Politically Correct

Today I was informed, however gently, that my blog title is offensive and politically incorrect. I can suppose this is true, I can. But, I think political correctness has gone too far. It has made us too demure and passive. The notion of political correctness, at its heart, and in theory says we should put people first. It says I am not a disabled person, but that I am a person with disability.

This movement (meaning political correctness) has done, in my opinion something much more sinister, and unintended. It has taken the teeth away from saying we have a problem. No longer can we say 'this is fucked up because of x,y,z' because that's somehow offensive. You can't point fingers, because that is also somehow offensive. I can't call myself, or my compatriots cripples because that term is somehow derogatory.

In my mind the 'politically correct' terms for people like me are offensive, in fact, more offensive than the word I just used. I am not 'physically challenged' and neither are you. Nor am I 'handicapped'. What the fuck does that even mean? You know... someone once told me that was what Germans called panhandlers and beggars. Does that sound like you? I didn't think so. Doesn't sound like me, either.

I am also aware that some of you out there might consider the word cripple to be inflammatory, even if you are disabled. I pose to you that it's no different than a black person who calls himself a racial term. If a word has a negative power over you, or over me, or over any other group, then take the power away from it. Don't let people tell you what you are, or what you aren't be a goddamn cripple. Be a fucking gimp, and don't you dare apologize for it.

All of my life people have told me this crap line about playing the hand you're dealt. I didn't understand that, until I started playing cards. When you're at a poker table, you gotta know when to hold and fold and walk away, sure. But, if you can't walk you might have to make due with that seven-two, and if you have to do that, you shouldn't play that gently. If you have a bad hand, and you have to play it, then play it with balls.

When you have to play the gimp card, when you have to fight for what Olmsted and the ADA guarantee you, then you shouldn't go in there and use the most vanilla language you can. If you wouldn't apologize for introducing yourself, don't apologize for your wheelchair. Being 'politically correct' is doing just that.