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Re: Political Correctness
Posted By: Hiri, on host 24.23.51.221
Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2001, at 13:27:44
In Reply To: Political Correctness posted by Adam Bomb on Monday, December 17, 2001, at 20:05:48:

> I don't want to sound like a PC idiot.
>
> I can't stand political correctness. It's worse for ME because often times when I speak or write something, it comes out in a way that people misconstrue, which makes me so nervous about offending people.
>
> PC-ness has definitely changed things around here. My mother used to work at the administration building at the University of Kansas, and she tells me it used to house a big Christmas tree with lights every December (the ornaments kept getting stolen).
>
> Now, whenever I walk in the lobby, there are no lights, no tree, just little banners hung from the second floor balcony, one for Christmas, one for Hanukkah, one for Kwanzaa, and one reading "CELEBRATE DIVERSITY".
>
> That's disturbing. Particularly with a university as bent on tradition as KU.
>
> I would have loved to see that tree.
>
> Adam Bo--sorry, I mean Adam Explosive Device

The US constitution guarantees our inborn rights to freedom of expression, as long our exercise of those rights does not infringe upon the the rights of others. Does it infringe upon a Jew's rights to see a Christmas tree in a store window? Conversely, does it infringe upon a Christian's rights to see a tallit and menorah in a store window? I never thought so. I live in a community that prides itself on its diversity.

Our school is having a door-decorating contest for the holidays. So far, we have 10 non-religious displays (snowmen and the like), 15 multi-religious displays (i.e. a mantelpiece with a wreath and a menorah), 5 Eid-al-Fitr displays, 15 Hanukkah displays and 25 Christmas displays. When a Muslim friend of mine's parents complained to the school about the lack of Eid-al-Fitr displays, they were told, very politely, to lighten up. Then they were taken around and shown the various displays celebrating multiple holidays which, of course, highlighted Eid-al-Fitr.

Personally, my door committee has 20 people on it. 9 of them are Christian(2 Baptist, 3 Episcopalian, 1 Presbyterian, 3 Catholic), 9 of them are Jewish (2 Orthodox, 7 Reform), and 2 of them are Shiite Muslim. Our door is a fireplace scene with a menorah and crescent moon on the mantelpiece, Santa's boots sticking out of the fireplace, and an Advent calendar above the fireplace. I think that accurately represents our committee, and while somewhat lacking in cohesion, was our decision and not that of the adminstrators, thank goodness.

Sometimes I think that if the whole world believed in all religions, everything would be a lot simpler.

Hi"Roman Catholicism always worked for me"ri

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