CULTURE WAR: POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS STILL GOING STRONG

In case some of you think that a cease-fire has been achieved in the culture war, I'm here to tell you that the guns are still blazing or should I say the nukes are exploding?

Let me share with you a few news stories I've come across in the last few days:

Family News reports that an employee for a major Hollywood TV network who was dismissed due to downsizing filed a human resources complaint against her superior. The disgruntled employee had previously filed a series of complaints against the executive, one because he had a Bible on his office shelf and another because she saw him reading it.

Apparently frustrated that the Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts have a right to bar homosexuals from serving as troop leaders, California congresswoman Lynn Woolsey plans to introduce legislation to repeal the federal charter of the Boy Scouts, granted in 1916. "We're not saying they're bad. We're saying intolerance is bad," said Woolsey. If tolerance is the guiding virtue, shouldn't we ask the congresswoman why she refuses to tolerate the Boy Scouts' constitutional right to associate with whom they choose or to abide by the moral code they believe binds them?

Family News provides another gem. A Springfield, Mass., high school has distributed a list of suggestions for what teachers can do to make schools safe for gays and lesbians. One teacher says those suggestions are more like mandates. One of the "suggested" guidelines: "Do not assume that all students and their parents are heterosexual." The teacher added: "We're to use inclusive language, so we can't even say 'mother', 'father', 'wife' or 'husband.' We're supposed to use the generic term, 'parent' or 'partner.'" That's not all. Certain teachers at the school display the gay logo on their doors, inviting students "who may think they are homosexual" to do something about it.

The California Board of Education has voted to adopt "educational equity" regulations. Pro-family activist Randy Thomasson says these regulations will allow a student at a Christian school to be punished, or a teacher to be disciplined ... if they even said that homosexuality was unhealthy or immoral."

The Washington Times reports that the District of Columbia City Council passed legislation that would require all health-insurance plans covering the cost of prescription drugs to include coverage for the cost of contraceptives. Contraceptives would include intrauterine devices and morning-after pills, which effectively abort embryos. Unlike similar legislation in several states, the bill fails to include a "conscience clause" that would exempt religious employers, such as Catholic and Georgetown universities. During the debates, one gay councilman said, "I am very concerned about having religious principles impact public health policy. Are we going to say we are going to defer to Rome in terms of our views?"

The Houston Chronicle informs us that rocker Ted Nugent has been barred from playing with the group Kiss at a Houston concert in August because he refused to sign a conduct agreement attached to his contract. Nugent's offense was that when playing with Kiss in Houston last April he uttered his unspeakable opinion that "If you are going to live in this country, you should learn to speak English."

If the above examples don't convince you of the chilling effect of political correctness on free speech, you should consider Al Gore's response to the question of whether the execution of a convicted pregnant woman should be delayed until after she has given birth. After thinking about it for a day (and obviously considering the wrath he would incur from the thought-police if he were to answer this question in good conscience), statesman Gore declared, "The principle of a woman's right to choose governs in that case." The "rights" of a convicted murderer are more important to Al Gore than the life of a baby? For twisted thinking, it's hard to beat that.

Look these stories over again. In every case, the politically correct culture-warriors, while decrying their opponents supposed intolerance, exhibit the most stifling kind of intolerance imaginable -- and more. They don't merely demand to be tolerated. They insist that their views be crammed down our throats.

Make no mistake. The culture war is raging. I just hope that the voices of sanity don't surrender without firing a shot.

~David Limbaugh of Cape Girardeau is a columnist for Creators Syndicate.