Beware the PC Police

Political Correctness Enslaves Us

By Robert Ringer

If being a contrarian is conducive to success, you can learn something valuable from the Politically Correct Dark Ages that has all but swallowed the remnants of Western civilization. It used to be that everyone knew there were just a handful of subjects that you simply avoided and opinions that were best kept to yourself.

But today, as a society, we've come a long way from the good old days when, for the most part, people could say what was on their minds. It was a time when individuals could have a civilized discourse about subjects about on which they disagreed. But we long ago became a nation where people cannot voice their honest opinions without igniting a hysterical backlash. We can no longer have serious, mature discussions about topics we have every right to discuss and that need to be discussed.

Gerry Spence, whose ideology makes my hair stand on end (Not an easy trick, even for him!), also happens to be, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant writers of our time. In fact, he's the only writer I've ever known who can totally captivate me while writing something with which I totally disagree. His phraseology is that of a master craftsman.

In his book Seven Simple Steps to Personal Freedom, Spence alludes to political correctness as follows:

"Today most of us are starched up stiff in the high, white collar of political correctness. What is deemed politically correct is as likely to enslave us as our prejudices. ... We are not all alike, but we are no longer permitted to celebrate our differences. Political correctness functions to silence us. It eliminates our right to ponder the issues important to our lives and to think for ourselves. In an allegedly free society it has become society's censor. ... Political correctness is the hollow voice of power exhorting the slaves to let the master think for them. It is often no more than the dictates of a group of self-appointed censors foisting their doctrine on us."

These words are so poetically stated, and so true, that it almost makes me want to forgive Spence for his irritating nightly defenses of O. J. Simpson back in 1995 on Larry King Live. His words motivated me to take a crack at writing down all of the issues, opinions, and people I could think of that are now off limits to discuss. It didn't take long for me to realize that I was looking at an all-day job if I kept going, so I cut the list short and went on to more productive matters. In just a few minutes, here are some of the items I came up with:

Any statement for or against God or any religion ... reminding people that Darwin's Theory of Evolution is not fact, but theory ... being for or against abortion ... being for or against gay marriage ... the stereotyping of any religious or ethnic group ... profiling as a weapon to fight terrorism ... being for or against gun control ... favoring the legalization of marijuana ... questioning whether taxpayers should be forced to pay for the damaged homes of people who choose to live in natural-disaster-prone areas ... being for or against the Iraq War ... being for or against euthanasia ... or saying anything that even hints at negativity toward sacred cows such as Martin Luther King Jr., Jimmy Carter, or Oprah.

Regardless of where you stand on any of the above issues, your opinion, of and by itself, does not pose a problem. The problem Western culture faces today is that honest opinions are not tolerated, let alone respected.

In the seventies, I said a lot of things in my books that were pretty bold by present standards, but it was a much different time than today. I was considerably younger and quite irreverent, and I don't think I had even heard the term "political correctness."

I believe that the power of the Internet has emboldened the political-correctness police. If you're unhappy because someone makes what you perceive to be a racist or sexist remark, you need only get on the Internet, use your keyboard to vent to your heart's content, and press the "Send" button.

It still amazes me — no typing up an envelope, no stamp, no going to a mailbox. All you need to do is press that magic Send button. It's the high-tech equivalent of a bow and arrow with a poisoned tip. What a great tool for a person who enjoys venting as much as some people enjoy fishing or jogging.

Don Rickles made a career out of poking fun at stereotypes, and his diverse audiences loved it. It's okay to laugh at ourselves. As Gerry Spence said, "We are not all alike, but we are no longer permitted to celebrate our differences."

In one of my articles, I made a passing comment about gun control. I merely pointed out the reality that it's people, not guns, that kill other people. Further, the daily news reminds us that thousands of people favor knives, ropes, blunt objects, and even bare hands as their weapons of choice. But, passing comment or not, one reader - who opened by saying that he had been a fan of my books for years - took offense and sent me a nasty e-mail that stated, in part:

"If you cannot see the difference in someone attacking you with a lead pipe or knife and a gun, then you are so stupid or, to [use] your word, idiotic that I cannot take your advice on anything seriously now."

I guess I'm stupid, because the only difference I can see between being killed by a gun as opposed to a lead pipe or knife is that a gun would be a lot less painful. My long-time reader then went on to call me some very nasty names, which went a long way to reinforce his superior intellect on this politically incorrect issue. Another fan lost to the PC monster ... such is life.

I want to make a clear distinction here. Political correctness is a totally different animal from criticism. What I am referring to is the nasty, often hysterical, reaction of some people to a seemingly endless array of subjects that come under the protection of the political-correctness umbrella.

It seems to me that it takes a serious lack of intelligence and/or enlightenment — or perhaps just a great deal of arrogance — for a person to act as though he has a monopoly on truth. It's a good idea for us to remember how many opinions we have outgrown that we once held firm in our minds. It has been said that our opinions become fixed at the point where we stop thinking.

The truth is that the more certain a person is about his opinions, the more willing he should be to allow others to express theirs. The more a person tries to pressure me into his way of thinking, the more I doubt the soundness of his beliefs.

As a society, I hope we haven't strayed so far off the civilized path that there is no way back. The vitriol has truly gotten out of hand. We would all do well to heed the wisdom of these famous words (commonly, though perhaps incorrectly, attributed to Voltaire): "I do not agree with a word that you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Like most "evils" in the world, you can't do much to help turn the tide and bring Western culture out of the Politically Correct Dark Ages in which it is now entrapped. But you certainly can do a lot to bring yourself into the sunshine of life by allowing others to voice their honest opinions about anything and everything - and by doing so without getting angry, demanding retractions, or, worse, becoming hysterical. It's in your best interest to hear people out, because it doesn't cost anything. You can pick and choose whatever sounds good to you, and simply leave the rest.

Being a member of the all-volunteer political-correctness police should be beneath you. Individualism and political correctness are mutually exclusive objectives, because a true individualist keeps an open mind when it comes to knowledge. And even if a person's ideas are repugnant to you, always heed Ringer Success Rule No. 371: Learn from your enemies!

No matter what color, religion, or nationality you are, no matter what your sexual preference may be, if you want to get ahead in this world — and enjoy yourself in the process — a good first step is to opt out of the political-correctness game.

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