HOW POLITICAL CORRECTNESS POLARIZES THE COUNTRY

The Political Correctness movement is no longer about making people sensitive to the problems and differences of others, if it ever was. Instead, it is a technique to promote disadvantaged groups and kill any dissenting debate. The purveyors of P.C. do this by labeling anyone who challenges their viewpoints as “insensitive” and even advocating censuring of those people. This is not just in politics or with social issues. In fact, a great example of how pervasive this is in America can be found in the National Football League.

Michael Vick has been made the poster boy for the current NFL version of “superstar.” A black athlete blessed with great physical skills, he has struggled as an NFL quarterback. Announcers continue to praise Vick and, 3 years into his NFL career, talk about what a star he will blossom into. Unfortunately, the reality appears to be a man who doesn’t appear smart enough to grasp the mental aspects needed to be a successful NFL quarterback.

Right there is where the debate ends with the PC crowd because “black athlete” cannot be uttered in the same breath with “not smart enough". Yet, the comment has nothing to do with Vick’s race, it is simply an observation of the individual. (As a contrast, another black quarterback, Donovan McNabb, is one of the three best in the league, and still another young black QB, Byron Leftwich is a budding NFL superstar. Both posess the mental acuity required to run their offenses.)

My view of Michael Vick may prove to be wrong; he could turn out to be one of the greatest stars the game has ever seen, but that's not the issue. Sports analysts are not allowed to talk about his inability to read coverages, grasp a new offense, or react to defensive changes. In the current climate, no one can even intimate that a black athlete is not smart, even if it’s so obvious that only a fellow idiot would think otherwise.

The acceptable coverage of Vick is but one small example of the P.C. view of the world. Communities let the KKK hold rallies and we defend it as “free speech,” yet the same people will shut down any conversation if the opposing ideas are not P.C. Apparently, if you’re really on the fringe, then the P.C. crowd will let you speak because they know virtually no one will be listening. But if you might have a valid argument that is at odds with politically correct thinking, then you are demonized. And when dialog is stifled and discussions are taboo, people polarize their viewpoints by forming opinions which will sometimes be wacky and out of touch with reality; there's nothing to expose them as being out of touch with reality.

Back to the NFL: about this time last year, Rush Limbaugh was bounced from the ESPN “Gameday” show for intimating that black quarterbacks in the NFL are getting a free pass from the media. Black players and broadcasters were supposedly so incensed at this that Limbaugh was dropped by ESPN just a few days later. Now, Rush is a controversial guy who I often disagree with. However, his “crime” was bringing up this question for debate; in his segment the other panel members, two of which are black former NFL players, were expected to rebut. No one did. Later, they expressed that they were too “shocked” to say anything. That's garbage; they had no argument for it because they hadn’t previously considered it. In fact, they were exposed as being part of the very same media that was taking a hands-off approach to critizing any black quarterback. The real message: P.C. isn’t open for discussion, especially when it comes to race relations.

How ironic that Bill Maher's show "Politically Incorrect" was kicked off the air because Maher dared to call America cowardly for "launching missiles from afar." I guess it goes to show that it doesn't matter where you lean politically; if you offer an opinion without going through the "P.C. filter" you are not allowed to continue speaking.

If we, the citizenry, and our political and social leaders don’t start allowing more unfettered discussion of our differences then we’re going to be even more polarized, possibly leading to a divided America that could wreck our nation. This cannot be allowed to go on; Political Correctness has got to go away. We can, and should, be sensitive to other people's lives and conditions. But how can you understand people who are different from you if you won’t hear what they truly believe? And how can you expect them to understand you if you don’t speak your mind, or if you shut others out entirely?