Bowing to the secular deity of correct

an Essay in thought

Recently, I was accused, on this website, of being both prejudiced and racist. In the first instance, I made a comment to another writer with regard to my own personal experience with Schizophrenia. In the other instance, I wrote a sexy love poem to a former lover, who happened to be Spanish, and who happened to have introduced me to his mother's delicious homemade gazpacho. I have never tasted anything quite the same since.

 

Apparently, we have, as human beings, have reached a point where we are no longer able to describe facts or observations that involve specifics about a particular group of people, without offending someone.

 

Really? I have anxiety, depression, and mild OCD tendencies, I have lived with emotional abuse, and with people suffering from Schizophrenia and Bi-polar disorders. Yet, if I try to talk about it, I may inadvertently offend all mental illness sufferers with my opinion of my own experience.

 

I had a boyfriend from Kenya once. Oh no, I guess I shouldn't talk about that either. And lord  knows (oops, Catholic girl, shouldn't have said that either)  I better pull down the dozen or more poems I have written to my current love, who happens to be Irish. I better root out that old poem I wrote about my Kiwi love too …

 

When we, as human beings, are asked to scrub clean our every thought, our every emotion, our every experience, we lose our souls.

 

There is a difference between being politically aware, not using racial slurs in a hurtful context rather than a conversation about a racist person, and taking the bite out of everything you write for the sake of not wanting to offend others …

 

And on that note, please, if I genuinely offend YOU, as a person, as a human being, and there is a real reason behind it, have the courtesy to please private message me, we will discuss it, and I either will remove or edit my post to reflect that feeling.

 

I will not, however, be bullied into restraining my thought. Besides, my international list of loves is too delicious to censor, and one of the many reasons I find the particular accusation of racism most offensive and untrue.

Author's Note

CAUTION VIDEO IS MATURE/EXPLICIT

Reviews

[aj milton]

#wellsaid. If we don't have freedom of speech somewhere like here - then we are scr*wed.

I would bet that most people on here write because they had a catalyst of some emotional event(s). If I could cash that bet I would be rich.

The world is better place for diversity and creative writing of all types.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you very much for reading and reviewing.

[Tony Jordan]

My response is the exact same as Rach's - minus the gay, Maori,Croatian and Kiwi - but totally the same. KL.
:))

[Lyn Anderson]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

[Great Aunt Astri]

Well written. You express yourself very well.):

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you for leaving your thoughts.

[Kesha]

I think that as writers, we are the most racially diverse people. I did not take any sort of offense to your comment & I believe some people are just in search of attention. However I do love the elegance of your essay. I for sure side with you on the points you made in here. Nicely done dear.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you very much for reading and reviewing this one.

[Kesha]

You're welcome :)

[D Connolly]

Oh, KL, I hear you sister! I am constantly being "edited" in my real life... I have LOTS of experience with things that aren't exactly what anyone would call PC. I won't get into my own experiences here, but I can really relate to the frustrations of being censored because I've offended someone's delicate sensibilities simply by talking about the truth of my own experience and what I know to be true. I refuse to have my sharp edge dulled though. They can suck it. Oh wait, is that hurtful?? ;)

[Lyn Anderson]

Thanks so much. I do appreciate. I think the discussion is overdue on here.

[aLittlePain]

Perfect response darlin! From the gay, Maori, Croation, Irish, Catholic, Kiwi gril. R xo

[Lyn Anderson]

That means a lot. Thank you.

[aLittlePain]

You're welcome x

[John Alexander McFadyen]

It is reprehensible that anyone should feel so constrained by such political correctness. We as erstwhile poets and artists should understand and support this notion better than most. However the drive to be sterile of feeling, emotion and the expression of our rich experiences is an overpowering demand within present day society. So we should love ISIS, the traffickers of refugees and young people, the violence in our cities, the deforestation of rain forest, the suppression of democracy, the reality of the aetiology of many of these crimes in the name of political correctness. F**k off!

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you for your unedited unscripted response.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

The last bit was not directed at you 'M' simply at the system of political correctness!

[Lorry]

Maybe the problem isn't the author, but the reader, KL...And I say that as someone who has been known to rub people up the wrong way, both on here and in reallifedotcom. I think there is a lot of people out there who have there own agenda and quite stupidly believe everything they think as gospel truth. These people used to be known as asshats, brats, etc etc and were never told to think before opening their mouth....Or typing in this case.
No matter what the subject, they'll find a problem with it, it's just sad that you have had to write this to defend yourself, to someone who doesn't deserve the time or effort.
I usually find that saying to them "How can I be a racist/bigot when I hate everyone equally....that usually shuts them the hell up. :)

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you. I do believe that we have to stand up for good taste and freedom of thought at the same time.