Curiously, I asked her if she as ever listened to his show?
"Never, I will not subject myself to his hate filled rhetoric!" At that point, vindicated, I dropped the subject. She had chosen to be offended by nothing.
Being offended is a choice. It requires you to demand an apology or that "something be done" to right some perceived wrong. That puts it into the realm of perception and context.
To be offended is usually a rather unpleasant experience, one that can expose a person to intolerance, cultural misunderstandings, and even evoke the scars of the past. This is such an unpleasant experience that many people develop a thick skin and try to only be offended in the most egregious and awful situations.
Some people live in hope that one day they will encounter a person who will say something offensive. When this happens, they can leap into action with quotes, statistics, and historical examples. Once they have finished lecturing another white person about how it’s wrong to use the term “put in term here” instead of “Politically Correct term” they can sit back and relax in the knowledge that they have made a difference. Perhaps it is easy to be offended at things that are sexist and/or homophobic. Both cases offering ample opportunities for lectures, complaints, graduate classes, lengthy discussions and workshops.
(special thanks to clander)
2 comments:
This is one terrific observation.
As you know I've been dwelling on this topic both on my blog and over at Mad Mikes. I'm still working on at least one more entry. I may quote you (with appropriate attribution and linkage, of course).
I have rarely ever heard Rush Limbaugh anything hateful. Sarcastic perhaps, as he himself engages in some of the name calling I detest.
But what I have heard from Limbaugh is great, intelligent and in depth discussions of issues and ideas, concepts and programs.
Limbaugh has been carefully painted by the left as "hate filled" through cleverly constructed quotes and videos, virtually always taken out of context.
If people never listen to Limbaugh, their opinion is shaped solely by the left wing name callers who avoid all discussion of any issue Limbaugh raises.
The left avoids all debate by typecasting their opponenets as haters, idiots, racists or homophobes (or all of the above).
Hell, now you've got me ranting over here, too!
Feel free to quote, I consider it an honor.
I have always disliked the name calling, even when I partake. Feel free to rant, it is therapeutic...
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