Posted on 02/21/2005 11:51:30 AM PST by CHARLITE
No….I’m not referring to your personal computer here….my exclamatory title refers to Political Correctness! As we all know (and how could we not), political correctness (PC), has become the scourge of our society, every bit as vexing as the virus that attacks your personal computer, perhaps even as vile as a venereal disease that somehow, someway might find its way to invading your pristine body. PC appears to be fully entrenched in our society and its invasiveness may be just as destructive as those aforementioned viruses.
Essentially, PC is attacking our freedoms and our culture. Just ask yourself the question…Do you consider this county to be a free, just, and as tranquil as it was…..say 25 years ago?
Most of us would readily agree that PC has become an American cultural disease that has infected our society with ill-feelings and hatred run amok. The inevitability of PC in America was predictable as the sun rising in the East each morning. Racial, economic, sexual, political, and gender diversity coupled with freedom of expression collectively provide the ingredients and the recipe for the chaotic state that we find ourselves in today. There are the haves and have-nots, the majority and the minority, the pro-life and pro-choice, the Yin and Yangs, the believers and the non-believers, the hawks and the doves, and the list goes on and on.
As an inane example of PC, I would like to share with you my very own frustrating experience. About a half-century ago I had the opportunity to hear our University of Illinois football coach, Ray Eliot, deliver many outstanding halftime motivational speeches. Granted, some were repeated, but they were always inspirational and that’s the reason Ray Eliot, who passed away in 1980, is still referred to as Mr. Illini. But as inspirational as Coach Eliot’s pep-talks were, most of us would have preferred to just see the half-time performance of Chief Illiniwek.
Dressed in his Indian regalia, the Chief emerges from our band of Marching Illini in the north end zone, dances his way the length of the football field, then back to the 50 yard line where he stands in front of the band, faces the student body with outstretched arms and joins them as they sing the Illinois Alma Mater. I swear, no, I know, that would have engendered more fighting spirit in our football team than had Jesus himself appeared and given us the half-time pep-talk. A visualization of the Chief’s halftime performance would have certainly inspired me before and during my most trying moments in Vietnam. And hey, a visualization of that entire performance during my last conscious moments on this earth would be welcomed as I journey into the happy hunting ground.
For 78 years now, Chief Illiniwek has performed his halftime ritual. He is the symbol of the fighting spirit for all University of Illinois athletic teams. But during the early 90s, Native American Activists began to protest the Chief’s performance. They continue to contend that Chief’s appearance is a mockery of the Indian heritage; that it stereotypes Native Americans and freezes them into a primitive context, that of being uncivilized and wild.
The controversy continues each year. Those opposed to the Chief have gained ground in acquiring some student and faculty support for their position. But continuance of the tradition is overwhelmingly supported by the alumni and the student body. Illinois is just one of six teams targeted by the Native American Activists. Others include the Florida State Seminoles, the Atlanta Braves, the Washington Redskins, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Cleveland Indians. Interestingly, a scientific poll reveals that 81% of Native Americans support the use of Indian names in high school and college sports and 83% have no objection to Indian mascots and symbols in professional sports. Of course, the war chant of the opposition is louder than their numbers, but they continue to chant and rant. And each year the battle renews itself. There appears to be no last stand on this issue.
As an interesting aside, in writing this piece I referred to the Internet for factual information. I Googled Chief Illiniwek, and lo and behold, the first article I read revealed that Jesse Jackson had submitted a letter arguing to abolish the Chief. It was my first experience with Googling and gagging at the same time. Makes one wonder if Jesse, like Ward Churchill, might be claiming some genetic connection with the Native Americans? Personally, I’d like to see both of their hearts buried at Wounded Knee.
The above information about the trials and tribulations of Chief Illiniwek is just to illustrate how silly PC can get. Make no mistake about it, the Chief’s demise would be devastating to me and thousands of other Illini, but then why does it have to be an issue in the first place. It’s the same for the other issues: racism, feminism, gay rights movement. There appears to be no resolution, they just continue to fester and grow.
Since our public schools do such a poor job in teaching math and science, as proven by our academic standing when compared to other developed countries, maybe we should consider concentrating our teaching energies on imparting character qualities, like tolerance together with a good smattering of good old common sense. As for me, I’m too old to learn much more. I’ll just join the likes of Ter-AY-sa and tell ’em to Shove It!
Robert Lanzotti attended the University of Illinois on a football scholarship from 1955-1960. Through the ROTC program, he was commissioned into the Regular Army as a second lieutenant in 1960 and retired as a lieutenant colonel twenty-five years later. Robert was an Airborne Ranger and a Master Army Aviator. During his two tours in Vietnam he flew more than 1,000 hours of combat helicopter time and was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Bronze Stars, and twenty-four Air Medals. He commanded a helicopter unit within the 1st Cavalry Division and served as operations officer of the Army's largest divisional aviation group. Robert served fours years on the Army General Staff at the Pentagon. His formal education includes: University of Illinois, BS, ALS; Hampton University, MA, Ed. Admin.; and Marymount University, ME, Ed. Robert also graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA. Today, Robert is an elementary school teacher in Smyrna, a suburb of Atlanta, where he lives with his wife Vicki and their golden retriever, Rocky.
Contact:lanzotti@therant.us
Ping
Not your typical elementary school teacher.
I tend to think there are two Americas. In a Democratic America, PC is needed because of plantation politics and it’s a way to make things seem okay. In the world that is Responsibility-Freedom, no one needs PC as you are evaluated by the content of your character, education, skills, etc.
BTTT
Only because if you can show yourself to be 'sensitive' to 'injustice' toward others you can feel superior, regardless of whether or not there is any logic to your stand or if any real damage is being done.
I still fondly remember summer evenings in the 60's to early 90's when after a bad loss by the three legged dog of the American league, aka the Cleveland Indians, sportscasters would show this logo with a couple teeth missing.
"I Googled Chief Illiniwek, and lo and behold, the first article I read revealed that Jesse Jackson had submitted a letter arguing to abolish the Chief. It was my first experience with Googling and gagging at the same time. Makes one wonder if Jesse, like Ward Churchill, might be claiming some genetic connection with the Native Americans?"
Doesn't that look like Ward Churchill?
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!
I'm (very proudly) part Cherokee and Delaware and once met a couple fellows on the Navajo reservation wearing Indians ballcaps. Only the professional grievance class of academics and law suit junkies seem to have the time (and lack of a sense of humor) to complain about this sort of thing.
Congressman Billybob
There is NO SUCH THING as "political correctness" - only political censorship...
It is thought control, pure and simple.
......and, by definition, it is a violation of the very free speech which it pretends to be protecting, while protecting a non-constitutionally guaranteed "right not to have one's feelings hurt!!"
PC is also the greatest demonstration of liberal doubletalk, fuzzy thinking, illogical and irrational ideology which is so convoluted that it turns back upon itself and thus is automatically self-contradictory.
Why hasn't someone asked any of these PC specialists WHO determines what is "correct" and what is not?
Let's see........would it be "the President?" Would it be the party in power?......the party out of power?....the MSM?......some "Council of Churches?".....CAIR?.....the SPCA?.......FBI? CIA?........Majority leader of the Senate? Minority leader of the Senate?........Howard Stern?...Howard Dean?........Ted Kennedy? Ted Turner?........Al Franken?.........or maybe Chris Rock?........Geez Leweez, just let us know where PC Headquarters IS and who decides what syllables we can put together to form spoken thoughts! It's the least that you liberals can do!
Char
To answer your question ".....WHO determines what is "correct" and what is not?"..........
Me.
FMCDH(BITS)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.