Political Correctness....We Need to Get Real !!

I cannot help but wonder when we will get to the point that we don't have to be "politically correct."  We have gotten so incredibly concerned with the use of language, and in particular slang, that we are beginning to reduce our ability as a society to communicate.  There are ridiculous examples.

Two of my best friends in the world, you know the kinds you gladly take a bullet for, are graduates or Florida State University.  I happen to be a graduate (twice, actually) of the University of Florida, so our friendship can have limitations, like at football season, during the Florida, Florida State game.  However, there has been a recent move to try to prevent Florida State from utilizing the name "Seminoles".  Apparently there are those that believe this is not proper, to have a sports team named after a tribe of Native Americans.  I guess, based on this line of thinking/logic, we need to change the name of all sorts of teams, like the Cleveland Indians or the Washington Redskins.

First, in a world with so many problems, do we really want to have to worry about the names of our sports teams?  Is the world such a great and wonderful place that we have nothing better to do than argue about these kinds of issues?  Please, people, get real.  Second, when we name a team after a group, such as "Indians" or the less approved of name "Redskins", we are naming the team after a group that we think to be inspirational and having good qualities; tenacity, strength, fairness, endurance, skill, teamwork,  You know all those attributes that make a winning team?  So why should we be screaming foul?

Can you just imagine what a team like the Houston Homeless would inspire in us?  How about the Dallas Deadbeats?  Even worse, the Denver Dropouts?  I could go on and on with this sarcastic view of name-calling.

My Mother, God rest her soul, told me that I was somehow descended from the Cherokee Nation.  In a weird sort of way, when I hear that song "Cherokee People" by of all groups, Paul Revere and the Raiders, I am a little bit proud.  Never mind that the song itself is fairly well done, it outlines the history of a proud people, and I am, at least on a genetic level, related to that proud people.

Today, the President is catching Hell for using the term "Geronimo" in reference to Osama bin Laden.  Geronimo was a venerated leader of the Apache Nation.  He managed to avoid being captured by forces of the United States for almost 30 years, a site better than Osama managed to do, but then the U.S. didn't have all that fancy satellite and radio tracking stuff back then, either.  Geronimo eventually died, while still in the custody of the U.S. at the tender age of 76.  Just a note, he died as a result of complications of injuries he suffered falling off his horse!  Just so I am clear, he was 76 years old and still riding around on a horse!!!  How tough is that?  Personally, I think that the mistake was made in code-naming ObL because he was a far lesser man than Geronimo.

Now, I will admit that there are words that are so emotionally charged to a particular people, that it just cannot be overlooked or excused.  We all know that we never, never, never use what has become euphemistically called, "the 'N' word."  I understand, and I would probably be a little bent out of shape at the use of the word that was used to reduce an entire population to the point where they could be kept and sold as chattel property.  We do have to acknowledge that every defined group, whether it is by race, nationality or religion has these epithets attached to them.  We are all very familiar with the terms used to refer to groups like the Irish, Jews, Latins...Hell even the British have a few.

Admittedly, I am using the worst examples here, and they are very easy to define as bad, but hey, where do we draw the line?  I happen to be bald and there are all sorts of terms that can be used to refer to me in a derogatory fashion.  I have started to use the "politically correct" references as jokes; follicly impaired, hair challenged, etc.  I also happen to be a bit overweight...Hell, I'm downright fat, but don't dare be overheard referring to me as such.  Everyone else cares, not me, however.   In our society, I might get a lawyer and sue you for damaging my poor little psyche; how dare I be called exactly what I am, a fat, middle-aged, bald guy.  I like who I am, if you don't, take a pill or something.  I am so often reminded of my youth when we responded to bullies trying to pick fights with "stick and stones...."  What can't we do that anymore and get over ourselves?