WHAT IS POLITICAL CORRECTNESS?

I once came across a definition of the term “Political Correctness”, it went like this, “A set of unwritten rules that determine what you are free to say under the guise of tolerance as set down by the liberal left”. That sort of sums up one of the most destructive philosophical attacks upon our U.S. Constitution that has been attempted in over 200 years of our republic. It has affected all aspects of our lives from small children to our senior citizens (a nice politically correct term, I might add).

People today have to be very careful not to “break the rules” or they will face the punishment of the “P.C. Police”, who are unelected, undocumented and self-proclaimed busybodies and “know-it-alls” , who will try to control your thoughts and actions so as to have you comply with their “rules and regulations”, whatever they might be?

The major area where “political correctness has raised its ugly head is in the area of race relations. As we all know, we, the citizens of the U.S., are covered by the 1st Amendment of our Constitution which guarantees free speech, with a certain few restrictions. Well, that's the way it was supposed to be before P.C. took hold in our society. What is ironic is that the people who are accused of not being “politically correct” are mainly from the conservative side of the political spectrum. The list includes the following people such as, Don Imus, Rush Limbaugh, former Sen. George Allen, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona and many other “right” thinking people.

The old saying of “Who died and left you boss”, certainly applies to the people who are looking to jump into any controversy that might give them a partisan advantage. Some of the people who come to mind as being self-elected “P.C. Police” are the “Rhyming Reverends” of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. God forbid, anyone, deliberately or not, says something which they don't approve of or sanction, then their “manufactured” outrage, by these “racial hustlers”, will be manifested in by their beating of the drum and by using the “race card” to generate compliance with or by having someone fired or have them thrown upon the the scrap heap of public scorn and derision. It seems their only concern is the preconceived “dissing” of a black person by a white person, never, it seems, of a black person “dissing” a white person. That's a blatant example of a double standard, to say the least. Isn't that a form of racism?

The “P.C. Police” have extended their scope, in the past few years, to areas other than race such as, physical disabilities, ethnic/religious heritage, gender, sexual orientation and a host of other areas where perceived insensitivity might occur. This has put a major crimp in our social fabric as everyone now has to to think twice or three times about the consequences of what they might say or what they may do. There was a time, in the not to distant past, that untoward behavior or slander upon another was treated by ostracism and rebuke, and not by filing a frivolous lawsuit. During that former time, comedy routines were filled with disses and exaggerations putting down others, and it was met with laughter and acceptance. Very seldom did anybody take real offense at what was said. A couple of years ago, Don Imus found out, the hard way, that a twist of a phrase in quest of a laugh, could get you fired or suspended from your job, even after a sincere apology was offered to make amends. There is no forgiveness for conservative, white or black folk. They are guilty forever.

This insanity has got to stop or we'll create such animosity between the people that our country will be split even worse than it is now with our supposed post-racial president at the helm. Everybody should lighten up and not feign outrage when no outrage was intended or which doesn't exist. In the words of that famed philosopher, Rodney King, “Can't we all just get along”?

Conservative commentary by Chuck Lehmann