Being politically correct hinders free speech

On Nov. 20, 2006, six Middle-Eastern men tried to board an airplane at Minneapolis-St. Paul… On Nov. 20, 2006, six Middle-Eastern men tried to board an airplane at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Before boarding, they prayed, and as they boarded, they shouted “Allah! Allah!” After boarding the plane, they then switched their seats to a pattern consistent with that of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists (two in the back, two in the middle and two in the front), asked for seatbelt extenders despite being underweight and demanded to be upgraded to first-class despite being told there was no room. As one air marshal stated, “They [the Muslim men] now control all of the entry and exit routes to the plane. That would alarm me.”

These provocative moves triggered other passengers to alert authorities. The six Muslim men were removed from the plane. US Airways, the company whose plane this occurred on, refused to let them take another US Airways flight. Was this racial profiling? Islamophobia? Common sense? Whatever it was, it wasn’t politically correct.

US Airways has come under attack for racial profiling. The passengers that worried about their lives are being labeled Islamophobic. And civil rights advocates are in a tizzy. But at what point should people draw the line between being politically correct and being asinine? When should people stop worrying about public opinion and call it like it is? More importantly, when should people put political correctness ahead of their own safety and the safety of their families?

Political correctness, as we know it today, was spawned from a Marxist think tank in early 20th century Germany as a means to turn economic Marxism into cultural Marxism. In its most basic form, political correctness seeks to change speech and thought patterns by spreading the idea that vocalizing your beliefs is disrespectful and a person should never say anything that might offend some sort of “oppressed” group. This idea of political correctness has been embraced by 20th century America from universities to K-12 public schools, from the political arena to the sports arena. Americans are holding themselves hostage in the name of being PC.

At Dartmouth College, administrators have forbidden its glee club from singing at the annual lighting of their Christmas tree – sorry, their “Holiday” tree – because the group sings offensive songs such as “Silent Night” and “O Come all Ye Faithful.” According to the administrators, singing such songs would not create a place in which “persons of all faiths and non-religious persons would feel welcome.” The glee club could not sing because some of their songs had Christian connotations and these songs may make an atheist feel unwelcome at a Christmas tree – sorry, bad habit – at a Holiday tree lighting? Maybe they shouldn’t have a tree lighting at all. Someone is bound to be offended by taking a tree out of its home and using coal-generated electricity to light the Holiday tree lights. Where will it stop?

A more drastic and saddening example came from Cornell University. A student newspaper took the course descriptions from the Africana Department and translated them into Ebonics – sorry, I mean African-American vernacular English. This resulted in student riots in which road intersections were blocked and copies of the paper were burned. The school’s only response was to say that the newspaper “performed a negative role on campus.” What ever happened to free speech? If a university or government censors newspaper content, people go crazy yelling about how their first amendment was usurped. Apparently, the first amendment only applies to politically correct statements. As you can see, the PC agenda clearly seeks to undermine the very foundation of our country, the Constitution.

Political correctness is absolutely ridiculous. People should be able to speak their minds without being labeled a racist, having (insert oppressed group here)phobia or labeled ignorant. If six Muslim men are acting in a way that make a person uncomfortable, a person should be able to say so without be labeled Islamophobic. If Wal-Mart wants to greet you with “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays,” they should be allowed to without repercussion. People need to learn to coexist with people of different races, religions and beliefs instead of forcing everyone to conform to one politically correct group.

E-mail this melanin-impoverished, horizontally and aesthetically challenged, non-female at jjm43@pitt.edu, and don’t be a coward, include your name.