Offensive or Not?

I have to talk about something I found tonight. I was going to write something about offensive language because someone I worked with suggested it might be nice. Instead, for now, I will choose to focus on a site that came up when I looked up "offensive language|" on Yahoo.

www.randomhouse.com/words/language/avoid_essay.html

I just wanted to see what was considered offensive language. I couldn't believe what I saw. It was like seeing the very guide to Political Correctness in it's first chapter. I think it was kind of disgusting. Personally, I think it makes a bigger statement about our society and the hipocrisy of it. Think about this: would anyone who needs to learn these terms feel that way for real or are they just looking for a guide so that they don't lose their job or friends? Would they understand that naturally? Doesn't the idea of not offending people come with the enlightened personality that would try to learn about these things firsthand and there fore render useless such a guide? Doesn't non-offensive language in most cases mask the personality underneath and therefore hide the inner demon that would come out if one were to embrace the deception?
I think that the new politically correct environment bites ass. I would rather someone call me a faggot than pretend that they don't know or that they like it. Hell, maybe it's just me, but I would rather they be honest and let me know who my enemies are than hide in the shadows and play deceptive and Officially Sanctioned games. Hell, if the president went on the news tomorrow and told me that he thought that all the faggots were going to hell and he would do what he could to stop them I would probably respect him a little bit more. As it is he just panders and gesticulates all manner of levels of acceptance and basically disco dances with a public who is more than willing to accept it because his behavior and ideals are cast in the light of the status quo.
I use the President as an example, but there are far too many examples in the everyday world that present themselves. I don't know about anyone else but as I see it I would rather someone call me horrid names and therein give me the opportunity to give them the opportunity to enlighten them or shut them off like a goddamn light. We know that in the background of life these people are still bagging on any thing that presents itself in a sickly or disgusting light. If that's how they feel I would rather know it. There's no reason to hide it. If we can read in our history books about women being burned alive for being witches and black people being blown up, lynched, and god knows what else then why the hell can we listen to some bigoted waterhead go off about the lack of quality in women? Are we so goddamn sensitive as a people that we can't even hear them say that and know who we are that we are willing to live with strangers among us and be castrated by our own disbelief when we are confronted with the truth and the lies in behavior we ourselves forced on them? Are we really willing to believe that the chance of social exile will make them different people in the confines of their living room and in the unguarded public domain? If we are, we shouldn't be. It's retarded and delusional.
I often wonder if a lot of the political correctness that infects the world stems from our own guilt about not beating back those who use stereotypes to commit horrible acts. You know what I'm talking about. Lynchings, bashings, genocides. Come on. Don't tell me that for a good long time we all just turned the other way. Hell, we still do it now. Is it possible that maybe we should just condemn those people to horrible existences for the idea instead of forcing them to live among us and express contradictions to what they believe? Why can't we just take these bastards out in the street and beat the living shit out of them and leave them for dead? If they die so be it, if not maybe they will learn a thing or two and we won't look like such back-treading jelly fish for accepting that they are evil but we "contained them". I mean damn, what is it going to take before we just say screw it and send these bastards to hell. All making them talk like decent folk does is force them to pretend that they really like and/or accept everyone. Who knows what kind of dangerous pent up anger that sort of thing could lead? I don't even want to think about it. If I run into some skeazy son of a bitch at work who should have his nuts crushed into pudding because he is just screwed beyond belief I should have to pretend that I like him. If I don't want to say nice things to him no one should make me because that just gives him a false sense of accomplishment and it makes me want to tear his head off and then sterilize just to make sure that he doesn't infect me. Is this making sense? I know that there are probably very few people who don't understand. I'm not saying I should be able to openy insult him at random, but dammit don't make me pretend I respect him and use terms like please and thank you when he doesn't even deserve the kind of respect that "fuck you" implies. I shouldn't have to give him that sense of self-comfort if he really doesn't deserve it. That's just wrong for him and I to have to put up with. I should be allowed to be short and to the point without reprieve and room for consideration. It is work and I will never be there to make friends. The point of a job is to make a paycheck and I will never believe that making some psychotic, pathologically lying hosebag feel better about his status in life is part of making that paycheck. Dammit, there needs to be limits. If I am a royal loser at my job I want to know that. I don't need the personal reassurance of an equal number of good things to bad to get through life. I am either good at my job or bad. There should be those extremes. Why does it have to be so bland? If the standards for judgement are bland than would the higher positions those standards imply be just as bland? Give me a good reason to want to try. Don't make me think that life is just as dull up above as it now with universal standards of comfort. That just sucks. Give me something to look forward to. Is that so much to ask? No pain, no gain, right?
Tonight, I am sitting here with a glass of rum and Coke at my hand. I have considered the possibility that I am what is considered a drunk by today's standards. Well, I guess I used to. At this point in my life I have considered it for the last time, I think. I don't get the point of worrying about such things for a good many people. If you wake up most of the time and you don't know what happened the night before and you don't know where you're at or how you got there than maybe you should consider other things if that bothers you. As for me, I get drunk and sometimes I get out of control a little bit. Nothing dangerous, just a little outrageous in what I say. The thing is I don't believe in a lot of the new standards. The "new dumb" have created an environment that makes personal hedonism a human defect. If a man runs out tomorrow and gets drunk and fucks up someone who was trying to get from point A to point B then that would not be personal hedonism anymore now would it? That would be recklessness. On the other hand, if I should choose to spend 50 or 60 years ruining my body and my lifespan with alcohol and cigarettes that should be my choice. Should society have any right to make me try to feel guilty for indulging in things that might kill me? I don't think so. First and foremost it is my body. Give me the info if you must and then go away. If I choose to do something with it than that is my choice, right? Ah, but I learned a trick. I found my own personality at some point and made my own decisions about what I like. I have come to the conclusion that what society expects of me will never materialize. I'm okay with that. That is not a decision stemming from failure or pain or rejection. I just don't like the options organized society has given me. Most of them suck, although I do hold some respect for the Ten Commandements. I like those. I think they could make us all better people even if we aren't crippled, god-fearing Christians., but that's a wholly different tangent. I think. Anyway, back to the point. I just don't think that I should have to worry about the standards set for me. Universal standards are made for those that don't have the strength to find their own confidence which, I believe, builds their soul into a being they should live in. I really believe that most of us just wander in a world dictated to us rather than by us. I'm not saying that tomorrow we should all break off the shackles of society and live a shack in the woods and blow people up by mail. In fact, the point I make is just the opposite. If you enjoy going to work everyday at a gas station or a factory and coming home knowing that you are paying the bills and little else, then dammit don't worry about society saying you should always achieve the most and the biggest. If you don't want to go to college and become some certified idiot you don't really want to be then don't do it. It's that simple dammit. By that same notion, not everyone can be everything or, in some cases, even something. Some of us are doomed to be "nothings" and we need to accept that. If you want elaboration I think you just need to listen to "It's Alright Ma ( I'm Only Bleeding)" by Bob Dylan. I think that will tell you all you need to hear about that if you listen with the right ears. Hell just read the lyrics. WWW.BOBDYLAN.COM Try it out. You might understand it a little better if you read it from him than me, because I think he summarized it better and I am not afraid to admit it. Maybe you should just read the words and then decide if you want to hear it. For some reason, there are entirely too many people who refuse to listen to Bob Dylan just because he is old and classic. What the fuck is that?
Anyway. I suppose I should cut this off because I would imagine that most people have tuned out by now. I think I made a good chunk of my point and knowing me I will come back to it later if I have more to say. So chew on that for bit and if you come to a point where you think I should hear what you have to say feel free to write me. I would love to hear what you have to say. If it suits you, feel free to leave me an email address so we can talk more about it or just talk more period.

Shan Froman

Shanfroman@yahoo.com

PS-How's that for editing out the horrifying content that could screw me? Do you think I made my point without breaking the harshness factor? SF