PC Greetings for This Time of Year

Cross posted from Blue Collar Muse:

I don’t usually simply post an entire article from somewhere else without at least SOME effort at commentary. Unfortunately, today I don’t have the luxury of enough time to make even a token effort at adding original content beyond a brief introduction. Besides, I don’t know that there’s anything more I, or anyone else, could say.

H/T to Jefferson Poole at Blue Grass, Red State for linking to Mike DiGiuro’s column at The Courier-Journal titled ‘With Offense Toward None’.

In America, we have freedom of speech; just be careful how you express this freedom. If you conflict with any number of protected groups, you can find yourself out of a job, pilloried by the community and the subject of derisive reports in the media. The list of people hounded from their jobs because of speech considered politically incorrect, or offensive, is long and varied.

In theory, you will not find yourself in jail — unless, of course, you violate any of the various laws defining hate speech. Then all bets are off.

There is nothing in the Constitution about freedom from being offended. Just because something offends you does not make it wrong, or bad, or inappropriate; everything offends someone. Just because you have a preference as to how you would like to be referred does not mean I have to comply. I ought to try to be sensitive to your feelings, and be polite in our conversations. However, I am under no obligation other than civility and common sense to meet the entire myriad of euphemisms rampant in today’s society.

I cannot be too concerned about the feelings of the differently-abled, the transgendered, the Gyno-Americans, the vertically challenged, or the testicularly impaired.

But, I do not want to appear mean-spirited (I actually prefer American-without-kindness), so I do want to express my hopes for the coming season:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all …

I wish a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only America in the Western Hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or sexual preference of the wishee.

Thinking that if that’s too much to say, a simple “Merry RamaHannuKwanzMas!” will suffice …

Blue Collar Muse