The Kitsap Pundit

These are always fun. Sometime you get to read something that's been considered and researched. Sometimes you get yahoos that shoot from the hip.

Yesterday's Kitsap Sun had this gem of a letter:

To the Editor:

I have a few questions I would like to ask the liberals in this county, state and nation.

• Why do Environmentalists now want to be called Conservationists — and Species (as in endangered) are now Wildlife?

• Why are Liberals now Progressives?

• Why are Speed Traps now called Safety Emphasis Patrols?

• Why are Taxes now called Funding Sources and Revenue Streams?

• Why do we have African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans — but we don't have any European Americans?

• Why is it acceptable to discriminate against Christians, but no other religion on earth?

• Why is it acceptable to discriminate against young heterosexual white males and no other group on the planet?

• Why are our soldiers in Iraq now called Occupiers instead of Liberators?

• Why are Terrorists now called Insurgents?

• And does anyone know what Tim Botkin is calling Smart Growth these days?

The answer to all the above is, of course, is Political Correctness. The liberals have such a low opinion of the average citizen on the street, that they think they can fool us by changing the names of things.

Gordon Bemrose

Port Orchard

I'm going to pick this apart.

• Why do Environmentalists now want to be called Conservationists — and Species (as in endangered) are now Wildlife?

So? Maybe it's a little more descriptive.

• Why are Liberals now Progressives?

Same again.

• Why are Speed Traps now called Safety Emphasis Patrols?

Who knows? So what?

• Why are Taxes now called Funding Sources and Revenue Streams?

I suspect these are accounting and management terms. So what? If you like to use the word taxes, George, do so.

• Why do we have African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans — but we don't have any European Americans?

I'm not an expert on this one but I suspect it's because they're all minorities. I also suspect, Gordon, that you're a part of the majority population (after all, you're the one whining about this perceived injustice). So if you want to call yourself a European-American, go ahead.

• Why is it acceptable to discriminate against Christians, but no other religion on earth?

You gotta back this up with evidence, Gordon. Christianity is the majority religion in this country and to make an accusation of discrimination at least implies an oppressive group of a greater number. Sorry, Gordon, I just don't see it beyond the wing-nut echo chambers where factual evidence is sorely lacking and stoutly ignored.

• Why is it acceptable to discriminate against young heterosexual white males and no other group on the planet?

Again, white heterosexual males are in the majority here. And I don't see discrimination. Evidence, Gordon. We need evidence.

• Why are our soldiers in Iraq now called Occupiers instead of Liberators?

Returning to the first response: Maybe it's a little more descriptive.

• Why are Terrorists now called Insurgents?

I suspect it's because the people in that country are fighting against occupiers.

• And does anyone know what Tim Botkin is calling Smart Growth these days?

Hmmm. I don't know. Instead of framing the question as to what other people know about Tim Botkin's position, ask Tim Botkin.

In conclusion, says Gordon:

The answer to all the above is, of course, is Political Correctness. The liberals have such a low opinion of the average citizen on the street, that they think they can fool us by changing the names of things.

In your dreams. The answers to the above questions are obvious, some even rendered as irrelevant. But Gordon asks these questions in order to raise the illusion of evil liberals oppressing the common people. Instead of addressing issues that have relevance and meaning, he write a letter to the editor waving a red herring as a great warning banner.

As Bugs Bunny would say, "What a maroon."

The Kitsap Sun, it seems to me over the years, has a policy of publishing almost any letter that comes across their desks. They must have standards of decency (of course - it's mainstream media), but ignorance and logic-lacking scrawls have no bar to meet.