Political Correctness and Civility
Dear Questions Authority,
Let me speak to your comment on yesterday’s post. Since my response would be too long for comments, I’m posting it here.
Rest assured, my statement regarding political correctness was not referring to being polite, respectful or accurate. I never stated or intended to insinuate that. These are qualities I find valuable and desirable. It was also not my point to suggest that “rudeness is honest and courtesy is not” as you stated. I’m not sure how that could be read into what I stated, but if that’s what what you felt was being conveyed, I obviously failed to communicate my point.
No political correctness (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I believe that political correctness IS indeed dangerous, and it does lead to a weakness among the people. It’s purpose is to prevent people from taking a stand; it stifles clear thinking and silences those who, out of fear of violating this politically imposed standard, might otherwise speak up. In order to maintain a politically correct appearance, they may shrink back, out of fear of violating the dictates set by those who wield this power and set these dictates into place.
PC sets up a standard based not on unchanging truth but on any number of RELATIVE decrees. Relativity takes the place of truth in political correctness. It is a powerful force being used in our culture to ensure that the masses learn to follow along a prescribed line of thinking and that they don’t step out of line. People who buy into political correctness because they don’t want to appear, for example, uncivil, will shut up rather than stand up, shush themselves when they see trouble coming and want to speak to it, or any number of other things based on the desire to avoid the ensuing cultural shame, a system which has been set up based on the ends desired by those in power. Under PC, people can be led to behaviors they might otherwise have learned are dangerous. Political correctness teaches people not to question this cultural authority out of fear of appearing “incorrect” or “uncaring” or “socially irresponsible”, which is not a standard of truth but a relative designation instituted by power players.
My reference to the “proclamation of civility” was referring to the the proclamation made by the mayor at the town meeting on May 7th. The proclamation was nothing more than political correctness being ushered right into Lake Park in full view and offered up for a vote. What was the point of the proclamation? What did it accomplish? It was actually meaningless, except as another bolster to the “watch what you say or we’ll call you a hater” meme. But who would dare point out the evil lurking within a proclamation of civility? That, right there, tells you how powerful political correctness is. To have stood and questioned it would have been “shameful”. Only a hater would have done such a thing, right?
Worked into that decree was a statement that we are a democracy. Kudos to Commissioner Longtin who called this out and corrected it. Why was that lie inserted? Accident? Misstatement? Oh, no. Political correctness is a tool of the left. Have you ever noticed how often the left uses the term democracy? This is intentional. Now, through every means possible, including civil sounding proclamations, they dumb down our society one day, one proclamation, one news story, initiative, etc. at a time. Then they retrain those who may be far enough removed from history to know for sure if something is off kilter, and they successfully train, incorrectly I might add, the children and youth who do not know enough to question the lies hidden within political correctness. This is why the left hovers over children. It makes them look caring and affords them access to all those little heads of mush, minds they can fill with their world view, all while appearing to be the good guys who are “for the children”. Hence they use children as political pawns while playing “nice guy”. It’s a powerful system they have set up and they play it to their successful ends.
So, who decides what is civil and what is not anyway? What is the standard? It is whatever they say it is and it can (and does) change as they see fit and as it benefits them. Relativism. There was no need for Lake Park to make a civility proclamation outside of politics and political correctness. It was implemented just to make sure you know they are watching you. Behave. Say the right things. Don’t call them out or raise your voice no matter how egregious their behavior. If you do, you will be deemed uncivil. And civility is official now. The standard is set. Let the self-silencing begin out of fear of what the PC crowd will mislead others to think about you if you don’t comply. It’s all working as planned.
I assert political correctness is just another tool wielded by those in power to maintain their position and increase their level of control. When it becomes public policy as it did in Lake Park a week or so ago, it has stepped over the line and is actually sinister. If this does not weaken our society and water down the power of individuals to question and act against authority that has gone awry…I don’t know what does.
Political correctness = your compliance. Your freedom is at stake. Watch and see.
See previous post: Democracy vs Republic
Well, where do I begin? Did I already mention the desperation of the current occupant of our White House in the re-election bid? Romney was a high school bully 46 years ago?!?! He (the occupant) has now “evolved” to a personal belief in gay marriage? Alright, aright,…I’ll quit being sensationalistic and inaccurate and stick to facts. Where was I inaccurate? Now to PC-ism. We have a private, racially exclusive organization (The New Black Panthers) offering a cash bounty on the life of an American citizen. (Lloyd tapping the mike) Hello out there. Anybody awake? What if the Klan did this? They’d have all been in a federal prison in about 3 minutes. I’m not defending the Klan (if they still exist). I’m merely pointing out one example of how PC-ism has deadened the American Public’s ability to see both sides of a story. And speaking of the US Department of In-Justice, now they’re suing a sheriff in Arizona for supposedly stepping on the civil rights of illegals. (!?!?) Aren’t those rights supposed to be for US citizens? They’re here illegally, shouldn’t Eric Holder be leading the effort to send them back? Eric, Eric, Eric. Again PC-ism dictates that we should not offend illegals. Why? And now to the local level. Last Wednesday night, the three (DuBois, Stevens, & Rumsey) along with the town lawyer met in a special call commission meeting. Didn’t hear about it? You and all other Lake Park citizens! Well I don’t know why you didn’t know about it. It was in the Town’s web site. What about those folks without a computer? Never mind them. (If it was advertised in the local paper, I take it all back.) The three met to begin to change town law so that they can hire and fire the Town Manager with a 3 -2 vote. Remember the former Town Manager who resigned “without cause” in a huge hurry and was given a $52k (of your dollars) good-bye kiss by the three? Well she changed the law to require a 4th vote making it next to impossible for any commission to fire her. Now that the reign of terror is over, they’re working quickly (special call meeting?) to change it back to where it never should have left. Didn’t I appear many times before them at commission meetings during the reign of terror asking them to fire the TM or change the law? All I got back then was bored stares. Maybe they were too terrorized. I’m becoming too sensational, so I quit for now. But do yourselves a favor, watch’em!
It looks like I opened a can of worms, yesterday. Talk about political correctness! I thought this was a place where we can write what we think even if we don’t agree with everyone writing in the blog. I was wrong. I disagreed with the main bloggers and you have erased my comments. You should put up a notice “we reserve the right to be honest and direct when we want to, but will not tollerate such in others”.
I have not erased any comments. Yesterday’s comment is still there on yesterday’s post and that’s the only one that came through from you.
Its Lake Park get used to it our Town is drowning in P.C just look at the the Commissioners Rumsey she is always on the side of P.C until it affects him, Stevens talks like a lawyer don’t look at the truth smoke and mirrors like we our stupid and not judge for ourselves. The Mayors lets just say he is bankrupting Lake Park with all these feel good spending. When the budget was disgusted I though they Rumsey, Stevens and the Mayor were representing the Town employees union instead of protecting the Tax payers.
Wow, looks like a few of you woke up. Say a few off color comments about the President and the gloves come off. I remember not so long ago these same people where as disrespectfull to a sitting President as I have seen in my life and for what? Because he wasn’t the best public speaker? Now you have a President who has recreated double speak and is clearly nothing more than a political hack and one step from a Bernie Madof clone and they worship him. He is as much as a enemy of the same people who vote for him as Al and Jessie as they all just line their pockets off of these sheep. His best talant is his shell game skills. I just once would like to see you democrats have the same vigor and anger for an issue that in this case “clearly warrants” proscution as in which your fellow democrats spent $2.4 million dollars for a parking lot without an appraisal and with an obvious pay for play sinario. I am an independant and always have been one but the one thing I can say about the rep’s is they will eat their own and the Dem’s will always back even the most disrespectfull, criminal, untrustworthy, and down right crook behavior no matter who it is in their party. I am sad for you.
The point is this I call them illegal immigrants, the PC people call them undocumented aliens, I say this country is English only, they say we should be more understanding and learn their language, I say if we as a nation are broke (which we are) we should NOT be sending billions of dollars to foreign countries, I don’t care how poor they are, why should be put ourselves in their predicament (of course this thinking is not politically correct), I say if they won’t fight for their own country, we are we fighting for their cause??? why are we committing to billions of dollars in forein aid to assist a country that hates all Americans (again, I know this is politically incorrect). Well toooo bad!!!!! I am an American with freedom of speech, problem is the PC people now want other to think that to express their opinions it is a “hate crime” what a crock of garbage!!
Politics and Political Correctness aside…
I am proud that our Nation has grown out of immigrants from all over the world. This is what makes us what we are: strong, compassionate, welcoming, diverse.
But, there’s a difference between the way most of our parents, grandparents and their grandparents migrated here. They came to become Americans. They came legally and worked to earn a living — and their citizenship. They contributed to society.
I am proud that so many still people want to come here. But I am dismayed at the lack of respect shown by those who arrive illegally, work illegally,– or don’t work at all — and burden the school, health and welfare systems — also illegally — and have no intent to become contributing American citizens. Actions begun with a lack of faith and respect tend to continue that way.
I can see nothing wrong with requiring illegal aliens to return to their homelands (exceptions made for those running for their lives from bad people, not the cops) and requiring that they apply for legal entry in the same way other immigrants do. It’s not too much to ask that people be required to account for themselves — prove that they are not criminal, have something to contribute and have a US sponsor willing to accept responsibility for them.
And here’s another thought. If people are not allowed to reside here illegally, the debate between “illegal aliens” vs “undocumented residents” becomes moot.
OOPS! ‘still people” should be “people still”. Sorry!
Diane said it all hit the nail on the head. But Diane do you think LP would be a better City if we just stopped trying to be PC and just got real like getting our debt payed off and stop creating more debt, get rid of the CRA its been a big fat failure has not brought in money only high salaried employees with very good benefits , keep the current interim TM he is doing a great job why get some fool from someplace we don’t know.
Tammy, I don’t see a connection between PC and our debt, the CRA and the interim Town Manager. Can you tell me what you mean?
I wish we could pay our debt off and stop creating more, too. But I don’t know how to do that. Perhaps our new Financial Head can come up with some ideas. Why don’t we ask him?
I do think that the grants we have accepted have, ultimately, cost more than we expected and sometimes required us to give up more control over our Town then we anticipated. Our building projects have been a bit disappointing, too. But don’t we have a say over what gets done with and in our Town? Let’s raise our voices. Writing here is a start, but attending the Town’s meetings and letting your opinions be heard is even better.
I’d like Mr. Titcomb to stay, too. But he has said that he would not. However, we’ve had his help in looking for a new person and our Commissioners are a much more experienced group, these days. I have every hope that the new Town Manager will be a good one. If he or she isn’t, we now know that we can take steps to remove anyone who isn’t acceptable. We’ve come a long way, Tammy!
Diane I have lived in LP a long time enjoy the Town always hoped it would become a very nice place to live and bring up children sorry to say that it has not but maybe with a change in leadership and direction it can. First so happy you are concerned about LP listened to you speak and you are right on target I hope someday you considered running for Commission, God knows we need you. Well my point about the CRA is that first look at the cost to LP residents, second look at the results that the CRA has brought to our Town at best very disappointing lots of money going out very little in the way of tax money or jobs coming in. Mr Titcomb is the best thing I have seen in years at the Town meetings he has done an outstanding job cleaning up the mess left behind by the last TM. I will give you one very expenceive waste of money you live near the boat trailer parking lot purchased for $2.3 million have you ever seen a boat trailer parked in the lot? My third point LP is a very small Town in size we do not have Town police or fire debt, the medium income in our Town is in the 35 thousand range yet have you ever looked at the salaries and benefits of the employees? The last Town Manager with pay and benefits was close to 200 thousand range the Vice President of the USA makes $230,700 I don’t see what the reason for such a high cost to our Town. Diane I love art always hoped we would become a very cultured high end beautiful place please look at the building we hoped would become our center piece we owe to BOFA $400,000 at %12 interest we cannot sell it for $100,000 yet we want to give it away or lease it for nothing that is just plain dumb how much can the taxpayers take we lose at the Marina, we lose everywhere should we at worse break even? The right and smart thing the Town Commission and Mayor can do for LP is to try to keep Mr Titcomb on he gets along he’s working very hard, making up for the lack of leadership I pray every night he reconsiders and takes the job.
It is real easy to get the LP budget in line, but no one has the nerve or leadership skills to do it. The answer is “STOP SPENDING” and signing obligations. Pay only the items that need to be paid to substain the town nothing more nothing less. Watch how quickly the towns budget gets solved. This town is acting like it is the mother and father of all in it. That is not what our fore fathers was thinking when they created this nation.
Please post this Wayne on every light pole post and store front in LP this Commission and Mayor just does not get it. Can someone please send Wayne’s comment to Commissioner Rumsey he think we are drowning in excess tax money.
Thank you Tammy, Commissioner Rumsey has made it very clear he dosn’t care what I or others think unless we have drank the coolaid. Commissioner Rumsey doesn’t want anyone held accountable for the purchase of a $600K piece of property that he championed with his Town Manager and paid for $2.4 million without even a simple apprasal. Show me the money trail! Since I have been paying attention no one has been held accountable for this or other very questionable deals. The finace manager was allowing the town manager to pay her girl friend illegal money and was never confronted or repremanded yet allowed to walk away only to do it to another town. They let the town manager go while still paying her where in the world does this happen. Backbone is what these people DO NOT have. The way this commissioner and others treated one local business owner without any due process, all while hiring illegally outside legal teams etc… and no investigation, communication with the business owner, or just plain common respect. The budget is the easiest thing to sovle in this 2 square mile town getting rid of the RATS might prove the hardest thing.
Please Diane read the latest blog we spent $2,000,000 in lawyers fees to get back $880,000 wow that was a windfall for our lovely Town of Lake Park thank you Mayor, Commissioners Rumsey and Stevens could I expect any less this is the way things are done here lack of leadership not to pick on you Diane but have seen this over and over and over as a property tax payer I’m getting sick of it.
The Mayor is a joke! Big contracts and settlements only mean big pay offs. If the Lake Park engineers were doing their jobs (inspections during the job) this would have never had to be an issue. Another LP Mayor blaming someone else for their short comings. Just like before lets hire a law firm to lose money…LOL. Showes how much confidence they have in the Baird law firm. Just like they did when they screwed the boat company that was in Lake Park but who cares they are just another small business who hired Lake Parkers to work. You know they are wearing on me lets just screw everyone in Lake Park thats the spirit. Good Job Dubois, Rumsey, and Stevens the three stogies. The funny thing is they try to make Hockman and Longtin sound like they are dummies…lol… they should just look as far as the mirror.
Funny 2 years ago we could not fix sprinkler heads for $50 or $75 but we spent $2,000,000 million on lawyers that’s the way things have been done here in Lake Park for to long its time for change. I respect people like Ms LLoyed and Ms Diane Bernhard for attending the Town meeting and speaking up hope they run for the Commission will gladly vote for them. Time has come for respectful people of Lake Park to stop listening to these misguided give away programs that cost and waste our tax money get real take one good hard look at the millage rate we are paying a higher rate than N.Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Juno, and even Palm Beach are we better off than those I listed or just plain mismanaged. The Mayor and the other 2 stooges try to every second Wednesday give us this BS oh we are doing good for you just trust us its over this Town cannot take on any more debt. Now we are on this crazy nation wide search for a new Town Manager when we have the best guy sitting there right now in front of their noses Mr Titcomb but they want to be P.C follow this wasteful spending habit of head hunters and consultants , Mr Titcomb has been very fair and professional no bias one way or another, has given Town employees praise for their work KEEP HIM.
Why would they keep him when they can get a Rumsey Clone in there to contiune to shape Lake Park into there vission. The last thing they want is someone who acually can manage.
Wayne your %100 percent right this little farce they are playing looking for a new Town Manager is nothing more than finding a PC person that wants to spend on lost cause’s and put us the taxpayer further in debt. I’m sorry to say the last election I voted for Comm. Rumsey she has been a very big disappointment has voted in favor of every wasteful spending idea that has been a lost of tax money The Arts Building $400,000 at %12 [which we cannot give away] ,the Marina [looks nice but is badly mismanaged and is run at a lost to the taxpayer], the wonderful CRA with its high salaried employees with great benefits big lost to taxpayers with no results of bring in business to LP, the former TM nice payoff to her live-in $4,000 contract cost $110,000 nice deal wish I could get that package, payoff to the former TM $54,000 TO GET RID OF HER which was given and voted on by Dubois,Stevens and Rumsey. Can anyone and I mean anyone show me what new business success story the CRA has brought to LP?
Tammy.
I for one will buy you dinner your choice. What they need to get is and investigative team in place and drop the HAMMER. I am qualified and would do it for free. Dubois and Rumsey would resign (like the finace manager did when she worked in Lake Worth) before the results were in…hmm. wonder why that would be.
Wayne its truly depressing every other Wednesday to watch this Mayor Dubois, Comm. Rumsey and Stevens with their la-de-da attitude this town is at its crossroads with plummeting property values, they are spending tax money like drunken sailors putting us deeper in debt To watch Mayor Dubois sit and lead if he were running a business like he is running LP it would be bankrupt Then the team of Rumsey [rant and rave he followed other Comm. Hockmans family and I’m sick of his spoiled little girl outburst each week] Stevens [I know better than you trust me] they have failed the taxpayers of Lake Park in very bad economic times the budget side they took was lets keep this party going for the Town Manager since resigned , give over payed high priced employees more here don’t pay a co-pay when the man picking up trash or cutting grass makes more money than most of the entire town. I don’t think the voting public of LP gets it times are bad jobs hard to find food cost up energy cost very high home prices down very low, tax revenue will drop year after year stop the insanity look at Europe its broke we are on the same path. Opening restaurants and bars is not the duty of the Mayor and the Commission its to protect the taxpayers money and spend it wisely they have failed miserably depending on grant money to fund foolish projects and giveaways stop wake up Town of LP ask better we deserve it we work very hard for our money don’t give it away. Lake Park can do better it can be a place where people would want to live and bring up families instead we are overloaded with foreclosures and closed business look at the rate of sober house’s in our town is this what we want? I don’t expect change because most just don’t care or pay attention we need more folks like the LLoyds and Diane Bernhard that have tried to make a difference but no one is listening sorry. Again I ask has anyone seen a boat trailer parked in our very expressive parking lot call Karen Marcus or Mayor Dubois.
I feel your frustration over this town. This only matters to the ones really paying money. The ones who are not, are getting the max payout from the governement so this means they will support the likes of Dubois, Stevens, and Rumsey because that is their beleaf. Take from those who have and work hard for it and give to those who don’t and who will not work period is their platform. The CRA should be abolished as it is a waste of time and money with jobs that are filled and for what? These employees are well intentioned I am sure but working to twiddle your thumbs is just that. A TOWN OF TWO SQUARE MILES DOES NOT NEED OR WARRANT A CRA!!!! The town managers position should be a part time position as well as other positions in the town. I told you before the budget is the easiest thing to fix 1) freeze spending (as of this minute, 2) no new spending for 2012-2013-2014 and then have a review, 3) target waste 4) reduce departments budgets by 10% 2013 & 20% 2014, 5) get the hurt out of the way and make people work and live with in their means, 6) shut up and listen to your business leaders, 7) do not take any grant money which has stipulations, 8) cancel all contracts with lobbiests. 9) use the lawfirm that is the “towns legal team” unless the town attorney requests differently, finally 10) investigate the money side of the parking lot deal, make the decission to sell the property or releave the debt, get legal advice in reference to the County not getting the property appraised then requiring the Town of LP to pay this high debt service. Take the county to court if you have to to releave the town of this obligation. This is called getting to work you might want to consider it Lake Park.