I have to tell you, once in a while, the wingnuts make fun of us for being a little too "politically" correct, and often, their assessment is correct. When it comes to racism, the goal should be to treat everyone the same, regardless of skin color, ethnicity or religious belief. So, aren't we defeating the purpose when we point and shout at anyone who says anything that isn't absolutely politically correct, and demand that something bad happen to them?
A few days ago, a big brouhaha was made over something Rush Limbaugh said that the PC Police cried foul over. Here's the rant, courtesy of Media Matters:
Apparently, using the word "boy," regardless of context, indicates racism. Come on, folks; there is a boatload of stuff I could dig out of the archives to prove Limbaugh's racism (and wingnuts; you really don't want to challenge me on this); we don't need this one at all.
Now, we come to find out that ESPN has suspended Bob Griese for a week, because he dared to suggest that a Hispanic NASCAR driver might actually eat tacos. Check it out:
I mean, come on, folks. I get why Imus was fired; what he said about those innocent college basketball players was racist and mean. But to suggest that Bob Griese, who couldn't have survived all those years playing for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL if he was really racist, is a because he suggested that Juan Pablo Montoya missed being in the top 5 for some NASCAR cup nonsense might have been "getting a taco"? Yeah, probably not the most enlightened thing he could say, but I can assure you, folks; Hispanics eat tacos. Presumably, if he had suggested that Jeff Gordon had gone out to get a taco, he'd be in no trouble. But mention that someone with a Hispanic surname might be eating Mexican food, and suddenly, you have to be punished?
Look, folks; the person who was being insulted by Rush Limbaugh (at least in that case) was President Obama, and I'm certain he and his Secret Service detail can handle being called "a little boy." And could we at least wait until Juan Pablo Montoya expresses some offense, before we just label Bob Griese a bigot against Hispanics?
Let's save our disgust for real racism. The problem with suggesting that anyone who says something that isn't completely racially sensitive a "bigot" or "racist" and punishing them for it is the terrible tendency to create a "crying wolf" scenario, in which what we say no longer has meaning, because we complain about everything.
We know Limbaugh is a racist; he has a long track record that proves it. And Bob Griese might be bigoted against Hispanics, but can we all agree that the offhand remark constitutes stupid and condescending, but doesn't necessarily constitute bigotry in and of itself? Let's save it for the really special racism we see all around us every day; there's no need to create more racism that we already have.
