1 of 42

Write now Article Tools

Page 3 of 3

hands, having some actual physical contact with another human being. That's no longer allowed either and can get a child expelled from school.

We played cowboys and Indians as well as cops and robbers a lot and aimed and shot at each other, using our index fingers as guns and making silly sounds to indicate that we'd pulled the trigger. I've never killed anyone as a result of my childhood play. As an adult at work, I've been fortunate enough to have made many friends. Sometimes one or the other of us is away for a while, traveling on business or on vacation. There have always been hugs when we saw each other after an absence, with both male and female friends; friendly hugs, human contact with people we care about and who care about us. Physical contact is supremely important to us as human beings. It is an expression of caring. It's the human thing to do. It's no longer acceptable, and could get you fired.

I was proud at my retirement party when a good friend of several years didn't hesitate to give me a hug to celebrate my retirement and wish me luck. Others in the room were shocked, especially considering that I was a mere worker bee (PC term: Contributor) and he was an executive vice president. But we were work friends, and had a great deal of respect for one another. There are times when you have to risk your freedom, risk punishment, risk the consequences to say, "I've really enjoyed working with and for you, and I'll miss our friendship." When it becomes illegal to do that, or to greet an old friend, or offer a hug to someone who seriously needs one, I'll risk whatever I need to in order to retain my humanity.

I've always been a rebellious brat, a seeker and speaker of truth and, at almost 67, that isn't about to change. Let the consequences of refusing to adhere to the official ideology be damned. I hope that I'm not susceptible to mind control without the use of drugs or torture. It hasn't been put to the test, but nothing would surprise me in the future. Sometimes it's good to be older: there's much less to lose, especially if you've decided that if the current trends continue, you might decide you'd rather not be around to witness it.

If you doubt that Political Correctness is a problem, just think back over the last several years, when it has reached its worst level, with the official truth proclaimed in the face of contradictory evidence. Go back 10 or 20 years; it was there. Go back as far as you'd like in the U.S. in the 20th century and you'll find evidence of the development of the official truth that, at times, has made us doubt our own sanity or ability to interpret truth as the government and media tell us we should.

This should be an area of concern for writers. How would your passion to write be affected if you knew that every word would be under government scrutiny and if expressing anything other than the government's official versions of the truth might cause you to lose your job, land you in jail, or worse. I recommend reading Bill Lind's article as it provides a good, brief history of the origins of Political Correctness and its implications for all of us. Perhaps in this case, knowledge is power: you can't fight what you don't recognize or understand.

RESOURCES
"Political Correctness" by Philip Atkinson
http://www.ourcivilisa tion.com/pc.htm
"The Origins of Political Correctness"
An Accuracy in Academia Address by Bill Lind (2000)
http://www.academia.org/ lectures/lind1.html

Learn more about this author, Sondra Deuber.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3

Add your voice

Know something about Political correctness gone wrong?
We want to hear your view. Write now!