I despise political correctness.  It goes against the very grain of my being.  I’m a huge fan of respect, though.  As far as I’m concerned people deserve respect simply because they are a person...that is until they screw it up.  You know what I’m talking about.  When they think everybody else has to be SUPER human and never say the wrong thing.  When you decide you’re going to stick your feelings out on stems and just wait until someone comes along and “disrespect’s” you, then I say that you should go ahead and kiss my ass while you’re disrespected.  There are people in this world that sit around not saying a word, just waiting, hoping for someone to say or do something so that they can get bent out of shape.  It reminds me of the angler fish with that little worm thing on its head.  They sit real still, wiggling it enticingly until one of us unsuspecting schmucks floats by and pokes at it.

    Let me tell you what that does for you:

It makes us leave you out of our plans.

It makes us uncomfortable in your presence.

It makes us avoid you and your opinions.

It makes us act “different” when we must be around you.

It makes us question your motives.

It makes us stop talking when you walk up.

It makes us guard every word we say in the event you accidentally overhear us.

It makes us not want to help you when you need help.

It makes us miserable.

It makes us not like you.

    If you want respect:

Tell me my shirt reminds you of the drapes in your first apartment.

Tell me that my favorite football team is going to lose to your favorite team.

Tell me you ate an entire half gallon of Moose Tracks ice cream Saturday.

Tell me your cat sleeps on your head every night.

Tell me you hate cutting your grass.

Tell me some of your good ideas.

Tell me that one of your kids is going to school on a scholarship.

Tell me that you are human like the rest of us.

Tell me that it hurts your feelings when people ignore you.

Tell me when I say something that hurts you.

    We want you to be one of “us”.  We want to get along and say you are our friend.  We want to think you are special because you are just a plain old human being...like us.  I don’t give a rat’s patoot about your sex, color, cultural background, sexual preference, religious beliefs or attractiveness.   When you insist on rules that force us to “respect” you, plan on getting exactly the opposite.

    I went through Diversity Training a few years ago.  Nobody made me do it, I just did it.  The main focus was that you must accept a person as, say, gay or Chinese or blind before you accepted them as an individual.   What a load of crap.  This is some of that typical liberal BS that is designed to promote a certain group just so a bunch of tag-a-long deadbeats will get a good deal for nothing.  I work in a major corporation composed of every nationality, race, disability, sexual preference and religious belief you can name and probably a few you’ve never heard of.  One of my best friends is Iranian.  Another is of Korean descent.  There’s a black guy I’ve traveled with since the day I started.  There’s another guy that wants me to bring some Southern food for the Christmas luncheon but to make sure it’s not pork.  I thought he was vegetarian but he told me he was Muslim.  With the exception of the black guy (which was obvious) I was friends with them BEFORE I knew they were a member of a special group.  The best that I can tell, they don’t want me to treat them differently because of it.