December 2009 Issue

Dear Legendary,

Is meditation your mind's eye looking at a mirror?

-Steve

Dear Steve,

What?!

-Legendary

Dear Legendary,

Would you please give me some of your insights regarding political correctness? I inadvertently commit little faux pas that are completely blown out of proportion. I then spend a lot of time and energy trying to regain my identity and salvage my reputation.

-Exasperated

Dearest Exasperated,

My heart goes out to you. Anybody with a sense of irony and a natural wit is under the thumb of the witless and humorless.

Political correctness was, in the beginning, a good thing in concept. Racist, sexist jokes granted permission and encouraged bigotry; but like most things in America, it went too far and became in itself a form of bigotry. (By the way, racist, sexist jokes have always been in bad taste.)

If you allow yourself a little perspective, you'll realize it's impossible to slip a piece of paper between a white racist in the throws of contempt and a white liberal full of righteous indignation.

It's all smug self-satisfaction internally, and social oppression externally. The purveyors of political correctness have become the greatest recruiters for the Republican Party. A few minutes under their lash and the undecided become permanently conservative, and viscerally opposed to anything progressive.

Small wonder the younger generations have become politically indifferent-they're just lucky to get through the day without saying something that can be intentionally misconstrued.

The next time someone pulls that crap on you, imagine them wearing a KKK outfit eating a melting fudgesicle.

-Legendary

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