The adage, “the best defense is a good offense” sums up the current climate of political correctness nicely. Special interest groups are defending their agenda so aggressively that at times their offensive assaults are… well… offensive to the point where it seems like everyone is offended by everyone else’s opinion.
The irony is that what has made most special interest groups “special” was their struggle to have their position heard along with their desire to feel included and now that they have established a foothold through social media their goal seems to be as oppressive as those that oppressed them.
This point was recently spelled out by Sonny Bunch in his blog post ‘The Killing Joke’ and Killing the Past’ where he reiterates a sentiment he has written about before: “the reason non-PC comic book readers can’t stand the feminist set is because they aren’t interested in sharing the space—they’re interested in dominating it wholly. It’s not enough to make Squirrel Girl and Bat Girl and Spider-Gwen. The industry also has to disown its past, to declare it is ashamed of classic stories, to scorn the readers who have kept “The Killing Joke” in print through four separate decades. As Ace of Spades has noted in the context of video games, the social justice set is not really interested in providing alternatives or opening up new markets. Rather, they’re interested in changing what people like. As long as people like “The Killing Joke”—and as long as DC refuses to memory hole it, to airbrush it out of existence like a Stalinist recreating history—these warriors will not have won.”
This is not just an issue about feminists in the comic book or gaming industry who have every right to want and expect that female characters not be sexually exploited and objectified. This is an issue about LGBT proponents that support gay marriage and Caitlyn Jenner getting a courage award. This is an issue about demanding the banning of the Confederate flag. This is an issue about why Black Lives Matter. This is an issue about issues and that every single one of us has rights no matter which side of the fence we are on on any single subject. We all have a right to our opinion and we definitely all have a right to the history that may have established that opinion no matter how politically correct it may or may not be.
The idea that Sonny Bunch refers to, that elements of literary works, popular culture, and history be “memory holed,” is nothing short of bold censorship that should never be tolerated because it prevents us from learning from the mistakes of our past and erodes the foundation of our culture by preventing us from defining how we became the society we are today for better or worse.
The recent story of a father being offended by a toy sold to children of Princess Leah in sex slave garb with a chain around her neck can easily be an acceptable target but it is a depiction of a famous scene from Star Wars one of the most popular film series of all time and an image that most children in the last thirty years have probably been exposed to and most certainly will be by the time the next film in the series is released this Christmas.
The answer is not to ban this toy or to have it removed from the shelves. The answer is for that father and others to use the opportunity to be a parent and explain the significance of the toy and why it is bad to put a woman or any person in this position of bondage and sexual exploitation and to explain to his children why he feels it is inappropriate for them to have it as a toy.
Should it be lost that Leah overcame her imprisonment, defeated her captor and led a rebellion against an evil Empire as a strong female role model? Would that father have the same reaction to the chains around the ankle of the Statue of Liberty?
When the PC Police prevent us from expressing ourselves as individuals they are as oppressive and fascist as our greatest enemies. Personally, I want to see sexist comics so I can identify the chauvinists in the crowd at Comic Con. I want to see which neighbor flies the Confederate flag so I know who is inconsiderate of the feelings of African Americans. I want to see people protest gay weddings so I know who is intolerant. I want to see little Jonny draw weapons in his notebook at school so teachers can identify a potentially troubled child or one with a gifted and overactive imagination.
Banning that which offends us drives the offenders into their own dangerously dark and secret closet. It does not change them it makes them bitter and resentful and only guarantees the perpetuation of a cycle of hatred and persecution. It is why we are all surprised when that “nice person who never bothered anybody” goes postal.
This is why The First Amendment of our Constitution is so important, because it guarantees our rights to religion, freedom of speech, peaceable assembly and our ability to petition government. We expect these rights from our government and we should expect these rights from each other!
It is time we all learn to agree to disagree and go on about our ways as they suit each of us and our own like-minded group. Take the time to learn why others may think so differently and we may all understand each other better. Let’s give each other a little space to be ourselves. I won’t be offended if you’re not.
Gerry Giovinco
