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September 2, 2006

The Cat's Meow - 09/02/06: The Best Offense

by Ferdinand T Cat
There is nothing quite so offensive as somebody desperately trying not to offend you.

UPDATE: Okay, it seems clear I need to explain this one.

Maybe my problem is that I'm closer to my inner carnivore than the average human, but the truth is I can't stand people treating me like I'm made out of glass. It's one thing to be polite. It's anoither to be so obssessed with the form of what you're saying that the substance becomes secondary.

Political correctness is the ultimate expression of this obsession. For years I've been looking at the issue from the perspective of the people who get lynched, but it strikes me that the view for the alleged victims of incorrect speech is even worse. For them, the world is a terrible place where everyone is just one word away from being exposed as a thought-criminal. The pressure of that world-view can keep even a powerful legislator poised on the knife-edge of paranoid violence.

But what really set me off is the George Allen Apology Cavalcade. At some point, the amount of groveling one is willing to do generates not forgiveness but contempt. God help us if this guy is sent to negotiate with the Chinese.

So please: if we ever meet face-to-face, remember that I can smell your fear, and I'd appreciate if you leave it at the door.

Respectfully submitted,

Ferdinand T. Cat


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I'm probably late to the party because I've just discovered your blog. Thanks so much for the wealth of links you provide.

I will be a daily visitor.


Posted by: Lucca at September 3, 2006 10:59 AM

Politically correct speech or worse groveling after the utterance of an otherwise acceptable comment is reprehensible. There are numerous good and viable words and idioms (some rarely used in everyday parlance) that when uttered spark enormous “victim” outrage.

The incident revolving around David Howard’s use of the word niggardly come to mind immediately. Just because folks are ignorant of the meaning of the word or the fact that it has no relation to the racial slur does not excuse hyperbole victim outrage. The only thing that saved Howard from being fired and branded a racist (wrongly) was that he was a member of another victim group (he was a gay rights activist).

Using the Tar-Baby analogy has the similar potential to create unwarranted victim outrage. Tony Snow and Mitt Romney were lampooned for the use of the word and Romney apologized like a sickly child for it while folks like John Kerry have used it with no ill effect.

If folks are too stupid to understand words or phases and their meanings or to construct the intent of an analogy then they should be offended. They should be offended that their education did not prepare them to thrive in the world of thinking adults.


Posted by: El Cid at September 5, 2006 5:14 PM

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