Pardon Me, Did I Offend You? You're Welcome.

"People love to pretend they're offended." - Matt Groening, Writer, The Simpsons

If you've ever watched The Simpsons, you're probably familiar with the character, Apu, who is portrayed as the stereotypical Indian immigrant who runs a Kwik-E-Mart. While his accent and mannerisms have been comedic routine for decades, some present-day critics are now calling his character politically incorrect and citing him as an example of racism.

I'm trying not to roll my eyeballs. Can't. Help. It.

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I don't necessarily abhor political correctness (it has a purpose); but I find it irritating when people are constantly offended and incessantly faultfinding. Of late, it seems that a segment our society "loves to pretend to be offended". I'm not arguing that some offenses aren't real or legitimate but I do believe that 98% of the time we can make like Frozen and "Let It Go".

A current hot topic is the use of the N-word. It's a sensitive debate but one that must be addressed. Recently, at a concert in Alabama, rapper Kendrick Lamar invited a white girl onstage but stopped her from using N-word while rapping his lyrics. To me and many, it seems like a set up and hypocritical. Nevertheless, there are opponents who assert that the N-word should only be used by those of black heritage.

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Political correctness is ultimately about fairness, and fairness is obviously a matter of perspective. The Good Book says, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote (little speck) of thy brother's eye." (Matt. 7:5). In our hypersensitive American climate, political correctness comes at a price.

For example, when self-professed racial whistleblowers called Disney's Maui costumes "blackface," a whole generation of young people were told not to engage with Polynesian culture. To me this is sad. And the irony is that in the long run, we will have missed a great opportunity to win people over.

As a rule, I think it's preferable to be less reactive and more balanced and patient. The more liberals cry "wolf," the less responsive we are to their calls. Out of spite, hardcore Republicans label lefties as "Snowflakes" but I'll do one better and refer to them as "Cornflakes." They don't melt in the sunlight but rather get soggy with milk. Haha. Just kidding! OMG - don't get offended! Toughen up, Cornflake.