My gentle RANT! -22:01 Sep 10 2008
Times Read: 887
Having spent more than a small amount of time posting in online forums I've noticed what is slowly rising to the pinnacle of unacceptable behavior in many societies. It isn't, as some might imagine, assault or even killing. It's the act of doing anything that might offend someone... anyone.
People have gradually adopted the idea that they have some right not to be offended. I've not seen this in the Bill of Rights nor am I aware of rights documents in other countries guaranteeing people the right not to be offended. But this pervasive assumption has reached the point that in many areas, it's now illegal to offend people. It's not just a matter of political correctness anymore. Offend someone and you can go to jail without violating any other law.
In my state, if you offer a derogatory hand gesture to another citizen, you can be charged with a crime. If you offer the same gesture to a police officer, he cannot charge you.... UNLESS, he can find a witness who will state that they were offended by the gesture. It's all based on whether or not anyone was offended. Offending people is now against the law.
Of course this isn't anything new. It's the reason the FCC, (a board of appointed, not elected, officials), declared that radio and television were the only two aspects of American life not protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution (credit to George Carlin). Why have we all been relieved of the rights afforded us by the First Amendment? Because some people were offended by something they heard or something they saw. They're free to change the channel or switch networks. They can write letters letting the corporate watch-dogs know how they feel. But this wasn't good enough for fascist Americans. Instead they felt it appropriate to simply violate our rights by telling us that radio and television are excluded from the protection afforded by the Constitution. Obviously, the Constitution says no such thing but we not only lie down and take it, we actually defend having our rights revoked!
People pile on the bandwagon and begin making all kinds of judgment calls about what else shouldn't be allowed on the airways. If you allow people to utilize their sense of offense to regulate you, you'll end up with no rights, aside from the right to be offended.
So allow me my tiny corner of the Internet to try to clear this up for people, though I'll have to do so from the perspective of an American because that's what I am. I'm a "true American" with allegiance to the founding ideals of the country rather than to the new dictator of our time -- political correctness. I like to observe a simple reality about the term and practice of "political correctness". When we say that something is "politically correct", we're saying that it is, "other than correct". In order to suggest correctness, we have to use the qualifier "politically". Otherwise, we could just call it "correct". So obviously, it isn't just correct.
On to your right not to be offended.
Simply stated; there is no such thing. What you have is an absolute right to be offended. And if anyone ever suggests that you do not have that right, I'll be more than happy to take up the debate for you. You have every right to be offended whenever it suits your purpose, aligns with your sensibilities or simply strikes your fancy. No one has any right to impinge upon your right to be offended. (Can I get a cheer?)
But here is where it gets a little sticky and here is where people become misguided. Your right to be offended in no way implies any right to control or alter the conduct of others. If anyone is offended by this, so much the better. Not that I have any intention to offend, but if you wish to practice that right, by all means, do as you please. Just don't mistake your right to be offended as any kind of right to control other people.
This assumed right to control others, via proclamations of offense is so pervasive that it can be found in nearly every form of social interaction. There are things you can't say, things you can't show, things you can't suggest and things you must warn people about; all in the name of attempting to prevent them from finding any reason to exercise their right to be offended. And the reason we're so concerned about them exercising the right to be offended is that once they do, others will seek to remove our right to do, say, think, imply, produce, exhibit or indicate anything to which someone might take offense.
It's my right (not my intent), to offend.
It is your right to be offended.
DONE!
People should be very careful not to assume that their right over-rides my right. The two actually work quite nicely together. So; as someone who posts here quite frequently (though only recently), I reserve my right to present that which others may find to be offensive. There really isn't any way to avoid this anyway. No matter what you believe, think, say, suggest, play on the radio, watch on television, gesture, scratch, imply or state; someone somewhere will take offense. It's one of the few absolute guarantees we have.
The moment anyone feels they have the right to impinge upon my right to offend, based on their right to be offended, I will take absolute offense. If you're one of the easily-lead robots of society, continually churning and avoiding anything which might tickle the offense of another, then this message is for you. I find you offensive and have every right to do so. And as you have the right to be offensive, please do not allow my offense to at all hinder your offensive practices. They are yours. Use them in good health and allow me the same right.
Are you offended? Good! Good for you! But it's nothing I have done. It's what you have chosen for yourself.
Now back away slowly.
COMMENTS
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Joli
01:40 Sep 16 2008
I'm more than just a little ;)
Beastt17
09:36 Sep 16 2008
Isn't that just like you? Everything you do, you do better than everyone else. :)
(You just don't always see it that way.)
Joli
23:30 Sep 16 2008
You know, one day I'm going to fall off that pedestal you have me on. I will die a terrible death. Nobody could live through a fall from that ridiculous a height.
Beastt17
09:09 Sep 17 2008
Perhaps there is some truth to what you say and I should try to be more objective. So here goes... you're right, Lance is a better rider.
Feeling better down here in epistaxis non-grata? :)
AlexandraAshes
21:05 Nov 09 2008
I do not believe that true objective reality exists. And if it does, we have no infallible means of verifying it.
All human concept is open to interpretation and analysis which is based on personal perception.
Communicating "objectively" is precarious at best, we merely play semantics games until we estimate an adequate understanding has been established.
Beastt17
07:49 Nov 10 2008
Subjectively, many people believe in a god (or several), angels, spirits, etc. They're not necessarily the same gods and the properties of an angel or spirit vary subjectively. Objectively, most will agree that no testable solid evidence exists to support the subjective belief.
Stated another way; 10 people may be in the same place at the same time and 4 of those people may proclaim that they "sense" an "energy" while the other six do not. It is however, extremely unlikely that any will insist that they see a reading on an instrument designed to detect energy fields, when no such reading exists. Subjectivity does help to shape our perceptions. But the onslaught of objective observation can eventually rule out subjective claims for all but those with the least stable connection to reality.