Posted on 05/25/2019 4:29:07 AM PDT by Kaslin
Editor's note: This column was authored by Kristiana Bolzman.
Few words are better known in American political thought than the following: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg suggests removing author Thomas Jefferson’s name from the Jefferson-Jackson dinners, so as not to show Jefferson, a slave-owner, undue honor.
At best, Buttigieg’s comments evidence an agenda pushing more political correctness. At worst, they undermine the very laws America is built upon.
If Buttigieg truly believes naming a dinner after a slaveholder—even one whose thoughts shaped a nation—is too much of an honor, then adhering to the philosophy and writings of such a man would seem to be an even greater wrong.
The American Declaration of Independence, for example, is one of Jefferson’s most famous writings. Though not legally authoritative, it has contributed to legal decisions, legislative action, executive action, and political advocacy. Its position on the equality of all persons has served as the basis for promoting women’s suffrage and gender identity, and ironically, eliminating slavery—the very wrong Buttigieg uses to disqualify Jefferson. But by some standards, this devotion to our founding principles honors the Declaration’s author—more so than a dinner ever could. If Buttigieg is to be taken seriously, then surely this honor is unfounded, and the reforms that propagate Jefferson’s influence should be held in question.
Similarly, the American Constitution, the basis of over 220 years’ worth of legal precedent was developed by 55 delegates, about 25 of them owned slaves. By Buttigieg’s reasoning, the authority America gives this document would also seem to offer too much honor to the slaveholders who penned it.
Worse yet, if adhering to the law shows too much honor to its flawed authors, then Buttigieg’s reasoning suggests that few laws deserve adherence. Although no Americans today own slaves, most would likely agree that our founders, presidents, politicians, and even presidential candidates are far from perfect, and have perhaps not done nearly as much good as Jefferson. Therefore, if following the precedents Jefferson established offers him too much honor, surely following the laws these men and women establish also shows too much honor.
If Buttigieg were right, America could be left without reliable laws, leaders, or founding documents. It’s probably for the better therefore that the Indiana Mayor back peddled on the extremity of his remarks during Sunday’s Fox News town hall. There, Buttigieg noted that he had no intention of renaming the Jefferson boulevards of America or blowing up the Jefferson Memorial for the honor it does to a slaveholding president. Rather, he said he only meant to encourage thinking twice about the names of events in light of how “burning an issue” racial equity is today
But if this is Buttigieg’s position, then he is pushing a line Americans are both tired of hearing and to which we are strongly opposed: that we need to be more politically correct. According to a 2018 NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll of 1,075 American voters, 52 percent feel we do not need to grow more politically correct by being more sensitive about others. A 2018 poll by More in Common, an international initiative to build stronger, more united communities, interviewed 8,000 respondents and found that 80 percent believe political correctness has gone too far.
One respondent, a 28-year old voter told the researchers, “I have liberal views but I think political correctness has gone too far, absolutely. We have gotten to a point here everybody is offended by the smallest thing.”
While political correctness applies to more than just racial sensitivities, Merriam Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, and Encyclopedia Britannica include racial sensitivity as a primary example of politically correct behavior. Moreover, the More in Common study found that for racial sensitivity in particular, 69 percent of Americans across the political spectrum say people are too sensitive. Based on Sunday’s comments, Buttigieg seems to be one of them.
Take Buttigieg’s comments at face value or look to his revised sentiments—either way, American voters should be skeptical. With his first stance, Mayor Pete rejects the authors of American history and law. With the second, he shows that he is pushing an agenda Americans know and reject. Neither position sounds much like what Americans are looking for in our next president of the United States.
Buttigieg’s Political Correctness is Going to Backfire>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You mean Butty-plug is going to actually experience sodomy generated flatulence?
Pass the Beano?
What a great president he would make ( sarc.).
His ONLY talking point he dominates is his sexual preference. Period. Everything else about the guy is screwed, unproven and dangerous.
Buttboy is a child who lives only in his own day. He is a pawn of the socialists/communists who desire to rewrite history because history has not been and will not be kind to socialism/communism.
Homosexuals and their associated deviants may number about 2% of the population. However that percentage is much higher within the MSM, the entertainment business and advertising agencies .The networks feature homosexuals front and center. Lemon and Anderson Cooper on CNN, Shephard Smith on Fox and innumerable producers and other staff in other networks and print. These people are unabashedly enthusiastic about their fellow sodomite Buttigieg and will give him the reverence and propagandistic support they gave Obama.
He criticised Trump for not joining the military. He sounds so self righteous. So he was in Intelligence in the Navy.BFD.He’s a punk. Plus he probably was spying for the Taliban. He’s the product of a communist and therefore subversive. He also probably wore pink underwear under his uniform. I’m just kidding about that but not about the other stuff.
I believe you are correct in saying that the standards of yesterday should be held to yesterdays standards. I have been saying that for many years but was not able to put it as well as you have.
“There, Buttigieg noted that he had no intention of renaming the Jefferson boulevards of America or blowing up the Jefferson Memorial...”
BS...pure taqyia. He’ll say what he needs to say to get into office. THEN the renaming, bulldozing, blowing up will start...including the burning of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He’s playing to the PC crowd but went a few words too far, so he’s reeling it back in for the moment.
Whats the old saying? He’s taken more balls off the chin than Johnny Bench.
Dinesh Desousa spoke about doing away with what the founders established,people who denigrate the founders the founding documents they wrote because they owned slaves,critics are condemning personal flaws of individuals and by association the documents that formed a nation,of which there was no bigotry or discrimination mentioned.
George Washington owned slaves,but at his death freed them all.
Butt-edge-edge is just another Dim extremist trying to paint himself as a middle-of-the-roader.
I wrote that previous comment after only my first cup. I am having another as I type.
It improves one's logic and math skills greatly also.
One of my rules of success is: "anything worth doing well will be done better by first having a good cup of coffee."
Buttigieg is an Obama Communist in white face.
Why not take Jackson’s name off. He was a bigger racist than Jefferson could ever hope to be. See Trail of Tears. If fact, Democrats have ALWAYS been racists.
It’s always Year Zero for these people.
“....the renaming, bulldozing, blowing up will start...including the burning of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.”
When that happens, respect for the law in uniform will have vanished and CWII will be under way.
There will be no American Stalin. Not enough enforcers to confront the armed masses.
Better a reformed slave owner than an active knob-gobbling butt pirate.
The Left’s strategy is to control today’s thought by controlling history. They’ve trashed any number of our ancestors or erased them from History. Heck, History isn’t even taught in a systematic way in public schools — it’s “Social Studies” (see the problem here?)
This is simply a case of a Leftist (Buttigieg) targeting on of his own. It was ill-considered and a strategic mistake. Jefferson’s words were, and remain, revolutionary. If they take Jefferson off the American playing field then they can’t continue to use his words to fight conservative thought.
Ordinarily I would say, “never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake.” But Jefferson’s memory belongs to all of us, warts and all.
I can’t think of a more appropriate candidate than Mr. Plug, can you?
Forget this gent...folks, he Democrat,(Pete Buttigieg) is going nowhere, other then going to “pitch & catch sessions”.
His ardent, devoted and most loving Fox News Channel advocate, moderator, Chris Wallace thought he could give “Gay Mayor, Pete” a rigged Gay Festival, Town Hall meeting, stuffed with, gleeful, Pajama Boys & Girls and no one else, no Blacks, No, Hispanics, No Whites, except White folks just like Mayor, Pete.
Folks it failed miserably. less then 1,000,000 people tuned in for the “Wallace/Buttigieg” pitiful, Gay Love Fest. By comparison, Democrat, Bernie Sanders town hall meeting, on FNC pulled in 3,000,000 viewers!!! This guy, Buttigieg is toast...no, burnt toast...period!!!
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