being extreme enough. There has been a 30% increase in the number of US hate groups over the past four years, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center a trend the civil rights organisation blames on Trumps radicalising influence. Dangerous fringe groups have crept out of the shadows and are shouting at the top of their lungs.

Trump Jrs book tour is also a reminder of the rights limitless hypocrisy. One of the big themes of Triggered is, to quote Trump Jr: A victimhood complex has taken root in the American left. But lets recap the situation shall we? Trump Jr (who describes himself as hyper-rational and stoic) has just published a book complaining that he is being silenced by the left. He is touring the US talking about how he is being silenced. He has been invited on primetime TV to talk about being silenced. And he is complaining about being silenced to his 4 million followers on Twitter. Maybe I am missing something, but that doesnt exactly sound like being silenced to me.

And it is not just Trump Jr who loves to play the victim. A delusional victimhood complex is at the very heart of rightwing ideology. Immigrants are invading and stealing all the jobs. Jews are taking over the world. #MeToo is intent on destroying innocent mens lives. Gays are destroying family values. The right never see themselves as racists or bigots; they see themselves as victims who are fighting back against the imminent extinction of western civilisation. Forget being stoic or silenced; they are constantly triggered and they never shut up.

Continued here:

Donald Trump Jrs disastrous book launch may seem funny but theres a very dark side to the booing - The Guardian

MondayNov11,2019at3:41PM

Nov. 9 To the Editor:

Spanish philosopher George Santayana said that, Those who cannot learn from history, are doomed to repeat it. A reflective look at world events today provides conclusive evidence to the truth of that statement. There has been a steady effort, by the left, to re-write, re-interpret, and in some cases omit, the historical accounts that fail to advance their narrative. It is fashionable to criticize the founding fathers by emphasizing flaws in their personal lives. The personal sacrifices made by them to establish the greatest country in the world, are ignored in order to castigate them for their individual imperfections. The great achievements of America have been de-emphasized by an increasing emphasis on mistakes and failures.

The left promotes a critical emphasis of our imperfections at the expense of recognizing the incredible force for good that America has provided throughout the world since its founding. It seems that we have forgotten the terrible cost we have paid to help those in need throughout the globe. We are now smothered in the vagaries of political correctness which lends credence to a litany of cockamamie ideas. The leftist thinking runs rampant in our nations school systems. Vladimir Lenin said, Give me your youth, and Ill transform the whole world. Therefore, our schools spend much time on political correctness issues and other facets of the leftist ideology at the expense of teaching the basics. Recent studies rank us as 27th in educational level, a drop from 6th in 1990! In 2015, a PEW study reported that 46% of K-12 students were considered below average in the sciences and math.

Any display of patriotism or respect for authority is belittled or condemned by the leftist leaning mob. Socialism has become popular despite the lessons of history, no longer taught or emphasized. Remember the wisdom of Santayana!

Richard Schoff

York, Maine

Read this article:

Left ignores history and our nation is paying the price - Foster's Daily Democrat

During the Russian revolution, most vestiges of the previous monarchical society were expunged in the attempt to take total control by the revolutionaries. It was the first step toward Communism.

In the process, a concerted effort to control thought and behavior was instigated. Undesirables were murdered. Statues were destroyed. History was rewritten. Speech was limited. The people were under the control of the Bolsheviks, members of the Russian Social Democratic Party which later became known as the Communist Party. Anarchy reigned. People died. Leaders controlled every aspect of life.

Does any of this sound familiar? Destroyed statues. Antifa anarchy. Political correctness. Great political and racial division. History revisionism. Devaluation of life.

America is now in the process of incrementally losing our once-revered freedoms through a similar, albeit seemingly benign, political and cultural upheaval that threatens to change our great American experiment . . . and not for the better.

Our education system fails to enlighten students on the benefits of capitalism versus feel-good, but never-successful, socialism. Capitalism has raised the lives of billions of people throughout the world. Socialism fails miserably every time its tried.

America had better wake up before its too late to reverse this abomination. It may already be too late.

Gayle Cranford, Fairview Township

Link:

America must wake up before its too late - or is it already? | PennLive letters - PennLive