Omar Mahmood and the goddess of Political Correctness

This post is dedicated to my friends of left persuasion, you know who you are, I bet. And I hope (nah, I know) that you'll find it in you to condemn the new generation of left wing cultural fascists that is growing among us.

The story starts with an article by a University of Michigan student Omar Mahmood, who, unfortunately for him (as it appeared to be) espouses conservative beliefs. The guy (to understand his beliefs better, you have to take a look at this article, not related to the subject matter of this post) has a misfortune to possess a sense of humor. It is true that sense of humor is a trait that is not looked upon kindly by the deadly serious promoters of extreme left and extreme right viewpoints. Which is what happened in this story.

Omar has written many other things, among them a rather nice send-up of the PC thought and, especially, PC language with its ugly Soviet-like rejection or mauling of existing words in favor of the PC neologisms. The piece was called “Do The Left Thing”. I read it before the story exploded and had me quite a few laughs. The only fault of the article, in my un-professional opinion, was its somewhat excessive length, it could have been improved by some judicious trimming.

Now I 'll let the Fox News* to take over:

Omar Mahmood, a junior majoring in literature and anthropology at the University of Michigan, lost his job as a writer for the main campus newspaper and saw his front door tattooed with angry and profane messages after he wrote a satirical column dubbed "Do the Left Thing" for another publication. Written as parody, the column sought to poke fun at people who constantly perceive “microaggressions” -- a new term for small racial or ethnically-driven snubs.

But let's slow down a bit, because there are at least two chapters to the story worth your attention. To start with - details of being fired from the campus newspaper

After his column was published last week, Mahmood tells The College Fix: “I received a call from the editorial editor [of the Daily] telling me that I had created a ‘hostile environment’ among the editorial staff and that someone had felt threatened because of what I had written … The issue had been taken to the editor in chief who procured a bylaw by which I was given an ultimatum to leave the Review or leave the Daily within a week. I was not allowed to know the name of the offended individuals.”

There is more about the bylaw and what they call "the conflict of interests" there. But, after noting the term ‘hostile environment’ (another rotten fruit of PC language), let's proceed to the second chapter. Namely the attacks on Omar Mahmood.

“These progressive students attacked Omar because they felt that he, as a Muslim, cannot also be a conservative,” Derek Draplin, a student and editor of the conservative student paper The Review, which published the parody, told FoxNews.com. "He doesn't fit their social justice agenda so they attack him, censor him, try to get him to shut up.”

The sheer idiocy of expecting a Muslim to be automatically of the left persuasion is hilarious. But the thing that never fails to disturb me: the same people who whine and protest about anything that might be conceivably presented as "muzzling" (that term, startlingly, includes criticism as well, absurd as it may sound) never hesitate to muzzle - in any way, including firing and even physically harming - anyone who thinks differently. But let's set aside the quote by Derek Draplin and move to the physical part.

On Friday night, according to Mahmood, people attacked his dorm room door, egging it and leaving copies of his satirical article with notes on the backs including “Shut the f--- up!” and “You scum embarrass us” and “DO YOU EVEN GO HERE?! LEAVE!!” along with various others, including an image of a creature with horns and another one of him with his eyes crossed out.

FoxNews.com viewed surveillance footage taken early Friday at 1:40 a.m. local time inside of Mahmood's dorm, which is for students but is run independently of the university. It showed four figures meeting in the hallway and one of them handing the other three hooded sweatshirts. The three then put on hooded sweatshirts and go to his door. Mahmood says he believes he knows who the attackers were based on the footage.

“Shut the f--- up!” indeed... this from the folks that will die defending your right to free speech... no, wait, they may have missed that concept in their PC studies...

And the university's response to that incident is by itself a shining example of bureaucratic idiocy draped in PC clothes:

“This off-campus incident has been reported to the university's Bias Response Team for follow-up,” spokesman Rick Fitzgerald told FoxNews.com. “The team will take appropriate action once information has been gathered.”

"Bias Response Team" - don't you get a feeling of total disconnect with real life seeing this? Instead of throwing the four yobs out of the university to get some serious spanking by their parents - this is what happens with barbarians on campus? Bias Response Team? You must be pulling my leg.

Meanwhile the only person who suffers the consequences of exercising his right of free speech is Omar Mahmood - but read the whole story. Shame.

Maybe it's quite the time to add another mandatory course on US campuses - Freedom of Speech 101. A course that will explain what freedom of speech really means and how it doesn't include messing with the freedom of speech of somebody you disagree with? And also explain the possible consequences of such messing?

What consequences? - you may want to ask right now. A good question too...

P.S. And if you want another typical expression of that mix of cultural fascism and idiocy - here you go:

Sir Tom Jones says he is proud that his song Delilah has become an anthem at Welsh rugby games, despite the fact it has been labelled inappropriate over claims it promotes domestic violence.

Yeah...


(*) Strangely or not, not a single big media outlet other than Fox News picked up the story. Which is a shame by itself, you must agree.