Speaking the Unspeakable

There are some things you just can’t say. Not because they are not true but because they are just too politically incorrect. I’m worried that we are missing out on solving some problems just because it is unacceptable to speak about them.

Take for example saying the Obama is getting so much attention because he is black or that Clinton is getting so much attention because she is a woman. No no you can’t say those things because saying them implies racism or sexism that we wish know does not exist. But honestly do you really think that the reason Edwards got short changed in the media is because he was not a serious candidate? Of course not. The media decided that a race between a black man and a white woman was more interesting, would sell more, and so they left Edwards out. Is that because the media is racist/sexist or just because they think the public is or is it just because people are more interested in seeing something different? Does it even matter? Probably not but I think that saying race and gender had nothing to do with it is intellectually dishonest.

We are closing discussion that might help make things better in the future.

Or take some people saying that 9-11 was a reaction to things America did in the past. What sort of idiot thinks that Moslem extremists are not pissed off at the US for things we have done? Things like supporting Israel or taking advantage of middle eastern oil or being Christians? Who really deep down when they honestly look at history doesn’t understand that Arab Moslems have reasons that in their mind create justifiable anger at the US? But you can’t say that.

That is not to say that the anger or our actions justify (certainly not to us) the actions of 9-11. That day is clearly not a rational response to most sane people. But to deny that there are other people who see the world differently is, again, intellectually dishonest.

We are closing discussion that might help make things better in the future.

And just so I can get a third strike against me, there is the debates about treatment of boys and girls in schools. There are some who get violently upset if you say that some school environments are much more comfortable for girls than for boys. Heaven forbid that you suggest that boys and girls behave differently, learn differently, or respond to teachers differently. Gasp that is sexist. And yet does anyone really believe that boys and girls are the same? Note that no one is saying better or worse, or right and wrong – just different. Demanding that people close their eyes to gender differences in schools is intellectually dishonest.

We are closing discussion that might help make things better in the future.

Without honest open, no holds bared, no topic exclude, no viewpoint unheard discussion how can real problems be fixed? We can’t just ignore facts just because they make the world look differently than we want it to be. And yet, more and more often, that is just what we are doing.

2 Responses to “Speaking the Unspeakable”

  1. Matt says:

    A few thoughts…

    I’m worried that we are missing out on solving some problems just because it is unacceptable to speak about them.

    Well said! This is actually close to what Obama was getting at in his “race speech,” that we shouldn’t just “put race behind us,” or we’re doomed to never actually address the issue.

    At the same time, I wish the media’s “race” coverage would go beyond, “Obama is black!” Thus far, it really hasn’t.

    Is that because the media is racist/sexist or just because they think the public is or is it just because people are more interested in seeing something different?

    My concern is that the media is involved at all. I don’t know if you can really “solve” the problem (without restricting freedom of the press), but my concern is that the media is basically shaping our election. In deciding what to cover, and what not to cover, they’re essentially influencing the outcome of the election. That gives them a lot of power that they shouldn’t have.

    Take for example saying the Obama is getting so much attention because he is black or that Clinton is getting so much attention because she is a woman.

    I think they start straddling a fine line here. “Obama is receiving extra attention because he’d be the first black President if elected” is one thing, but, “Obama wouldn’t be popular if he weren’t black” is an entirely separate issue, phrased separately. The first points out something that’s definitely true. The latter is basically a slap in the face, although I’d argue it’s not racist–it just suggests that Barack is good for nothing except for being black. Of course, the former is akin to saying, “I think that the sky often exhibits a bluish hue.” It’s really not news, or even worth your breath, because it’s the bleeding obvious.

    Until the media can say something constructive about race, though, I wish they’d shut up about it.

    I’m actually only halfway done my comment, but I’ve gotta go and can’t save a draft…. More on this later! 🙂

  2. Mr. T says:

    my concern is that the media is basically shaping our election. In deciding what to cover, and what not to cover, they’re essentially influencing the outcome of the election.

    YES!!! That is the scary part. I don’t see a good solution but I see it as much more of a problem than “big money” in politics.

Leave a Reply