Mary,
This is the beauty of America. We are not going to stone you to death if you spout hate. But it is not acceptable. If you act out your hate, it is against the law. You probably still don't get it.
Wait, what do you mean I don't get it. This is the very point I am making.
Do you really think that people who can't be reasoned with have an intellectual rationale that can be defended. Do you really think that civilization can exist if irrational thought wins out? Evil can only exist in ignorance. It can not exist in an open society.
That sounds like something from Marxist Leninist philosophy.
You either accept freedom of thought, conscience, freedom to be "wrong", or you don't accept it. Thoughts can be based on not only rational thinking, but also emotions, perhaps faith. How do you know your opinions are "rational". A different opinion can be more rational. How do you know you know the truth?
"The thought police as you characterize it, is really the open market place of ideas - where irrational and bogus thinking is rooted out.
The problem with Political Correctness is that it sets out some ideas (which are not necessarily rational or valid), and goes on the campaign to root out competing ideas. It is the very antithesis to the open market of ideas. It is about intimidation, not persuasion, it is about shutting down discussion rather than opening it up, it is about limiting parameters rather than expanding them. And it is about thought control (thanks for using the right term).
It may well be that your opinions coincide (or you were bludgeoned into conforming with) the PC movement. You may be able to think and speak your mind without being attacked by the resident squad of Storm Troopers. You may think that this is freedom. I don't think it is.
Joe |
