The American Spectator : Sticks and Stones

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Sticks and Stones

By Christopher Orlet on 1.27.11 @ 6:07AM

Do we need politicians and the media telling us how to behave?

I've been wondering lately whether I, too, haven't been guilty of "incivility" and "heated political rhetoric." My rhetoric has been called lots of things of late -- confused, frivolous, inane -- but never heated. Certainly, there was a time when I traded barbs with the best, but I suppose I've mellowed with age, and, like my libido, my political passions have undergone a cooling off period. Where once I would scrawl letters to the editor with a pen dipped in blood and bile, today I tend to read the headlines and shrug and shuffle off to the kitchen for another piece of pie. About the only thing that gets me heated these days is my Bubblespa footbath. (I recommend the model with toe touch control.)

That and being told by politicians, professors and anchorwomen how to behave.

I already have a mother. I don't need Katie Couric and Nancy Pelosi telling me to sit up straight, quit fidgeting, and "if I don't have something nice to say, don't say anything." Ever since the Tucson tragedy, we've been hearing that our words -- particularly our verbs -- are encouraging crazy people to do crazy things (as if they needed any). Apparently, just the simple use of a descriptive verb, like, say, "wrestle," could trigger… err, I mean cause… some vice president of sales to body slam an accountant.

Actually, they may have something there. Just this morning, I heard someone on NPR say, "We need to really tackle these issues." I was immediately overwhelmed with the desire to sprint down the aisle and clothesline the director of marketing. Unfortunately, she stiff-armed me and rolled on to paydirt, by which I mean the ladies room.

Liberals have tried for decades to bring about social change by telling people (and when I say people I mean men) how to behave. But men are stubborn animals. We may pretend to be more sensitive (as we did in the '70s), if it means we might get lucky more often, or more compassionate (as we did in the '90s), if it means more votes, but we all know that a leopard cannot change its spots.

So liberals decided if they can't change behavior, they can at least change the vocabulary. And it's easy, since they already control the media, the government, the colleges, and most of the other places people tend use a lot of words.

IF THIS ALL sounds vaguely familiar it is probably because two decades ago feminists and their male enablers launched a similar Scorched Earth Strategy against the English language. Back then they succeeded in eliminating from newspapers, television, and books whole categories of words that were deemed sexist, or could possibly be construed to potentially be sexist. Perfectly fine words like fireman were banned, replaced by the neutered "firefighter." Liberal editors would rush to the barricades defending Larry Flynt's right to peddle smut, but manufacture? OMG! That was sexist and had to go.

Since Tucson, editors have been having a "conversation" about banning more words from their newspapers, which pretty soon are going to read like The Poky Little Puppy, containing all 26 politically correct words and no more.

The madness seems destined to trickle down to even the sports pages. The editor of my local newspaper had this to say:

Should such [pugilistic] terms be used in sports stories? How about those outside the sports section? Are they appropriate in stories about business or politics? It isn't uncommon to see stories about companies "targeting consumers," or politicians "battling it out."

What I wouldn't have given to be a fly on the wall of the sports editor's cubicle after reading that memo:

"Sorry, fellas, no more writing 'the Blues and the North Stars "battled" to a 2-2 tie.' You can say, they 'played' to a 2-2 tie, or…hell, I don't know, just say they tied. Who the hell cares anyway?"

First sportswriters were forced to give the same level of coverage and fake enthusiasm to women's sports as men's sports -- even though nobody gives a damn about women's sports -- and now they have to adopt the language of a tea party. And not The Tea Party either, but a real, doily and lace tea party.

When I was a kid, we were smart enough to know that "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Today, words are thought to wreak all kinds of terrible psychic damage, from lowering one's self-esteem to driving one homicidally insane.

I don't know. Maybe we were just tougher back then.

About the Author

Christopher Orlet writes every Thursday from St. Louis.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (54) | Leave a comment

brewpop| 1.27.11 @ 6:41AM

Well said, Mr. Orlet. Well said.

Brian Mc| 1.27.11 @ 6:43AM

Thanks for the laugh, Christopher. Just what the doctor ordered and I'll watch my "P's and Q's" with a bit more clarity from now on.

Intelligent Design| 1.27.11 @ 7:37AM

Prior to the November elections, Obama promised "hand to hand combat" in Congress if the Republicans won. In other words, he predicted and encouraged violence if the voters did not agree with his policies. What does this make him?

Shamus| 1.27.11 @ 7:40AM

The high point of Couric's career was when she televised her colon.

Steve A| 1.27.11 @ 9:57AM

This was also the last time anyone watched.

Anthony| 1.27.11 @ 11:27AM

Hmmm, I thought a large colon was on display every night over at Dan Rather's network and the CBS Evening News.
But then again, who would know? If a tree falls in the woods........

RT| 1.27.11 @ 5:18PM

Shamus, that was also the only time she wasn't full of...

Willy| 1.27.11 @ 5:34PM

Mr. Orlet is correct. We are becoming a nation of wusses.

Petronius| 1.27.11 @ 8:16AM

Who do these elected officials think they are; school principals and university pressure groups? Zero tolerance for what the uber left does not not want spoken is enforced a good deal lower on their power grid. What any conservative can say depends upon what real estate he occupies when he speaks and who overhears his remarks. When a suspicious person was casing a church where I used to volunteer and everybody wondered aloud about it, I told the guy I was working with that I could get my sidearm. The women called the pastor and the police and had me thrown out. Back in my old parish the men would have cornered the perp and worked him over. But then, a man can't be a man anywhere anymore.

Joel Foster| 1.27.11 @ 8:24AM

Mess with people's lives,invade their world and attempt to dictate to them and you should expect rhetoric at the very least.Even in 2011 FREEDOM and LIBERTY are highly treasured among the American people.

Sam Vaughn| 1.27.11 @ 8:34AM

Good chuckle. Thanks, I'm beginning to feel like Rush Limbaugh, I use politically incorrect words now just to get a reaction.

Martin Speake| 1.27.11 @ 8:38AM

I really enjoy your stuff, Mr. Orlet. Nice to have someone like you writing from our area.

Dan Hirsch| 1.27.11 @ 8:58AM

Sometimes, you can do a PC jiu jitsu move. Here's one I fell into:

My wife and I were walking around a major campus, a University in Chicago, waiting for a doctor to show up for our appointment she had with us an hour earlier. I spied a 50 year old African American ahead, standing on the sidewalk next to a small table with a stack of papers. My wife cautioned me, "Don't say anything." As we drew up to the old black guy, he said, maybe with a hint of derision, "Do you want a socialist newspaper?" To which I firmly, cheerfully replied, "No thanks, we're trying to save the trees."

My wife waited til were a safe distance away before bursting in laughter. I hope he heard her...

The more things they declare PC, the more opportunities we have to make them feel foolish. Best to be sweet about it, though...

wbheff| 1.27.11 @ 10:52AM

"I spied a 50 year old African American ahead, standing on the sidewalk next to a small table with a stack of papers." Great example of a Politically Correct term I dislike intensely, "African American." I offer two statements. 1. Unless he was born on the continent of Africa, and them emigrated to our country and became a naturalised citizen, he is not an "African American," he is an "American," no hyphen . Second, anyone who wants to describe himself as any variety of hyphenate American, be it "Italian American," "Irish American," or "Mexican American," is someone we don't need in our country, and he should go immediately to whatever country or continent he puts ahead or America, and stay there.

Ned| 1.27.11 @ 1:09PM

I am a Scotch American - as in, "Yes, I'll have another, thank you."

Bonnie Prince Charlie| 1.27.11 @ 1:50PM

Aye, laddy.

Al Adab| 1.27.11 @ 2:01PM

Aye. Lagavulin or Laphroigh

skip| 1.28.11 @ 11:59AM

Macallan

Nick| 1.27.11 @ 11:45PM

I'm a Native American. I was born here.

My great-grandparents were from Poland, England, and Croatia, though.

Merlin| 1.28.11 @ 4:38AM

"old black guy"??? Eventually, 50 will not seem that old to you.

Dan Hirsch| 1.29.11 @ 9:39AM

Merlin;

I still remember my 50th birthday - my wife took me to the Reagan Library. It wasn't done yet!

wbheff;

Notice I called him both "African American" and "black." I skipped a bunch of other terms some of my mature, black friends are comfortable with. Again, people, humor and sarcasm are the most effective combination of weapons for hand-hand combat with PC.

My point was that the more things that become PC, the more opportunities we have to make the progessive PC drones look positively loony. This is how we can overcome this silly, yet here-to-for, effective method of stifling our First Amendment right of free political speech!!!

Get it?

C'mon, African American is great. Remember Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first African American President? Oh, wait, I guess he wasn't really American, was he? Oh, yea, the Afrikaner guys before Mandela who ran apartheid were also African.

Anyone wishing to battle PC speech in the streets needs an appreciation of light to medium weight sarcasm, people!!!!

ncatty| 1.27.11 @ 9:49AM

I have my own list of words I would like banned: Community, self-esteem, empowerment, diversity, and multicultural for a start.

Ned| 1.27.11 @ 1:12PM

Any sentence containing one of those words is probably a lie. Any sentence with two or more is definitely untrue.

Louis Jenkins| 1.27.11 @ 9:57AM

"Wrecked 'em, hell I killed 'em." Oh well, George, good thing you're dead cause you wouldn't have any material.

missbosslady| 1.27.11 @ 10:24AM

Ah, politcal correctness, or my preferred and more accurate term, thought control.

Well, I am and have always been a straight shooter and I'm not about to change course now.

No, I will beat back all attempts to police my speech and vigorously exercise my right to free speech while I still have the right.

You can target me, put in your crosshairs and nail me to the wall, but you will not silence me.

So, back off before I place my size 7 firmly up your rectal cavity.

Zilla| 1.27.11 @ 10:29AM

America's enemies must be laughing their butts off as our once strong and proud nation is 'fundamentally transformed' into a country of easily frightened, hand wringing, simpering cowards. The thought police are making it easier than ever for those who wish to destroy us, by making us into people who will not only not dare to fight back, but will be afraid to even speak of such things.

Oldefarte| 1.27.11 @ 10:51AM

Curic's ludicrous gaff was her questioning how the Palins arrived at selecting their childrens' names [ieTrac, Trig]........OBVIOUSLY THE MORON NEVER HEARD OF THE NAME BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA before. As to Pilosi, she's like a too wound tight rubber band which is ready to pop........AND WHEN IT DOES, COSMETIC SURGERY FILLERS WILL HIT THE ATMOSPHERE!!!!!!!

Murphy R. Brown| 1.27.11 @ 10:59AM

For the life of me I never understood why so much attention was paid to this former Macy's Parade Hosterette (The Perky Katie Couric) in regards to the Palin interview. It always said more about Couric than it did about Palin. And secondly, why is Couric always leaning over, chin down, showing some cleavage and looking more like a hair model than an anchor? Yeah, we've come a long way, baby.

Appleby| 1.27.11 @ 2:30PM

Could we add the word "perky" to those we do not speak? It's one of those words that makes me want to bite somebody.

Nick| 1.27.11 @ 11:53PM

I just wish they would pass a law banning Missss Couric from wearing above the knee skirts on television.

Her knees look like Tony Soprano worked them over with a lead pipe. Gross!

Richard Baker| 1.27.11 @ 11:08AM

Are all lefties a bunch of whining babies? That's all they've got is a campaign against "rough" speech? Can you imagine Andrew Jackson and George Patton's reaction to this nonsense?

MikeN| 1.27.11 @ 11:23AM

What do you mean noone cares about women's sports? Weren't you watching when the UConn women broke UCLA's record of 88 consecutive games won?

missbosslady| 1.27.11 @ 11:46AM

Mike,

I know this is very un-PC, but no I wasn't watching. I have watch televised, and court side women's basketball and all I can say is 'eh'. It just doesn't do it for me.

I am not in the feminist camp that believes that women HAVE to do anything that a man does and we all HAVE to be as enthusiatic for both, or sexism ensues. Sorry.

Besides, have you ever been to an WNBA game. Yikes, it's all mullets and plaid shirts. Wierd.

Bear in mind that I, a woman, have played orgainzed sports my entire life. That's 50 long years, as I still play co-ed softball today. However, I have no expectation that anyone should want to watch me do it.

Steve A| 1.27.11 @ 12:35PM

bosslady, My compliments. Not only do you have wit packaged with sincerity & self awareness, I bet you have good range in the field & cold beer after the game. Rock on.

Goldwater Girl| 1.27.11 @ 3:52PM

Bravo, MissBossLady. When the ERA was batted around in the 70's, my question was always, "why do we want to make men equal to us?". I enjoy the differences between men and women, and we should encourage our sons to be manly men, not what the ritalin-pushing educators have in mind. I also enjoyed playing softball for years, and the celebratory beers afterwards, but I don't expect Title 9 treatment. It's supposed to be fun and competitive, and that's enough for me. Besides, a mullet or crew cut never worked for me, and I don't own a flannel shirt.

jawin| 1.28.11 @ 4:40PM

Uhhh....no.

Tom Rosenblum| 1.27.11 @ 11:43AM

That's a great article and the comments are great and encouraging. I know a majority of the people in this Country disagree with the Leftists, the Liberal Fascists...We just have to get organized and get some backbone and stand up to their nasty, psycho, tactics. I will be writing a letter, and I hope others will pick up the ball on this: "Liberals have become the people they despised". Basically, libs hated conservatives, the far right , religious people and their beliefs. They would say, and still say, "don't push your values on us". Called those people "intolerant", "racists" and invented P.C. and other authoritarian tactics to shut up and villify the right. But it is the Libs who are intolerant, elitist and trying to force their views on everybody. They are smarter than us. (Smart car!...build a smarter planet--IBM). Of course, they emasculate the rules and decency in society so that their weird groups and their "alternative" lives will be socially accepted, despite the damage to our society and culture. It's time we tell them to shut up. It's time we FIGHT. We will not be cowed by their claims of "incivility". You know what? They are right. We are mad. We are pissed. We will not be told what words we can use, cars we can drive, what we can eat, amount of energy we can use, what light bulbs we can use, how much water can come through our shower heads, what defines marriage, what we call our religious holidays, etc. OH..AND WHAT WE CAN CALL PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO KILL US, WHETHER WE CAN DEFEND OURSELVES AND WHETHER WE CAN HAVE BORDERS TO OUR COUNTRY!!! Basically, they are trampling our freedom and we have had enough. It's WAR...not a little disagreement!

Dave| 1.27.11 @ 11:44AM

Great column. Ah, my old beloved Minnesota North Stars. Now THAT was hockey.

cpgrasshopper| 1.27.11 @ 12:17PM

This article very reminiscent of the Spike Jones and The City Slickers sanitized, 'PC' version of 'Ole Man River' in the late '50s.

cpgrasshopper| 1.27.11 @ 3:37PM

My mistake! The years have affected my recall accuracy. The recording was by Stan Freberg!

Al Adab| 1.27.11 @ 2:02PM

Where does this new civility leave Patrick Henry?

"Ceasar had his Brutus and Charles the First his Cromwell...Give me liberty or give me...??"

KIllerman| 1.27.11 @ 2:33PM

...room temperature!!!

FastJohnny| 1.27.11 @ 2:47PM

Don't be too sure that " The Poky Little Puppy" won't be rewritten to suit some libtards needs. They already rewrote Mark Twain, which now gives us a incorrect view of history. Maybe we should be like Germany and pretend that there was no history before the late great awakening of correct political thought.

GavInTucson| 1.27.11 @ 4:50PM

In all fairness, there is one women's sport I care about -- tennis. Actually, that's not entirely true. I really don't care much about the sport or the players, I usually find myself just starting at their very toned legs.

Dave Williams| 1.27.11 @ 5:55PM

Another term we can safely 86: "social activist." Anyone described as such is a brainless, whining, left-wing troublemaker (please forgive the multiple redundancies.) I am a proud social PASSIVIST, and our country would be a lot better off if there were more. Just sayin'...

phydeaux| 1.27.11 @ 7:07PM

One more; enviromentalist. These self proclaimed planet savers have done more to destroy our way of life than most politicians.

PCP Smoker| 1.27.11 @ 6:36PM

Time to paint the bullseye on the liberal media. Scope them out, smoke them out, and shell them to pieces. Then we can go back to Bush is a scumbag murderer and an idiot.

InvertedAndPullingGs| 1.27.11 @ 9:51PM

Katie & Nancy can go do DEEP-KNEE-BENDS OVER A FIRE HYDRANT, for all I care...

shipley130| 1.29.11 @ 3:06PM

We do not need A-holes like Couric telling us what to do. She is horrible.

JeffT| 1.29.11 @ 8:19PM

I appreciated your comment about woman's sports. Check the attendance at the major universities and see the difference between the man's program and the woman's. At Ohio State, the men regularly sell out the 19,000 seat stadium. The woman's team just played a key game and they drew 3,400 fans. But we have universities being forced to spend the same amount on comparable programs. In the real world, without government interference, the woman's team would be lucky to stay together drawing such puny crowds.

ed c| 1.30.11 @ 10:54PM

I remember those days too. The difference between today and then is we were encouraged to be tougher. The world was a little more realistic back then. We weren't shielded from an awful lot in those days, because it was believed, and rightly so, that a realistic view of the world was important. On opening day of Baseball season in 1971, a friend of mine was killed just after leaving school. He had been running to catch the bus, and it was a cold rainy day in NY. He slipped as he got close to the bus, and it ran him over. The next morning, the principal got on the PA system and gave us all the stiff upper lip speech, and we all understood the meaning as well as the necessity. Life is beautiful, but it can also be cruel. To ignore or dismiss this fact is merely delusion. But that's how the libtards go through life: delusional and raving. Blame everything on anything else, as long as you obfuscate the real cause. But I don't believe this to be a defense mechanism; no, there are far too many instances of this happening to be coincidence or just denial. It's quite intentional. It's actually deception, and deception is done for a reason. Ask any magician as to whether or not they employ deception, and why. It's because they don't want you to see what is actually happening. We need to ask the question: why would any particular group encourage another group to totally ignore reality and dismiss what is directly in front of them? There is always a reason for this. Wonder what it might be in this case?

steve charlop| 2.3.11 @ 12:13PM

I felt like Don Quixote before this article. Knowing I have a soul-mate lifts my, uh, self esteem (assuming the noun is not too volatile for mixed company) and lowers my blood pressure.