FULL TIME INDUSTRY FOR SOME: Being Offended
Around two months ago, a man in Texas hung an American from the balcony of his apartment. Soon afterward, the manager of the apartment complex told him that he would have to remove it because it was considered to be a threat to the Muslim community.
Why did the manager think it would be a threat to the Muslim community? Did she actually receive complaints from the Muslim community, or was she afraid that Muslims in the area would complain? She mentioned that the apartment complex (and it tenants) must abide by community guidelines, which brings up the question: just what are the guidelines? And keep in mind they are guidelines, not rules (example: a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, in which Barbossa tells Elizabeth Swann that the pirate’s code is not a set of rules, but a set of guidelines).
Guidelines are defined as standards or principles by which to make a judgment or determine either a policy or a course of action. Hence, one can use his or her discretion when it comes to abiding by them (or not abiding by them).
More recently, Navy Exchange (which operates all lodges and hotels operating on naval bases) decided to remove all Bibles from its guest rooms. Such action was the result of a complaint filed by an atheist group earlier this year. However, the action has been rescinded, and now the Navy is investigating the matter.
I am curious as to why Navy Exchange just gave in to the demands of this atheist group. Was there any discussion, or did they just rubber-stamp the decision? And did the atheist group demand the removal of the Bibles, or did someone from Navy Exchange decide to take such action?
It seems like anyone can be offended by something in this age of political correctness. American flags (and the flags of other countries, e.g. Britain) offend some Muslims (and anyone who hates America and/or its Allies). Some Muslims are also offended by symbols of other religions (Christianity in particular). Atheists are also offended by religious symbols and anything religious for that matter (e.g. Christmas, student-led prayer in schools). Meanwhile, some people consider the term “manhole” to be inappropriate (since there are both male and female maintenance workers), and in some instances it has been replaced with the term “maintenance access cover.” I wonder if the maintenance crews were consulted over the matter.
In conclusion, it’s time to take a stand against such nonsense. Prejudice is a bad thing, but doesn’t mean people should take it from one extreme (prejudices) to the other (political correctness).
Image: http://siftingreality.com/2012/08/22/manufacturing-offense/
