Theres a phrase for the attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar thats on the tip of my tongue, and if you give me a minute Ill think of it.
Omar, the freshman Democrat from Minnesota, was guilty, in the eyes of President Trump, various Republicans in Congress and those guardians of civil discourse, the editors of the New York Post, of failing to show proper deference in discussing the attacks of 9/11. What she said, in a speech last month to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil-rights organization, was that CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something, and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties. (She was mistaken about the year CAIR was established it was 1994 but her intended point, that 9/11 was a seminal moment for the organization, was correct.)
Her critics focused on her use of the phrase some people did something, rather than the Republican-approved description of 9/11 as a horrible attack by radical Islamist terrorists on the United States, leading to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and heroic first responders. Which is accurate, and it would probably help Omar get past the episode if she said as much. But in the context of her remarks, some people did something was clearly meant to signal her own distance from the attacks she was 19 years old and living in Minnesota, a refugee from Somalia and a naturalized U.S. citizen and the unfairness of being stigmatized, along with all other American Muslims, for what some people did.
Im trying to think of the term for that kind of enforcement of rigid norms of discourse. Factional decorum? No, thats not it. Ideological propriety? Dont think so.
Obviously, almost from the moment they occurred, the attacks of 9/11 have been used to score political points, not always in what one might consider good faith. The party now attacking Omar nominated and renominated an administration that used those attacks as a pretext to launch a war against Iraq, which even the current Republican president has described as a disaster. New Yorks mayor at the time, Rudy Giuliani, cited his leadership in the aftermath as his prime credential in his 2008 presidential campaign. (It was Joe Biden, a candidate for the Democratic nomination, who memorably described Giulianis speeches as consisting of a noun, a verb and 9/11.)
During his own campaign, Trump claimed to have seen on television thousands and thousands of people in Muslim neighborhoods in New Jersey cheering as those buildings came down, something that by all evidence never happened.
And while Omars reference to some people may have come across as unacceptably vague, evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were outspoken in pinning the blame for 9/11 on those they considered the real perpetrators, the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way. These people, Falwell said on Robertsons television broadcast, just days after 9/11, brought about the calamity by making God mad at the United States.
All of them who have tried to secularize America, I point the finger in their face and say, You helped this happen, Falwell continued, to which Robertson responded, I totally concur.
Let me be clear: Falwell and Robertson are entitled to their beliefs, preposterous though they might be, and even if they quickly (and unconvincingly) disavowed them once they circulated beyond the friendly confines of the Christian Broadcasting Network. But Omars failure to focus-group test her description of 9/11 left her open to the kind of attack that is becoming all too common in America, from both ends of the ideological spectrum. Language is increasingly deployed in the service of advancing an argument rather than conveying meaning.
On the activist left it is impermissible to speak of the Palestinians except in the context of their oppression by Israel; the fact that some Palestinians are terrorists goes unmentioned. The crisis of incarceration in some communities is discussed as if it were a unitary, impersonal phenomenon, unrelated to the reasons some people are incarcerated. These are not simple issues. The Palestinians are indeed oppressed, and some jurisdictions jail people for stupid or venal reasons, such as minor drug possession or not paying a traffic fine. But when we insist they can only be discussed through an ideological lens the reverse, in this case, of the lens conservatives have turned on Omar we make reasoned discourse more difficult.
In fact, I think I have figured out how to refer to the attacks on Omar.
Its coming back to me now: its political correctness.
_____
Read more from Yahoo News:
See the article here:
The politically correct attack on Ilhan Omar - news.yahoo.com
- The Phony Debate About Political Correctness ThinkProgress [Last Updated On: December 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 8th, 2016]
- Political Correctness Watch [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2016]
- The Origins of Political Correctness - academia.org [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2017]
- Spicer says 'political correctness' infringes on 'freedom of religion' - Washington Post [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Political correctness exists to build respect for the oppressed - Kenyon Collegian [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Letter: Political correctness has gone too far - The Herald-News [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Boy Scouts ruined by political correctness: Your Say - USA TODAY [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Spicer Says Religious Liberty Is Getting 'Pushed Out' By Political Correctness - TPM [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Lawrence Modisett: Need for political correctness still holds true - The Providence Journal [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Trump's right-wing political correctness makes us less safe - Daily Kos - Daily Kos [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Authoritarian political correctness - Dailyuw [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Fixing political correctness - The Stanford Daily [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- The Politically Correct Presidency of Donald Trump - The Atlantic [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- Letter: Political correctness is akin to golden rule - The Buffalo News - Buffalo News [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- Pro-Trump priest casts political correctness aside and creates quite the stir on social media - BizPac Review [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Slamming 'political correctness,' Casper scraps recycling program ... - Casper Star-Tribune Online [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Political correctness is life and death on a hilarious It's Always Sunny - A.V. Club [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Too PC? - Two Views on Political Correctness - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Foregoing Political Correctness, The Senate Should Have Let Warren Speak - Daily Caller [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- To a Collegian columnist: Disregarding political correctness hinders social justice causes - Kenyon Collegian [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Political correctness | The Economist [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Netflix Boycott Over 'Dear White People' Is Right-Wing Political Correctness in Action - Heat Street [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Salman Rushdie's New Novel is About Political Correctness and the ... - Heat Street [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Letter to the editor: The truth doesn't require political correctness - Anniston Star [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Trump's Right-wing Political Correctness Makes Us Less Safe - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- When Will They Purge Indian History Of Political Correctness And Teach Us As It Is? - Swarajya [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Editorial: Brown puts political correctness above jobs - Daily Astorian [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Slamming 'political correctness,' Casper scraps recycling program for electronics - Casper Star-Tribune Online [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Letter: Political correctness has endangered our safety | INFORUM - INFORUM [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Letter to the editor: Political correctness has influenced minds - Post Register [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Political Correctness Is An Absolute Must | Time.com [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Political Correctness Propagates Radical Liberalism and Undermines The Truth - Accuracy In Media (blog) [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- This Day: Charlton Heston speaks at Harvard about Political Correctness - The Apopka Voice [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- Words, Tweets and Stones in the "Political Correctness" Wars ... - EconoTimes [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Ferguson Political Correctness - The Missourian [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- PewDiePie: Alt-Right Nazi, Victim of Political Correctness, or Just an Idiot? - Reason (blog) [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Political correctness weaponized in face of unpopular opinion - The Vermilion [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Populist correctness: the new PC culture of Trump's America and Brexit Britain - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Trevor Phillips: political correctness ushered in the populist wave - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Political correctness on a downward spiral - NCC Linked [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- PewDiePie's Misguided War On The Media Sounds Familiar - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 21st, 2017]
- Better Education Responsible for Political Correctness - NYU Washington Square News [Last Updated On: February 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 21st, 2017]
- Publishers Pen - Political Correctness and Lawlessness: A Rant - Up & Coming Weekly [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Fed up with political correctness - The Rushville Republican [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Thursday's best TV: Born Too White; Has Political Correctness Gone Mad? - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Political correctness is to blame for terrorist payout, says Leo McKinstry - Express.co.uk [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Jones: It's not political correctness, just common decency - Philly.com [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Is There Space For Political Correctness In Fashion? Gucci Says Maybe Not - Refinery29 [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- The Dark State of Political Correctness - American Spectator [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Thursday February 23, 2017 - Israel Hayom [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Jim Bailey column: Caught up in political correctness - The Herald Bulletin [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Op-ed: He's just saying what we're all thinking: How political correctness fails us in the age of Trump - The Eagle [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- The Bus Campaign That's Giving UK Political Correctness a Run for ... - CBN News [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Has political correctness gone mad? 'Comedians must be allowed to offend' - thejournal.ie [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- CPAC inadvertently shows logic behind political correctness - UT The Daily Texan [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- Despite Rumblings About Political Correctness, the Black Oscar Nominees This Year Deserve All the Accolades - Heat Street [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- EDITORIAL: Political correctness ... and more absurdities | The ... - The Daily Progress [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2017]
- Political correctness puts end to much loved television characters ... - Starts at 60 [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2017]
- Political Correctness Hurt the Oscars - WSAU (blog) [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- The Bus Campaign That's Giving UK Political Correctness a Run for Its Money - CBN News [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- Fox News' Tucker Carlson says 'Moonlight' only won Best Picture because of political correctness - ThinkProgress [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- O'Reilly: 'Americans Are Tired of Political Correctness & Left-Wing Totalitarianism' - Fox News Insider [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- Enough with the political correctness: transgender individuals shouldn't be allowed to compete in sports - The Rebel [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- Is political correctness killing US institutions? - Canada Free Press [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- Jennifer Saunders Claims Political Correctness Has Ended ... - Huffington Post UK [Last Updated On: March 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 3rd, 2017]
- Conservative Rag Bends to Political Correctness - American Free Press [Last Updated On: March 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 3rd, 2017]
- Why John Howard thinks Australians are sick of political correctness ... - Starts at 60 [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2017]
- Columbus Statue Removed at Pepperdine Bow to Political Correctness - The New American [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2017]
- Why 'rage is not a policy' - Washington Times [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2017]
- Donald Trump Is Actually The Most Politically Correct Politician Of Them All - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2017]
- Misguided political correctness is problem | Letters To Editor | union ... - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2017]
- Political correctness is curtailing free speech: Letters - LA Daily News [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2017]
- 'La La Land' is the Ultimate Victim of Hollywood's Political ... - Heat Street [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2017]
- Political correctness sends ACC from Tobacco Road to Brooklyn - Power Line (blog) [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2017]
- Give political correctness a failing grade - Canoe News - Canoe [Last Updated On: March 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 11th, 2017]
- Nick Ferrari: Political correctness is turning our police into social services - Express.co.uk [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2017]
- Littleproud: program is 'political correctness gone too far' - Warwick Daily News [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- Editorial: freedom of speech in an era of political-correctness, part two - Daily Sundial [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- When Republicans defend Republicans' bad behavior, we justify 'political correctness' - Mooresville Tribune [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- Marvel V.P. Admits Political Correctness Killed Comic Sales ... - FrontPage Magazine [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]