CNN boycott ahead?
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who recently lashed out against the plague of political correctness in the United States and how its presence has hampered his and other comics' abilities to perform, has some company. And it's not coming from the political side you might expect.
Don Lemon, host of "CNN Tonight," said he was having to walk an unnecessarily fine line to avoid being labeled "racist, bigot, stupid, dumb" and "sellout."
"After almost 25 years in the news business," he said in a commentary segment for the Tom Joyner radio show last week, "you know who is the most easily offended and the least tolerant: liberals and progressive - because many of them don't really want to hear anyone else's opinion but their own. Here's a tip, if you only agree with people who hold your same political affiliation or who are of your particular race, gender or ethnicity, you are part of the political correctness run amok problem. You are actually thwarting progress instead of advancing."
Civility is the new hate
A Miami high school principal was removed from his job last week after making an inoffensive remark about the actions of a police officer captured in a McKinney, Texas, pool party video that recently went viral.
The video showed a white police officer tackling an unarmed black girl following a dispute.
Alberto Iber, who had been principal of the 99 percent minority school for about a year, said in the remark in the comments section of the Miami Herald: "He did nothing wrong. He was afraid for his life. I commend him for his actions."
The civil remark incensed the politically correct crowd, which took to Twitter for intelligent statements such as: "I suppose Miami Principal Alberto Iber thinks Hitler did nothing wrong either."
As the furor grew, Iber made a public statement saying he supported law enforcement, the community and students he serves. "The comment I posted," he said, "was simply made as the result of a short video that I watched and my personal opinion."
Nevertheless, in dismissing him, a Miami Dade County Public Schools press statement said school district "employees are held to a higher standard."
"Judgment is the currency of honesty," said Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho. "Insensitivity - intentional or perceived - is both unacceptable and inconsistent with our policies, but more importantly with our expectation of common sense behavior that elevates the dignity and humanity of all, beginning with children."
It's frightening that "perceived insensitivity" is now grounds for dismissal and that civil remarks are no longer "common sense behavior."
War on women
A writer at Vox has come up with another reason for half of the population to be offended. It's the use of the phrase "you guys" when it is meant to mean "all of you."
The phrase, according to Jenee Desmond-Harris, is sexist. And her idea to get rid of the phrase came from the tech startup npm, which had its employees put $1 in a jar every time they used the phrase.
The author said she first thought the phrase, which she said is frowned upon by leading feminist thinkers and people concerned with equality, was not hurting anyone, but she changed her mind.
"My knee-jerk response," she said, "is nothing more than a very typical lazy excuse for avoiding the tiny tweaks to our lives that can, as a whole, make society more equal."
Desmond-Harris concluded by saying that getting a jump on the change will keep people from being "like your grandfather who is still saying 'negro' because he doesn't mean anything by it and that's what they used to say in his day and he doesn't see the point of evolving."
So, she says, don't get left behind, y'all/friends/everyone/folks.
We deserve a break today
Robert Gibbs, the first Obama White House press secretary who helped first lady Michelle Obama roll out her attack on fast food and plump her campaign for healthier school lunches, has joined McDonald's as its global chief communications officer.
Obama was critical on a 2012 "Tonight Show" of Olympic gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas' decision to celebrate her win by splurging on an Egg McMuffin from McDonald's. "Gabby, we don't ," she said before being interrupted by host Jay Leno, " don't encourage him! I'm sure it was on a whole-wheat McMuffin. You're setting me back, Gabby."
A year earlier, the first lady talked about how "fast food has become the everyday meal."
As recently as this year, she talked about hitting up people with deep pockets to fight unhealthy food advertisements aimed at children.
"If folks are going to pour money into the market for unhealthy foods," she said, "then let's fight back with ads for healthy foods."
But Gibbs - and the Obama White House - could take cover in the words by McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook, who said he wanted to "build a more progressive burger company."