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| The Offensiveness of taking offense |
| 2007-01-29 |
| "The voicing of the unpopular being the very soul of free speech, the right to give and take offense shall not be infringed." Sometimes I think it is time to insert the above into our First Amendment. Whether it's an off-color joke or colorful commentary, it's now hard to make anything but the most plain vanilla statements without offending somebody. In fact, so ingrained is the notion of being offended that it's become a topic of TV commercial satire. Just think about GEICO's commercials with stone-age characters taking umbrage at the slogan, "So easy a caveman can do it." Ironically, associating cavemen with being thin-skinned is quite apropos, since it is a frailty born of the more ignoble aspects of man's nature. As to this, I think about documentarian Alby Mangels who, while visiting primitives in Papua New Guinea, warned against "knocking back their hospitality." Prudence dictated he be wary, as those less spiritually and morally evolved are ruled by pride, the worst of the Seven Deadly Sins. And, lest we entertain the fancy that it is the superior person who doesn't give offense, know that it is actually the superior one who doesn't take it. It's hard to offend the humble. In truth, though, our civilization is not as overcome by pride as by duplicity. And this is what is truly offensive (in the way an odor is so) about this offensiveness business: Screaming "That's offensive!" is nothing but a ploy. Yes, you heard it here first, few who emit that utterance are actually offended. They just don't happen to like what you're saying. I'll explain precisely what is going on. Liberals trade on this ploy, using it as a standard response whenever their sacred cows come under scrutiny. If they were tolerant, they would simply accept that some will espouse what we despise. If they were honest, they would simply say what they mean. But tolerance is just another ploy, and honesty, well, it has never served the ends of the left, and never less so than here. A good article that I posted at my website, then decided was worthwhile to share here. |
| Posted by:Ptah |
| #8 Spot on Joe, and I'd like to take this time (while I still have the 1st Amendment and Fred's blessing on his private property) to tell all those socialist countries that are willingly sleeping w/the enemy to go F*CK THEMSELVES IN THEIR STUPID *SSES. What you sew so shall you reap. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2007-01-29 21:22 |
| #7 Isn't it funny how GLOBALISM, SOCIALISM, + STRATIFICATION/CANTONIZATION, etal. only applies to Amerika. Caring about the world = defeating andor deatroying the USA-West, NOT having to teach the world to feed and care for itself. THE SOCIALISTS LOVE SOCIALISM AS LONG AS THEY AREN'T AFFECTED BY IT. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-01-29 20:08 |
| #6 Thanks tw... I was like...what? ptah has a website? I feel like the last to know! I'll chalk it up to lack of reading comprehension. |
| Posted by: Mark Z 2007-01-29 17:31 |
| #5 Mark Z., it's http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-01-29 13:51 |
| #4 tu - there isn't one yet. Interesting article. I suggest everyone read it: So, first you demonize speech refutative of your agenda by labeling it "offensive," which cultivates social codes and attendant social pressure facilitative of the change you desire. Then, as these social codes become more widely accepted and entrenched, expressing them through rules and laws becomes more acceptable. This leads to the next stage, the organizational expression of them - the speech codes in various private institutions. And once sufficiently inured to these, it's time for the last stage of this imprisoning of ideas: The legislative expression of these social codes known as hate speech laws. Case in point: It becomes harder for traditionalists to argue against homosexual marriage if they're scorned and ostracized for saying homosexual behavior is sinful, destructive or disordered. It becomes harder still if those who do so are punished within the context of our schools and businesses. And it becomes impossible if the government arrests you for such expression. Example: Heard on the news the other day that there was a fight between two people. It was being investigated as a hate crime simply on the basis that one of the people involved used the N-word (and yes the N-word user was white while the other was black). |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2007-01-29 12:25 |
| #3 Ptah, I wasn't aware you had your own website. How about sharing the address? Thanks. |
| Posted by: Mark Z 2007-01-29 10:23 |
| #2 Reminds me of that bloom county. I'm offended by your offensiveness. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-01-29 09:50 |
| #1 Like somebody once told me, there's no amendment in the constitution that says you have the right to not be offended. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-01-29 09:34 |