CHAT: Totally unrelated political musings (was Re: Country Related: Christmas)

David G. Durand wrote:

> I myself don't really believe that Political Correctness exists -- term
> that I first heard in the late 70's in a joking context at Brown (where=
 I
> suspect, but can't prove that it originated). The term has been popular=
ized
> by a bunch of neo-conservative types as proof that "liberals" have fina=
lly
> "gone too far." Conveniently ignored is the fact that the attitudes of
> these same conservative dingbats are much more successful and powerful,
> especially as reflected in the legal and social codes of this country a=
t
> all levels. In a country where you can be _literally_ crucified and bea=
ten
> to death for being gay and in the wrong bar, whining about a few radica=
l
> English departments in a minority of universities should be a transpare=
nt
> giveaway.
Well, speaking as someone who attends a university in the midst ofa great=
 debate on the
justice of Affirmative Action, I know from first
hand experience that those who attempt to question the legitimacy of
the policy have a very good chance of being labeled "hatemongers",
"racists", or worse.  It's strange to me to hear this, because living as =
I
do in one of the most fiercely conservative states in the union, one
which deposed its governor in 1861 to join the Confederacy, I might
be expected to know very well how prevalent racism is among even
the wacko reactionary Conservatives -- and they just aren't that common.
I have yet to meet people who were flagrantly racist, though I have on
occasion met a few whose joking manner I questioned -- but that, IMO,
is not indicative of racism in general.

Only a few days ago I was lambasted by a man that visited my website
who analogized the Republican party's influence in politics with that of =
the Nazis --
needless to say, he didn't cite any substantive evidence for it. Not
even knowing anything more than the fact that I usually vote Republican,
he said "I now go from your site, and you can sink into your iniquitous a=
nd
misguided explorations." I invite any who wishes to visit my site to see
for themselves whether it merits labeling me as having "iniquitous and
miguided explorations". Now, please, would someone tell me if that is
a tolerant attitude to be taking, based on so little evidence? I think no=
t.

Tolerance, in my experience, is not a monopoly of the Left.

(P.S. -- when has anyone been crucified for being gay? Certainly
Matthew Shepard was savagely and unjustly beaten for his
sexual identity, but I can't remember any recent crucifictions...
thought Constantine banned them a long, long time ago...)

> Happy Holidays to all, and apologies for ranting...
We all need release sometimes. :)


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Tom Wier <twier@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."

"S=F4=F0 is gecy=FEed / =FE=E6t mihtig God manna
cynes / w=EAold w=EEde-ferh=F0."
 _Beowulf_, ll. 700-702
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