Selma James once said, ~We have needed to define ourselves by reclaiming the words that define us. They have used language as weapons. When we open ourselves to what they say and how they say it our narrow prejudices evaporate and we are nourished and armed.~ Without a doubt, in the society we live in today people are truly afraid to offend anyone and are seeking to be politically correct. For the ideas, language, policies, and/or behavior that is considered to be offensive/controversial are essentially changed/worded differently in order to appease what the powers that be believe us right. Yet, when you take a step back and listen to some of the things that sound/deemed "PC" you have to laugh at the absolute absurdity of it all.
Let me ask you this question, how many of you have said God bless you to someone when he or she sneezed? Hey, it's something we've all done without even thinking about it like saying yes/no ma'am or yes/no sir because that's how many of us were raised. It becomes second nature, but according to the powers that be saying God bless you is considered offensive and as ridiculous as that sounds there are people out there who aren't religious such as Atheists who don't take kindly to being blessed by a deity who in their mind doesn't exist. However, God does exist because who else could create the wondrous beauty all around us from sun rising/setting, to open green pastures blowing in the window, to looking in the eyes of a new born baby.
The words "special", "handicapped", and/or "retarted" are terms that are referred to the mentally and physically disabled/challenged, In any case, the powers that be want to change the wording in describing the disability in order to not offend the person who has down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, who is an amputee, confined to a wheelchair, etc. Yet, by trying hard not to be offensive one can be offending that particular person with a physical/mentally disability causing one to stick one's foot even further into their mouth. Let me tell you something, we all have a friend or family member who is special to us because they don't use their disability to their advantage or let it hinder him/her from wanting to live a normal life as a person.
For the question can be asked, when it comes to political correctness do you think it can go to such extremes that by doing something considerate can cause outrage? In Jason Mattera's Young America's Foundation they put out a list of the top academic abuses of 2008 one of them being a female college student praying with her professor concerning health issues to improve and this voluntarily agreed upon by the professor beforehand. Unfortunately, another professor walked in on them praying and flipped out leading to the college administration to be informed. Needless to say, she received a stern letter in which she was in their own words not only involved in disruptive/insulting behavior, but also abusing the college employee in the process who walked in on them.
In a couple days we will be celebrating Christmas and the spirit of the holiday season has in all intents and purposes embraced everyone all around the world. What hasn't changed are the gifts being given to/receiving from the people you love and care about as you spend time together during this festive season. Unfortunately, Christmas has come under scrutiny to where it has been changed in order to be politically correct so not to offend those who celebrate such wonderful, as well as, interesting traditions as Kwanza, Hanukkah, etc. to where the Christmas greeting Happy Holidays is being instituted, which in my opinion disrespects the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the end, instead of following the status quo I'm going to run the risk of being politically incorrect and say to each one of you Merry Christmas.
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