During the month of November so far, I've seen several of my Facebook friends posting something each day that they are thankful for. I wish I'd started that on the first of the month, but I didn't catch onto it for a couple of days, and then I was too lazy to get started on it.
Today I realized how incredibly thankful I am that I grew up when I did, and am not growing up today. I'm so glad that I grew up in a time when we stood up every morning and said the Pledge of Allegiance. I'm thankful that I was allowed to have Halloween parties at school, and that we could not only say "Merry Christmas" but we also had Christmas programs. I grew up in a time when we got a hug from the lunch lady, and it was one of the high points of our day.
When I was in middle school our lunch lady was told that she could no longer give those kids a hug. For some kids, this was the only affection they were shown each day. She ended up quitting her job because she wasn't willing to quit showing kindness to the children.
When I got to high school, the new thing was "Politically correct." I hated "politically correct" from the get-go. I think that it is directly responsible for so many things that have gone downhill since then.
Being politically correct made everyone a victim of some sort, it gave everyone a label. In an attempt to not stereotype or make people feel bad, it did the opposite. I went from being a short girl with bad eyesight to someone who was vertically and visually challenged.
Now, here's where I get even nerdier than I usually am... I'm going to include the Merriam Webster Dictionary's various definitions of the word challenge.
1. To demand as due or deserved
2. To order to halt and prove identity
3. To dispute especially as being unjust, invalid, or outmoded
4. To question formally the legality or legal qualifications of
5 a. To confront or defy boldly
b. To call out to duel or combat
c. To invite into competition
I have read through each of those definitions and I fail to see anywhere in any of them one that fits into the politically correct term of vertically or visually challenged. I view a challenge as something that you have the opportunity to accept. A challenge is something that you choose to meet head on, and deal with however you see fit.
Not one person ever said to me, "Do you wish to have terrible eyesight and deal with wearing corrective lenses for the rest of your life? Do you want to deal with headaches that come from eye strain when your prescription is too weak? Do you want to be faced with the choice to have an expensive corrective surgery to relieve you of the corrective lenses?" No, these choices were not presented to me. I simply have bad eyesight. I am not visually challenged.
I think that when everyone became so concerned with being politically correct, they also became so concerned with never offending the masses. Why is it that Christmas, a holiday celebrated by far more people than just Christians, is offensive to others? Why does no one seem to care if Christians, or non-Christian Christmas celebrating people are offended by the removal of Christmas from school concerts, and greetings.
Why can't kids have Halloween parties at school anymore? Because it's offensive to real witches. Why do witches have credibility as a religion and Christians don't. Why is it ok to offend Christians? We can't say Merry Christmas because it's offensive to non-Christians and no one cares, but Heaven forbid that we offend the witches.
I grew up being proud to be an American. I was proud to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I was proud to face the flag and put my hand over my heart and stand in silent reverence when the National Anthem was played. Now in today's school system, it is each teacher's individual choice to say the Pledge or not. Teachers are also using class time to teach the kids their own political preferences, and I think that's really wrong too. When did it become ok to tell kids how they should vote, if they were old enough to vote, but not ok to stand and salute our flag, the very symbol of our nation, and the freedoms on which we were formed. The very same freedoms which give those teachers the right to stand up in front of a classroom full of kids and teach them.
If a politician really wants to unite our country, if they want to make a campaign promise that this country would actually want to see fulfilled, no matter of which party endorses it, promise to end politically correct. Promise to bring common sense back, bring Christmas trees and celebrations back, promise to stop making mountains out of molehills. Get our country back to not being so blasted worried about offending anyone, and back to just being real people. Not neatly labeled people.
So even though it's nice up here, and I can see the top shelf, I'll step down from my soapbox now and go back to being a plain old short girl with bad eyesight.
Today I realized how incredibly thankful I am that I grew up when I did, and am not growing up today. I'm so glad that I grew up in a time when we stood up every morning and said the Pledge of Allegiance. I'm thankful that I was allowed to have Halloween parties at school, and that we could not only say "Merry Christmas" but we also had Christmas programs. I grew up in a time when we got a hug from the lunch lady, and it was one of the high points of our day.
When I was in middle school our lunch lady was told that she could no longer give those kids a hug. For some kids, this was the only affection they were shown each day. She ended up quitting her job because she wasn't willing to quit showing kindness to the children.
When I got to high school, the new thing was "Politically correct." I hated "politically correct" from the get-go. I think that it is directly responsible for so many things that have gone downhill since then.
Being politically correct made everyone a victim of some sort, it gave everyone a label. In an attempt to not stereotype or make people feel bad, it did the opposite. I went from being a short girl with bad eyesight to someone who was vertically and visually challenged.
Now, here's where I get even nerdier than I usually am... I'm going to include the Merriam Webster Dictionary's various definitions of the word challenge.
1. To demand as due or deserved
2. To order to halt and prove identity
3. To dispute especially as being unjust, invalid, or outmoded
4. To question formally the legality or legal qualifications of
5 a. To confront or defy boldly
b. To call out to duel or combat
c. To invite into competition
I have read through each of those definitions and I fail to see anywhere in any of them one that fits into the politically correct term of vertically or visually challenged. I view a challenge as something that you have the opportunity to accept. A challenge is something that you choose to meet head on, and deal with however you see fit.
Not one person ever said to me, "Do you wish to have terrible eyesight and deal with wearing corrective lenses for the rest of your life? Do you want to deal with headaches that come from eye strain when your prescription is too weak? Do you want to be faced with the choice to have an expensive corrective surgery to relieve you of the corrective lenses?" No, these choices were not presented to me. I simply have bad eyesight. I am not visually challenged.
I think that when everyone became so concerned with being politically correct, they also became so concerned with never offending the masses. Why is it that Christmas, a holiday celebrated by far more people than just Christians, is offensive to others? Why does no one seem to care if Christians, or non-Christian Christmas celebrating people are offended by the removal of Christmas from school concerts, and greetings.
Why can't kids have Halloween parties at school anymore? Because it's offensive to real witches. Why do witches have credibility as a religion and Christians don't. Why is it ok to offend Christians? We can't say Merry Christmas because it's offensive to non-Christians and no one cares, but Heaven forbid that we offend the witches.
I grew up being proud to be an American. I was proud to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I was proud to face the flag and put my hand over my heart and stand in silent reverence when the National Anthem was played. Now in today's school system, it is each teacher's individual choice to say the Pledge or not. Teachers are also using class time to teach the kids their own political preferences, and I think that's really wrong too. When did it become ok to tell kids how they should vote, if they were old enough to vote, but not ok to stand and salute our flag, the very symbol of our nation, and the freedoms on which we were formed. The very same freedoms which give those teachers the right to stand up in front of a classroom full of kids and teach them.
If a politician really wants to unite our country, if they want to make a campaign promise that this country would actually want to see fulfilled, no matter of which party endorses it, promise to end politically correct. Promise to bring common sense back, bring Christmas trees and celebrations back, promise to stop making mountains out of molehills. Get our country back to not being so blasted worried about offending anyone, and back to just being real people. Not neatly labeled people.
So even though it's nice up here, and I can see the top shelf, I'll step down from my soapbox now and go back to being a plain old short girl with bad eyesight.
Love it Steph...even think this would be good as a letter to the editor.
ReplyDeleteSo true, my Contemporary World Problems teacher definitely uses that class to advance her political agenda. She doesn't directly tell us how to vote, but she does sway the facts.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog!!
Steph..oh so true!!!! I hate it..we avoid racism,class-ism, on and on..by doing the same exact thing..but making it worse! So many rules..just makes more problems! Love your blog!
ReplyDelete