A lot to learn from Barack

I hope my Pea doesn't get caught up in rhetoric.

President Barack Obama made a quip on Jay Leno last night that has caused quite a stir. He likened his bowling skills to those of a Special Olympian, meaning to say he isn't a great bowler.  

Personally, I think the PC Revolution has gone way too far. The late George Carlin had it right - it isn't the words we use that matter, it is the context in which we use them that is important. 

President Obama's comments were humorous, yet quite insensitive, because the context was insensitive.  His context was that Special Olympians can't possibly be good bowlers, which is far from the truth - they are, after all, Olympians. 

Let's consider a few other examples of the PC world Pea will be living in:

• There are no losers anymore. Everyone gets praise for participating.
• We don't fail at work. We miss an opportunity, or we need development.
• If you are a pale man of Scottish descent, you aren't pasty, you are pigmentally challenged.

To paraphrase Dave Chappelle, let's keep it real people.  At times, Pea will lose.  She will fail.  And thanks to her father's genetics, she will likely be considered pasty.  I refuse to avoid these words around her.

When she loses, I won't sugarcoat it.  When she fails, I will help her see the value in that failure.  I will help her understand that 'losing' and 'failure' aren't bad words unless the context they are used in is bad.  And in explaining this context, I hope she might also learn the benefits of losing and failing in building character and resiliency.  I hope that she will not fear words of any kind; rather, that she will be weary of their context.

I may not know what I want my Pea to become, but I hope she does not get caught up in rhetoric.   

P.S.- President Obama's comments came a little over a week before the Special Olympics embarks on a campaign to eradicate the use of what they call the R-word - retard. Coincidence?  See tomorrow's blog entry on conspiracy theories in the US political system.

P.P.S. - Ok, tomorrow's entry really won't have anything to do with conspiracy theories. Psyche!

P.P.P.S. - I haven't used the P.S., P.P.S., P.P.P.S. structure since grade school!  What a trip!