Those that know me well, know I have no time for being politically correct. I think it is the single most part of social behavior that ails society and I think it's why Donald Trump is so popular. People hate the politically correct world so much they overlook all of Trump's other glaring flaws as a human being simply because he says what he wants. That's not a scientific study, but just a personal observation and an informal poll I've conducted.
One of the things that gets on my nerves is when someone tells me I don't have the right to comment negatively about something because I'm a white male, which is to say I've been entitled my whole life and I don't know what it means to have dealt with hard times. I may write more about that in a future column, but if I don't have the right to criticize the politically correct for changing the lyrics to our national anthem, then I'd say unless you are a woman, you don't have the right to comment on what a marvelous change this is for the anthem and its citizens either. We are both disqualified from commenting and only a woman can comment. Disclaimer-if a woman speaks negatively about this, the politically correct will brush her off and label her with some horrible title and disregard her opinion.
Which brings me to a recent politically correct movement that has just floored me with the response: air shows. You see air shows are now offensive because we have a lot of new people in our country who see air shows as a glorification of the tools of war. Well, actually I didn't read that NEW Canadian people thought this. But, rather some long time Canadian people in search of trouble to start, decided this would be a fitting label for air shows because we just need to be more sensitive. Once this thought became public, of course, it gained traction from other trouble makers and other Canadian citizens who feel it necessary to spend their whole lives apologizing for being terrible a couple hundred years ago when their ancestors came to a land not yet called Canada and who weren't as sensitive to others.
So, what I've done is I've decided to jump aboard. Air shows are offensive. Cancel them. Now…what do we do about the Winnipeg Jets? I mean, the Jets are not named after Air Canada. It isn't unrealistic to think someone attending a Jets game could become traumatized by viewing the logo and reading up on the team name and discovering it's a tribute to fighter planes. The time to get out in front of this is now. Let's not wait until someone shames us into realizing how offensive this name is. Let's change it.
I'd also like to suggest the New York Yankees also change their name. If you Google the term 'Yankee meaning', the number one definition that comes up is 'derogatory – someone who is from or lives in the United States'. But, nobody pays attention to this one. Why? At the same time, the Washington Post conducted a survey with Native Americans and it was revealed 9/10 are not offended by the term Redskins. Yet, there are white people everywhere who are bending over backwards to change the name. Why?
If you think I'm being ridiculous, ask yourself this question: if someone told me a year ago that air shows would be deemed offensive, would you laugh it off and say that's ridiculous? I think we all would.
Where does it end? Will it, someday, be offensive to be called the Edmonton Oilers due to its indirect slight to environmentalists? Are the Montreal Canadiens offensive because the French spelling leaves out Canadian people who are non-French? Now, just a minute. Before you say the English would never get their way over the French, I'm not, necessarily, talking English. We are a melting pot of cultures now and it's possible a non-English person could raise this issue. Then what? We know English people come last due to the behaviour of Christopher Columbus in the late 1400's. But, where do the French fall when a different ethnic group complains?
All of this can be stopped. It just requires a stand and the ability to shake off vicious name calling from the politically correct. Most of us cave once the race or bigot card is played. It's a terrible label to brand someone. But, the people who resort to using it when having a debate are misusing the term and the rest of us need to recognize that and keep up the good fight. Unless of course, you agree the name Winnipeg Jets is offensive.
