This one sad incident serves as a glaring example that
nothing is weakening the foundation of our nation as
quickly or as permanently as is this out of control
political correctness. The first tenet of political
correctness being that only certain “truths” can be
discussed. Violate that dictum and the liberal defenders
of that code will seek to destroy you.
Imus, political correctness, and the end of America
By Douglas MacKinnon
Townhall.com Columnists
Monday, April 16, 2007
There are a number of lasting lessons to take away from the Don Imus controversy. A critical one being that the vast majority of our nation has sadly, but predictably, fallen hostage to political correctness, the ever growing power of a left-leaning media, and corporations that fear some special interest groups much more than others.
To be sure, what Imus and his producer, Bernard McGurk, said, was reprehensible. No matter the context, those words should not be broadcast…by anyone.
Of course, that “anyone” now falls under the increasingly irrational rules of political correctness. As uselessly pointed out over the last number of days by black and white commentators seeking to expose the corruptness of political correctness, if you are a black Hip-Hop “artist” or a “Gangsta” rapper, you are allowed by the liberal media, the elements of corporate America getting rich off of you, and many in your community, to disgustingly denigrate young black women by word and image.
But, if you are a white, senior citizen, national radio host and repeat a repugnant phrase sung hundreds of times by young African-Americans, then you are systematically targeted and ostracized by a complacent media eager to appease serial bigots such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
Make no mistake, I am not coming to the defense of Imus or his show. Back when I was the press secretary for Bob Dole, I had a number of conversations with Bernard McGurk. During that time, he was most anxious to use me to get Dole on the program and went out of his way to say, “Doug. In the future, if you ever have your own project you’d like to promote, just give me a call and I’ll get you on. You have my word.”
Naturally, before my new novel came out this January, I phoned Bernard several times to no avail, faxed him background on the project, and spoke with his assistant to make sure he got my messages. Clearly, since I was no longer Dole’s press secretary, and therefore of no further use to him, McGurk just ignored me.
That said, I still think it’s cowardly, hypocritical, and ultimately, quite dangerous, for CBS, MSNBC, and the sponsors, to cave into professional hate mongers who selectively scream “racism” as a cheap tool to further their own selfish agendas.
This one sad incident serves as a glaring example that nothing is weakening the foundation of our nation as quickly or as permanently as is this out of control political correctness. The first tenet of political correctness being that only certain “truths” can be discussed. Violate that dictum and the liberal defenders of that code will seek to destroy you.
A politically incorrect truth that will never be spoken by the Jacksons, Sharptons, or network or corporate bigwigs, is that it is now sacrilege to portray blacks, Jews, Muslims, or Gays, in a negative light. The two groups that they will allow to be insulted, persecuted, and harassed without fear of penalty, are Christians and middle-age white males.
A silly but telling example of this fear-driven political correctness can be seen by watching any commercial for any home alarm company. All of the attempted crimes on screen are only committed by idiotic white males. Every single one of them. Such is the terror these companies feel at the thought of being attacked and/or shaken down by the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons of the world.
Another example that is personal to me, is that as a child, I often lived and went to school in very poor, black and minority neighborhoods. Even though that was my life experience and even though my columns often run in the largest newspapers in the country, as a white writer, I’m not allowed to comment on the “black” experience that played out around me. Conversely, as demanded by political correctness, black writers and columnists are allowed and in fact, encouraged, to write on any subject.
Political correctness not only brutally censors necessary free speech, but prevents us, as a people, from engaging in a dialog that can only lead to common ground and understanding. The Imus episode has enabled the armies of political correctness like nothing before. All the while, opening a Pandora’s box that is spewing out a partisan hatred meant to stamp out any thought not sanctioned by the left.
Don’t necessarily blindly buy into the theory that “humans are responsible for global warming?” Be prepared to be burned at the stake as a heretic by the disciples of political correctness.
Prefer to keep the United States as our Founding Fathers envisioned, while defending the practice of traditional values? Be prepared to be hunted down and exposed by those rumored to be quietly working to make our Republic part of the “North American Union.”
Host a “conservative” radio program, print one of the handful of “conservative” newspapers in the country, or work for the Fox News Channel? Be prepared to be targeted by those on the left not satisfied with controlling the top 100 newspapers in the country, as well as the three main networks and all but one of the cable networks. Amazingly, that list now includes the left-leaning Weather Channel.
The Sharptons, Jacksons, and pushers of political correctness, have figured out something destined to doom those who embrace all truths, traditional values, and a United States that should stand apart in a world gone mad. That being, that most Americans who truly believe in these simple but desperately needed principles, will not fight for them.
Either because of fear, ignorance of what is at stake, or a misplaced belief that someone else will man the ramparts in our defense, we seem to have thrown in the towel. Clearly, the far left believes that we are waving the white flag, and all that is left for them to do is bayonet the wounded and reshape the former United States.
The Imus firing is that proverbial line in the sand that we all must confront one day. If we don’t cross it and fight tooth and nail for sanity and what we know to be right, then the haters and twisters of truth and values, will triumph.
Imus be damned. It’s time to save yourself and your country.
Douglas MacKinnon was press secretary for former Senator Bob Dole and is the author of America's Last Days .
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