The incessant demand that we offend no person and no group (except of course Christians) is what is known as political correctness. It has a stranglehold on the West, and it is getting more and more draconian and oppressive. Indeed, it is killing freedom and democracy and replacing it this with a soft fascism.
I of course regularly seek to monitor and expose this madness. In a sense one could say that my website is one long bit of documentation of the madness of political correctness. Hundreds of examples have been highlighted here, and many thousands could be.
Jacques Barzun once stated that political correctness “does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred.” Quite so. There is nothing tolerant about it. It is one massive attempt at coercive utopianism. It is using the jackboot of the state to suppress any opinions, thoughts and beliefs that are not considered acceptable to the leviathan state and the radical activists.
It makes criminals out of ordinary citizens, and it strips away basic freedoms and rights of ordinary people. And it is getting worse each passing day. The good news is there are a few brave souls still to be found in the West who not only oppose political correctness utterly and thoroughly, but are willing to face the wrath of the state in exposing all this moonbattery.
One such fearless voice in the wilderness is Melanie Phillips, the intrepid English commentator who will not be silenced by the PC thugs. She produces a steady stream of intelligent, incisive and much-needed commentary on the madness that passes for life in the West nowadays.
Her latest piece is a real ripper, and deserves a wide reading. It is not just that her commentary is so good here, but the subject matter she is dealing with is so very incredible. I let her pick up the story in what is yet another imbecilic case of political correctness:
“The word ‘Orwellian’ has become over-used to the point of cliche. Yet there is really no other way to describe the deeply sinister, upside-down onslaught upon common sense that has extended even into the school playgrounds of politically correct Britain.
“The aim was originally to create a kinder, gentler world — with a commitment to eradicating racial or any other type of prejudice. Supporters of these beliefs profess to loathe and detest bullying, with teachers instigating school playground patrols and ‘anti-bullying weeks’ to stamp out this hateful practice.
“And yet, in pursuance of these aims, we have witnessed the rise of the widespread state-sponsored bullying of children. The latest example was the experience of a seven-year-old boy from Hull, whose mother was astounded to be told by his primary school to sign a form admitting he was racist.
“So what was the heinous act this child had committed to cause him to be branded in this way? Why, merely to have asked a five-year-old boy in the playground whether he was ‘brown because he was from Africa’. What on earth is racist about that question? It does not express a hateful dislike of, or racial superiority over, another person on account of the colour of their skin. It merely wonders, in a child-like way, about the reason for that colour.
“It is thus a perfectly inoffensive question from a curious child. The reason for the five-year-old’s brown skin is, indeed, that his ancestry lies in another continent. So how can a correct assumption constitute a prejudice? The school’s gross over-reaction suggests that racism is being redefined to include not only hateful references to someone’s colour, but any reference to it at all.
“Real racial prejudice is, indeed, a horrible thing. But such wildly inappropriate labelling is to trivialise and thus effectively deny the harm done by truly vile attitudes. What’s more, it is particularly odious to hang the label of racist round a child’s neck. Witch-hunts are bad enough in themselves; but to make a child their target is really quite obscene.”
In between her introduction and her conclusion she lists a number of other appalling cases of PC zaniness. Many of these cases I have also discussed in recent months. One case may have you scratching your head, but a whole string of these cases will have your entire head reeling.
Phillips finishes her piece this way: “So how on earth has Britain, the historic cradle of liberty, got itself to the point where it conducts witch-hunts against children for expressing ‘forbidden’ views? It all stems from the collapse of socialism, after which left-wingers shifted their focus from economics to issues of group identity.
“Instead of attacking the capitalist West for oppressing the workers, they attacked mainstream society for oppressing marginalised or minority groups that were held to be victims of the majority. Hugely aided by human rights law, such groups then became immune from criticism and were encouraged to complain about their treatment.
“Moreover, how people felt became much more important than anything they actually did. So if such a victim group claimed to have been insulted, that was regarded as proof that an insult had actually occurred. This replacement of objective reality by subjective feelings was a recipe for turning truth and justice inside out.
“When George Orwell created his fictional ‘thought police’ and ‘Ministry of Truth’, he was attacking Stalinism and its attempt to re-configure human psychology itself. Incredible as it may seem, that’s what we have in Britain with ‘political correctness’, which should more properly be called cultural Stalinism — a regime of oppression and intimidation in which even innocent children are being branded as bigots. A kinder, gentler world? No, this is where freedom dies with a boot stamping on its face.”
It is the end of freedom all right. That is why we must never let the forces of political correctness prevail. We must resist this totalitarian onslaught with all our strength. Western democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religion are all too valuable to be allowed to succumb to the PC fascists.
I’ve met peole like that, their real and deep and repressed bigotry comes in a twisted form, displaced onto this little one in this case.
[“PC Anti-Christ”: James Kalb is a good read too]
Martin Snigg
Bill, I like your quotation on the definition of PC as “political correctness “does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred”. It also marks the arrogance of an assumption that the State, or some other self appointed “spokesperson” has the right to censor the words and deeds of others within what is euphemistically called a “free society”.
Yes, Melanie is a tower of strength and more than a match in her vigorous defence of our freedoms, and like you she therefore attracts the notice of a whole army of Loons and sanctimonious hate-mongers.
As a post-script to your piece of yesterday, and for your interest, and I hope encouragement, there has just been formed in the UK an alliance of several Christian groups called the Coalition for Marriage – (see link c4m.org.uk) which is organising a petition against the government’s SSM proposals.
It is attracting much attention from Christians, and I understand is also receiving backing from RCs here in the UK. The idea is to get at least 100,000 signatures before Easter. It is proceeding apace and getting about 200 supporting names per hour. Since yesterday it has logged about 14,000 so far.
Graham Wood, UK
Thanks Graham
It is always good to hear of counterattacks taking place. We need many more of them.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Thanks Bill for posting this important piece by Melanie Phillips.
One of the inbuilt traits of evil powers, is that they lack genuine objectivity, logic and a measured response – and ultimately, they “over-play their hand”. They lack a true ontological existence.
In the end, society spews it all up!
Even Mr. Calm-and-collected has had a gut-full.
Fortunately, the PC fascists cannot help themselves. and will pursue their agenda until they move into the range of self-destruct. However, in the meantime, yea… little kids in the playground cop it for …being human!
Political correctness is… well… quite often… incorrect!
Trevor Faggotter
And what’s wrong with saying “black boys” rather than the PC term “grass trees”? Is black skin so bad? If we labelled a white barked tree such as an Australian white gum, a “white boy” there would be no uproar. But if it’s because we shouldn’t degrade people by associating them with trees, well there are lots of people out there that think trees are pretty special.
BTW, there’s an anti-abortion slogan that states; “Pretend I’m a tree and save me.” For Australian pro-lifers we could have “Pretend I’m a grass tree and save me” but if we had “Pretend I’m a black boy and save me”, well, that might be considered racist.
All this political correctness is absurd.
Annette Nestor
US talk show host Michael Savage said in his book ‘Banned in Britain: Beating the Liberal Blacklist’ that Political Correctness is speech control.
Carl Strehlow
“racism is being redefined to include not only hateful references to someone’s colour, but any reference to it at all”
Only for “whites”, of course, Others are allowed to comment on one’s race all they want, sometimes in the most racist ways imaginable.
They promulgators of PC have built into their worldview the claim that only whites can be racist, only men (especially white men) can be sexist, only Christians are religiously intolerant, etc.
It’s the ultimate proof of their insincerity, of the fact that they’re using all of this for one end alone: Power. Power in service of their agenda, which is not “freedom and justice for all”, but the subjugation of everyone whose viewpoint or beliefs do not agree with theirs.
PC never gets rid of intolerance. As said above, it’s nothing less than cultural Stalinism. The sick part is that, as the Communists and Socialists before them, these Stalinists cynically pretend to adopt our culture’s values only long enough to twist them to mean the opposite of what they originally meant.
Ronin Akechi
George Orwell was a Socialist who was refreshingly iconoclast about his preferred political orientation.Nineteen-Eighty-Four and Animal Farm both offer damning insights into political cultures dominated by a secular Weltanschauung. The current agitation for same-sex marriage is supported by a subculture which has given English language its own crop of Newspeak words and definitions: “gay” and “coming out” no longer mean what they did to 18th-Century novelist, Jane Austen. Moral indignation in heterosexual Christian Fundamentalists is now characterised as “hate language” or simply a “phobia”.
The Nazis also developed their own turns-of-phrase to dignify their atrocities: Their “final solution” is uncomfortably similar in semantics to the use of the word “termination” by the abortion industry.
John Wigg
Yes exactly right John.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I wonder how much fear this PC propaganda is producing. It reminds me so much of Hitler’s Germany, it is not funny. I was born in Germany 15 years after the war ended, so I know a few things about it from my own family.
I also went to see Corrie ten Boom’s house in Haarlem 3 years ago, which is now a museum. There we were told that in oppressive times the ratio of what people do is usually like this: 5% go with the oppressors wholeheartedly, 5% work against them wholeheartedly and 90% do nothing, because they either don’t care or they are afraid.
As to feelings versus thoughts, there was a great scene in “the iron lady”, where the Dr asked Margaret Thatcher how she was feeling about all this and she gave him a piece of her mind about how no one asks what we “think about things any more”. I could have given her applause right there in the cinema, but I didn’t want to disturb the others.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
I believe that the margionalisation and offence of Christians is probably quite honestly not intended by the PC crew, so if you tell them about it, they probably look blankly at you and truly don’t comprehend it. But it is a default result, something that can not be avoided when the truth is being distorted and suppressed, as it invariably is in the attempt of alleviating the Biblically unsupportable demands of either a state of supremacy or evil behaviour as explained in Rom 1:18 and following. It is because of our close identification with the Truth Himself, that we re such treated and in that context, we need to rejoice.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Sorry for the string of comments, but I just want to express that of course as in this case if it is the honest, candid and innocent inquiry of children that is being stifled, that makes me really mad, but I am sure that is also one of these unintended results of this nonsense and it might be that of their kind, who has still a little of light in them might see that one day and have one of those oops moments that might help the rest of them to see that something has gone wrong. Most likely they won’t take it from the likes of us, that might be spiritually too confronting. I wonder if that book I told you about, Bill, “religion for atheists” might shine some light onto those kind of dynamics.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Re “ss couples” having dinner with the Prime minister, I wonder when people like you or Warwick Marsh will be invited to explain the point for traditional marriage in such close and intimate contact with our nation’s leader.
I heard it was worth a lot of money to these people, but even if money was no obstacle, would our side get the same hearing?
After all, it is equality we are after?
Bill, is the marriage alliance still active?
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Thanks Ursula for your comments. A few replies if I may.
Great comments on Germany and Thatcher. As to the attacks on Christianity, we must realise that while not all are intentional, many are – perhaps most. We have from their own words what the secularists and leftists and other radicals think of Christianity. many have been absolutely clear and explicit in declaring that it must be destroyed.
And I won’t be holding my breath waiting for Julia accepting a dinner invite from me, even if I offered her a million dollars. I really don’t think she would be in the least bit interested to be honest!
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Ursula, one of the most important things you said bears repeating. It is so true and so important:
“I also went to see Corrie ten Boom’s house in Haarlem 3 years ago, which is now a museum. There we were told that in oppressive times the ratio of what people do is usually like this: 5% go with the oppressors wholeheartedly, 5% work against them wholeheartedly and 90% do nothing, because they either don’t care or they are afraid.”
Thanks for sharing that. We all need to hear it and act upon it.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Those unfamiliar with Corrie’s story can check out this brief overview of her life and ministry:
Thanks for the link to Melanie’s article, Bill. She mentions a child being labelled as homophobic telling a teacher that ‘this work is gay’.
Children, and some adults, have used this word in this context for years describing things that are ‘lame’ or ‘useless’ .
If the homosexuals are allowed to hijack the word ‘gay’ from its original meaning (ie happy), to mean homosexual, why can’t others use it to mean what they want it to mean, without being branded as homophobic?
Please explain why the comment from one person of another ‘You’re so gay’ is automatically assumed to be offensive and derogatory and labels a person as homophobic when it could be meant as ‘lame’ or ‘happy’….?
(Check out all the people who have been dragged before courts or been threatened with lawsuits for saying this or similar statements….google)
Maybe next time we see someone who exudes happiness and joy we should openly applaud their ‘gayness’ – surely we can’t be called ‘homophobic’ for using a word according to its dictionary definition?
What do you think?
I think its time we take back this word.
Annette Williams
Annette, I agree with you over the way in which the word ‘gay’ has moved, thanks to its abuse by the homosexual community, right away from its original meaning of innocent frivolity. Children, with their instinctive rejection of perverted behaviour have now quite understandably loaded the word ‘gay’ with a negative meaning.
I also want to stress that the word ‘homophobia’ is a total nonsense. From its Latin and Greek stems it can only mean a fear of men or a fear of sameness. It simply cannot mean some irrational terror of homosexuals! In any case, those persons who bully people they perceive as homosexuals do so not out of fear but from contempt and ridicule. It is plain bullying and is wrong, of course, but it certainly is not a “phobia” like “claustrophobia”!
The word “homophobia” is merely a hate word used to shut down any rational debate about homosexuality and its consequences. I make a point of ridiculing and making fun of that nonsense word whenever I hear it or see it used for its real spiteful purpose!
Dominic Baron, NZ
Hi Bill,
Every point made by Melanie re: Political Correctness poisoning life in the UK is true but your readers might like to have an update on the original story. As it happens I live just outside Hull and I taught there for over 25 years.
The mother of the infant (he was 4 at the time of the ‘incident’) felt she needed to speak to the school because her infant son was becoming distressed by the “Do you come from Africa? questions. He was asked several times. Once she talked to the 7 year old’s mother & they explained matters to each other, apologies were made & they believed that was the end of the matter. But then the school felt obliged to ‘fulfil its duty’ etc.
Even a local MP commented that the whole thing had been blown out of all proportion and that common sense had gone completely.
What astounds me and I’m sure millions of others, is that Head teachers are completely cowed by the PC regulations that have been inflicted on their schools. I just hope that The Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove rescinds these evil regulations just as Eric Pickles has changed the regulations so that local authorities can have prayers if they wish without being challenged on spurious ‘human right not to be embarrassed’ grounds.
I hope this helps.
Alan Williams, UK
Thanks Bill for setting me straight on the intentions of PC activists. I guess I thought they were still in the minority. I guess also my heart goes out to what they call “useful idiots”, I have compassion for the deceived ones, it is to me the most scary possibility to think you are doing the “right” thing and waking up in hell, never knowing you had been heading there all along. I trust that we all get the opportunity to choose to have our eye opened and choose life.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Many thanks Bill for educating me and therefore, teaching my family about these nutcases. Makes me look smart and no I’m not afraid of my home.
Daniel Kempton
…don’t know if it quite fits into this thread, but I found this article which would make me laugh if only it didn’t highlight the intrinsic absurdity of political correctness, which is unfortunately is all too real.
So, maybe we should campaign for ‘nice crimes’ and ‘nice speech’ laws, to balance those insane ones we get spewed up by leftist radicals and unprincipled politicians?
…selecting some crimes for special designation as markers of “hate” is helpful, but only if we first recognize other “non-hate” crimes as the nice ones.
For instance, I would nominate all nice murders, where the offender expresses tender sentiments toward the victim before bludgeoning him/her to death. There’s also the nice, reasonable spouse abuse crimes, where a husband was set off because he had a bad day, or because his woman looked twice at another man. His self-esteem was low and he had a good reason. Outside the orange jumpsuits, these are really great guys.
…
I don’t know that rape would fit into the nice crime category, except in those cases where the rapist keeps a memento from his victim – a lock of hair or an article of clothing. This signifies respect and affection, don’t you think? Then that could be “nice.”
A thought occured to me reading the comments: If being ‘Gay’ is so beautiful, natural & wonderful, wouldn’t calling someone ‘Gay’ be a compliment? I’m confused!!
David Williams
I’ve met peole like that, their real and deep and repressed bigotry comes in a twisted form, displaced onto this little one in this case.
[“PC Anti-Christ”: James Kalb is a good read too]
Martin Snigg
Bill, I like your quotation on the definition of PC as “political correctness “does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred”. It also marks the arrogance of an assumption that the State, or some other self appointed “spokesperson” has the right to censor the words and deeds of others within what is euphemistically called a “free society”.
Yes, Melanie is a tower of strength and more than a match in her vigorous defence of our freedoms, and like you she therefore attracts the notice of a whole army of Loons and sanctimonious hate-mongers.
As a post-script to your piece of yesterday, and for your interest, and I hope encouragement, there has just been formed in the UK an alliance of several Christian groups called the Coalition for Marriage – (see link c4m.org.uk) which is organising a petition against the government’s SSM proposals.
It is attracting much attention from Christians, and I understand is also receiving backing from RCs here in the UK. The idea is to get at least 100,000 signatures before Easter. It is proceeding apace and getting about 200 supporting names per hour. Since yesterday it has logged about 14,000 so far.
Graham Wood, UK
Thanks Graham
It is always good to hear of counterattacks taking place. We need many more of them.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Thanks Bill for posting this important piece by Melanie Phillips.
One of the inbuilt traits of evil powers, is that they lack genuine objectivity, logic and a measured response – and ultimately, they “over-play their hand”. They lack a true ontological existence.
In the end, society spews it all up!
Even Mr. Calm-and-collected has had a gut-full.
Fortunately, the PC fascists cannot help themselves. and will pursue their agenda until they move into the range of self-destruct. However, in the meantime, yea… little kids in the playground cop it for …being human!
Political correctness is… well… quite often… incorrect!
Trevor Faggotter
And what’s wrong with saying “black boys” rather than the PC term “grass trees”? Is black skin so bad? If we labelled a white barked tree such as an Australian white gum, a “white boy” there would be no uproar. But if it’s because we shouldn’t degrade people by associating them with trees, well there are lots of people out there that think trees are pretty special.
BTW, there’s an anti-abortion slogan that states; “Pretend I’m a tree and save me.” For Australian pro-lifers we could have “Pretend I’m a grass tree and save me” but if we had “Pretend I’m a black boy and save me”, well, that might be considered racist.
All this political correctness is absurd.
Annette Nestor
US talk show host Michael Savage said in his book ‘Banned in Britain: Beating the Liberal Blacklist’ that Political Correctness is speech control.
Carl Strehlow
“racism is being redefined to include not only hateful references to someone’s colour, but any reference to it at all”
Only for “whites”, of course, Others are allowed to comment on one’s race all they want, sometimes in the most racist ways imaginable.
They promulgators of PC have built into their worldview the claim that only whites can be racist, only men (especially white men) can be sexist, only Christians are religiously intolerant, etc.
It’s the ultimate proof of their insincerity, of the fact that they’re using all of this for one end alone: Power. Power in service of their agenda, which is not “freedom and justice for all”, but the subjugation of everyone whose viewpoint or beliefs do not agree with theirs.
PC never gets rid of intolerance. As said above, it’s nothing less than cultural Stalinism. The sick part is that, as the Communists and Socialists before them, these Stalinists cynically pretend to adopt our culture’s values only long enough to twist them to mean the opposite of what they originally meant.
Ronin Akechi
George Orwell was a Socialist who was refreshingly iconoclast about his preferred political orientation.Nineteen-Eighty-Four and Animal Farm both offer damning insights into political cultures dominated by a secular Weltanschauung. The current agitation for same-sex marriage is supported by a subculture which has given English language its own crop of Newspeak words and definitions: “gay” and “coming out” no longer mean what they did to 18th-Century novelist, Jane Austen. Moral indignation in heterosexual Christian Fundamentalists is now characterised as “hate language” or simply a “phobia”.
The Nazis also developed their own turns-of-phrase to dignify their atrocities: Their “final solution” is uncomfortably similar in semantics to the use of the word “termination” by the abortion industry.
John Wigg
Yes exactly right John.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I wonder how much fear this PC propaganda is producing. It reminds me so much of Hitler’s Germany, it is not funny. I was born in Germany 15 years after the war ended, so I know a few things about it from my own family.
I also went to see Corrie ten Boom’s house in Haarlem 3 years ago, which is now a museum. There we were told that in oppressive times the ratio of what people do is usually like this: 5% go with the oppressors wholeheartedly, 5% work against them wholeheartedly and 90% do nothing, because they either don’t care or they are afraid.
As to feelings versus thoughts, there was a great scene in “the iron lady”, where the Dr asked Margaret Thatcher how she was feeling about all this and she gave him a piece of her mind about how no one asks what we “think about things any more”. I could have given her applause right there in the cinema, but I didn’t want to disturb the others.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
I believe that the margionalisation and offence of Christians is probably quite honestly not intended by the PC crew, so if you tell them about it, they probably look blankly at you and truly don’t comprehend it. But it is a default result, something that can not be avoided when the truth is being distorted and suppressed, as it invariably is in the attempt of alleviating the Biblically unsupportable demands of either a state of supremacy or evil behaviour as explained in Rom 1:18 and following. It is because of our close identification with the Truth Himself, that we re such treated and in that context, we need to rejoice.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Sorry for the string of comments, but I just want to express that of course as in this case if it is the honest, candid and innocent inquiry of children that is being stifled, that makes me really mad, but I am sure that is also one of these unintended results of this nonsense and it might be that of their kind, who has still a little of light in them might see that one day and have one of those oops moments that might help the rest of them to see that something has gone wrong. Most likely they won’t take it from the likes of us, that might be spiritually too confronting. I wonder if that book I told you about, Bill, “religion for atheists” might shine some light onto those kind of dynamics.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Re “ss couples” having dinner with the Prime minister, I wonder when people like you or Warwick Marsh will be invited to explain the point for traditional marriage in such close and intimate contact with our nation’s leader.
I heard it was worth a lot of money to these people, but even if money was no obstacle, would our side get the same hearing?
After all, it is equality we are after?
Bill, is the marriage alliance still active?
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Thanks Ursula for your comments. A few replies if I may.
Great comments on Germany and Thatcher. As to the attacks on Christianity, we must realise that while not all are intentional, many are – perhaps most. We have from their own words what the secularists and leftists and other radicals think of Christianity. many have been absolutely clear and explicit in declaring that it must be destroyed.
And I won’t be holding my breath waiting for Julia accepting a dinner invite from me, even if I offered her a million dollars. I really don’t think she would be in the least bit interested to be honest!
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Ursula, one of the most important things you said bears repeating. It is so true and so important:
“I also went to see Corrie ten Boom’s house in Haarlem 3 years ago, which is now a museum. There we were told that in oppressive times the ratio of what people do is usually like this: 5% go with the oppressors wholeheartedly, 5% work against them wholeheartedly and 90% do nothing, because they either don’t care or they are afraid.”
Thanks for sharing that. We all need to hear it and act upon it.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Those unfamiliar with Corrie’s story can check out this brief overview of her life and ministry:
http://www.corrietenboom.com/history.htm
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Thanks for the link to Melanie’s article, Bill. She mentions a child being labelled as homophobic telling a teacher that ‘this work is gay’.
Children, and some adults, have used this word in this context for years describing things that are ‘lame’ or ‘useless’ .
If the homosexuals are allowed to hijack the word ‘gay’ from its original meaning (ie happy), to mean homosexual, why can’t others use it to mean what they want it to mean, without being branded as homophobic?
Please explain why the comment from one person of another ‘You’re so gay’ is automatically assumed to be offensive and derogatory and labels a person as homophobic when it could be meant as ‘lame’ or ‘happy’….?
(Check out all the people who have been dragged before courts or been threatened with lawsuits for saying this or similar statements….google)
Maybe next time we see someone who exudes happiness and joy we should openly applaud their ‘gayness’ – surely we can’t be called ‘homophobic’ for using a word according to its dictionary definition?
What do you think?
I think its time we take back this word.
Annette Williams
Annette, I agree with you over the way in which the word ‘gay’ has moved, thanks to its abuse by the homosexual community, right away from its original meaning of innocent frivolity. Children, with their instinctive rejection of perverted behaviour have now quite understandably loaded the word ‘gay’ with a negative meaning.
I also want to stress that the word ‘homophobia’ is a total nonsense. From its Latin and Greek stems it can only mean a fear of men or a fear of sameness. It simply cannot mean some irrational terror of homosexuals! In any case, those persons who bully people they perceive as homosexuals do so not out of fear but from contempt and ridicule. It is plain bullying and is wrong, of course, but it certainly is not a “phobia” like “claustrophobia”!
The word “homophobia” is merely a hate word used to shut down any rational debate about homosexuality and its consequences. I make a point of ridiculing and making fun of that nonsense word whenever I hear it or see it used for its real spiteful purpose!
Dominic Baron, NZ
Hi Bill,
Every point made by Melanie re: Political Correctness poisoning life in the UK is true but your readers might like to have an update on the original story. As it happens I live just outside Hull and I taught there for over 25 years.
The mother of the infant (he was 4 at the time of the ‘incident’) felt she needed to speak to the school because her infant son was becoming distressed by the “Do you come from Africa? questions. He was asked several times. Once she talked to the 7 year old’s mother & they explained matters to each other, apologies were made & they believed that was the end of the matter. But then the school felt obliged to ‘fulfil its duty’ etc.
The story can be read at http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/boy-victim-racism-Mum-says-Griffin-Primar...
Even a local MP commented that the whole thing had been blown out of all proportion and that common sense had gone completely.
What astounds me and I’m sure millions of others, is that Head teachers are completely cowed by the PC regulations that have been inflicted on their schools. I just hope that The Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove rescinds these evil regulations just as Eric Pickles has changed the regulations so that local authorities can have prayers if they wish without being challenged on spurious ‘human right not to be embarrassed’ grounds.
I hope this helps.
Alan Williams, UK
Thanks Bill for setting me straight on the intentions of PC activists. I guess I thought they were still in the minority. I guess also my heart goes out to what they call “useful idiots”, I have compassion for the deceived ones, it is to me the most scary possibility to think you are doing the “right” thing and waking up in hell, never knowing you had been heading there all along. I trust that we all get the opportunity to choose to have our eye opened and choose life.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Many thanks Bill for educating me and therefore, teaching my family about these nutcases. Makes me look smart and no I’m not afraid of my home.
Daniel Kempton
…don’t know if it quite fits into this thread, but I found this article which would make me laugh if only it didn’t highlight the intrinsic absurdity of political correctness, which is unfortunately is all too real.
So, maybe we should campaign for ‘nice crimes’ and ‘nice speech’ laws, to balance those insane ones we get spewed up by leftist radicals and unprincipled politicians?
http://www.wnd.com/2006/11/39066/
(an old article, but well worth reading)
Mark Rabich
A thought occured to me reading the comments: If being ‘Gay’ is so beautiful, natural & wonderful, wouldn’t calling someone ‘Gay’ be a compliment? I’m confused!!
David Williams