I guess I missed the memo. Who passed the law / edict / vote / gave the direction that says that people have a constitutional (?) right to NOT be offended? What happened to the "live and let live?" "You go your way, and I'll go mine." That's all gone by the wayside. Now, if anyone screams that they are offended by something, many times people / agencies will bend over backwards to react to that so they won’t be offended.**
I certainly won’t go out of my way to knowingly offend anyone, but you can hardly do anything now days without someone being offended. So often, we’ve let the minority dictate for the majority, based on an assumption that it was “the right thing to do.” (whatever that means...)
I eat meat. I wear leather. I have done so all my life. That involves raising and killing animals. It might even - God forbid - require the use of some weapon! Animal rights advocates will claim that this offends them because, in their opinion, no animal should be killed for food or for their pelts. Celebrities pick up this mantra and cast it far and wide, “clearly” proving that only the most evil people will have so little concern for their animals that they would slaughter them and then eat or wear them. I guess their celebrity (which they only have because WE gave it to them) makes them philosophers, too, and those who bow at the altar of celebrity will just fall in line without question.
Stores have, for decades, broadcast holiday music that ran the gamut from the cartoonish Frosty and Rudolf to the traditional Christmas themes with which we are all familiar. There was something for everyone. Then, one person or group says they are “offended” by any music that even remotely mentions the true meaning of Christmas, and the store then “sanitizes” the music list. No more of “that” music is heard. There is no longer something for everyone. What you hear has been dictated by a minority with a heightened sensibility and an agenda.
Churches, Synogogues, Mosques, and other houses of religion have historically openly displayed the symbols of their faith - Crosses, Menorah, statuary, prayer rugs, ornate domed buildings covered in gold, stories in stained glass, etc. One can only describe these as beautiful works of art. They display a tangible history, one that should be studied and reflected upon. It should be appreciated by everyone. Instead, groups are crying foul if there are any symbols of religion even visible from public areas, streets, or parks. Better remove them - someone might be offended.
Countless locations on any map you pick up are likely named for historical figures, like Lewis & Clark, Custer, Lee, Jackson, Harney, and so forth. Groups are now calling for many of these to be renamed because they are “offended” if the person or event for which it was named was against them or their people. Maybe we should start calling them Point A, Point B, or Point C. It would look great on a map, and is very unlikely to offend anyone!
This whole area is accentuated in the world of education. The community of people from which any school draws will likely represent a wide range of sensibilities. People from different religions, ethnic backgrounds, lifestyles, and political leanings. The diversity this represents is what makes our country so rich in heritage and culture. Those fortunated enough to live in or near military installations get a wider view of the world’s diversity than the more traditional, lower mobility communities. But, whatever you do, you have to be careful about being sensitive to what these people bring to us.
Extend this concept to names for sports teams and their chosen mascots. These have been increasingly in the news as offensive to one group or another. Face it - you can hardly turn around with out gettin’ busted on something. I guess it will not be long before everything will be so watered down and milk-toast that one would have to go out of their way to find something offensive. Won’t that be fun?
**So, how about me? So far, the only group that no one if afraid of offending is the Christian. Offense targeted at the Christian community is not only tolerated, it seems to be actively promoted on many fronts. In the name of “separation of church and state,” there will soon be so little of the church left tolerated in society that it may be hard to recognize.
I am offended daily with exclamations of “Oh, my God” and the plethora of words that were once taboo, and which have now become commonplace. I am offended when someone disparages people of other religions and faiths. I am offended that children are subject to much of the language and filth that has crept into the public square. I am offended that any of these words are now used for titles of movies, lyrics for songs, professional (?) entertainers and groups, and even on billboards for all to see. I am offended that I can only listen to Christmas or Christian music in places where no one around me will possibly be offended. Yes, I am offended, but when I say something about that, I am told that I am just being overly sensitive, and to just forget about it.
Maybe they are right. Maybe I’ll have to quit being sensitive and forget about it…
