Political correctness != free speech

One of main pet peeves is those who are politically correct. I have no time or patience for those that are politically correct. And the next couple of blogs will be focused on that.

It is important to know I am a staunch supporter of freedom of speech. Yet if you believe in free speech, you stand on a sharp edge. There will be things people say you do not agree with, and at times, quite vehemently. But you cannot have free speech with limits. And that is where PC fails, for me.

Personally I believe the PC police have a right to voice their opinions but have no business telling me or anyone else what to say or how to think. Many of them live in a fantasy world where they believe by changing terms or ideas the world will be a better place. That ain’t gonna happen. Prejudice against blind people will not stop by calling them visual impaired. Calling severely retarded people mentally challenged is not going to stop them from being called "retarded".

As a gay man, I am not more empowered by calling myself queer or a fag. But the PC belief is that taking back the word will diminish the power of the hatred behind the word. But that is absurd. So it is alright for black people to use the word nigger, gay people to use the word fag? Because we embrace the word the hate behind the word will go away? Well in reality, that doesn't happen. The hate is still there when someone on St. Catherine street calls out 'fag' when I pass by whether I embrace the word or not.

Inherently I am an optimist. There is good out there. Each one of us can make a difference, in a small way. But change is incremental. The civil rights movement brought important change for blacks, African-Americans or whatever the current vogue term is. But the prejudice is still extremely prevalent.

For myself, as a gay man, laws have changed aspects of my life. There is more of a chance to get benefits for my better half. I can get married here in Canada. Within the civil realm, certain rights are now available to me. But that is not changing the redneck homophobes out there. Advances in legal issues does not mean the average person will change. But in time, as we chip away with education, dialogue and standing firm, attitudes may change. Yet that takes time, which the PC police don't have.

Thing is laws will not cause change. It is a start but will not affect major change. And that is why I got annoyed when gay politicians, here in Canada, wanted to make it a hate crime if someone said something that was homophobic. Saying something like God hates fags would have become illegal. My reaction was anger toward these politicians.

First of all, words only have power if you give it to them. Second of all, if you honestly believe in free speech, you will hear things you do not like or agree with. Third of all, a law like this will not change anything. Those who say these hateful things will not stop just because the law of the land tells them not to. They will find a way to spread their hate. And finally, get thicker skin! I do not like it, when I walk down the street and someone calls me a fag. But having him arrested or muzzled is not going to stop him from saying what he is saying. He will say it again and potentially with more fervour.

For me, change comes down to a personal level. A good example is witnessing. As a Christian, you witness by the life you live. That will bring about change, one person at a time. You set an example. And you perservere. You hit brick walls, have shit thrown at you. But you keep on going. When you stumble, you get back up and brush off the dust. No law in the land will stop a homophobe from yelling at me or threatening me. But by example, some may stop and think. Then again, most will not.

The problem is that the PC police want to make change on a massive scale which would never happen. They believe they can affect change immediately and then the world would be a better place. I wish I had those rose-tinted glasses. It would make my life so much easier.

But I do have to throw in a caveat. When I was younger, I thought I could change the world. Be it myself or through my writing, I hoped my voice would convince those that needed convincing. Reality killed that hope real fast. Of course it did not help that when a mirror was put up in my face, I did not see a perfect person. I saw a man with his own biases and prejudices. It sort of killed the 'holier than thou' part of me.

Yet that is what I see in the PC police. They believe they are above the petty biases and prejudices that plague the average human. They have the solution. With the right mind-think, prejudice will be eradicated. We just recondition you with the proper labels and your prejudices will just melt away.

But in the end, the PC police casts a dangerous pall on general dialogue. People feel they have to use the new, appropriate labels else they will be branded as 'bad'. People start to censor what they really want to say and this curbs free speech.

If you believe in free speech then you believe in honest debate and dialogue. You have to accept that there will be people who disagree with you. One of my best friends believes homosexuality is a sin and because of that I may go to hell. He knows where I stand and I know where he stands. But that has not stopped our friendship or debate.

Even though I believe Brian is wrong, I will be there, in the front lines, if ever someone tries to abrograte his right to say that he believes homosexuality is a sin. He has the right to present his point of view and opinion. Yet the PC police want him to change his mind or suppress what he has to say. They would want to force acceptance onto him, whether he believes it or not. And that is something I will not stand for. That is not free speech, that is coercion. So let's build a society of pablum where everyone thinks the same. And that is for the next blog, in a continuing series.