Fighting political correctness – Dothan Eagle

In his second term as governor some 20 years ago, Fob James stepped into the hallway after speaking to Dothans Kiwanis Club and met a crowd of residents for an impromptu question-and-answer session. There had been a kerfuffle involving some confusion over religion and public schools, and many parents were concerned.

Our band cant even play Christmas music at the Christmas concert, one parent complained.

If they try to stop em, James replied, his eyes twinkling, Ill call out the National Guard!

The people in the crowd burst into applause for their governor.

James was nothing if not a wily politician who knew an opportunity to grandstand when he heard it; this was a slow-pitched lob, and he knocked it out of the park. James knew that theres a big difference between state-sponsored religious speech and a band playing O Holy Night, and was counting on cooler minds to prevail without the National Guard.

James would have felt right at home in the House Education Policy Committees meeting last week. The committee approved a bill that would educate students on traditional winter celebrations and allow the display of Nativity scenes as long as they were displayed with secular symbols such as reindeer or Santa Claus. The bills sponsor, Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, said its purpose is to fight political correctness.

Some of his colleagues pointed out that nothing prevents those symbols from being displayed at schools now, or stops people from saying Merry Christmas or Happy Chanukah. Another colleague suggested that the measure would allow the display of Islamic symbols, and that the body would then be passing laws to prevent that.

We understand Rep. Butlers disdain for political correctness, but the rise of Happy Holidays versus Merry Christmas is more an effort by Madison Avenue to make retailers more inclusive to those who spend money during the traditional gift-buying season, not an attack on any particular faith.

Public schools, as governmental entities, cannot promote one set of religious ideals to the exclusion of others. What Rep. Butlers measure would codify is not currently disallowed, making the bill unnecessary beyond its symbolism.

The House should not spend time combating political correctness when it has very real challenges to address, with precious little time to do so.

More here:

Fighting political correctness - Dothan Eagle