By now, we should be familiar with the Carrie Prejean story. Briefly, Ms. Prejean was asked about her position on gay marriage when competing for the Miss USA crown. She currently holds the Miss California crown. Her expressed opposition to gay marriage is reputed to have cost her the Miss USA title and ignited a firestorm of controversy surrounding that beauty contest
In a statement released May 13, 2009 on the SarahPAC website, Governor Palin said,
The liberal onslaught of malicious attacks against Carrie Prejean for expressing her opinion is despicable (Palin, 2009, ¶1).
Carrie and I spoke soon after the attacks started; I can relate as a liberal target myself. What I find so remarkable is that these politically-motivated attacks fail to show that what Carrie and I believe is also what President Obama and Secretary Clinton believe – marriage is between a man and a woman (Palin, 2009, ¶2).
I applaud Donald Trump for standing with Carrie during this time. And I respect Carrie for standing strong and staying true to herself, and for not letting those who disagree with her deny her protection under the nation’s First Amendment Rights (Palin, 2009, ¶3).
Our Constitution protects us all – not just those who agree with the far left (Palin, 2009, ¶4).
Commentary
Kudos to Governor Palin for speaking out in defense of Carrie Prejean. Governor Palin also aptly pointed out the irony surrounding this issue. The only leaders further to the left than Obama are the Castro brothers and Hugo Chavez — and he’s not too far removed from them policy-wise. Yet, Obama has stated he is against gay marriage. This begs the question: why is it OK for him, but not for Carrie Prejean?
Political correctness (PC) is a cancer that is destroying the fabric of our country. PC is not government censorship, but rather it is private censorship and a particularly dangerous form of “group-think.” PC addresses — or more rather — fails to address uncomfortable subject matter either by burying it or by establishing a single position which is sanctioned or approved — correct. In the case of the Miss USA contest, the only approved or correct position regarding gay marriage is to support it.
PC often starts out with good intentions — eliminating stereotypes, prejudices, and biases. But PC immediately becomes the thing it hates, for PC is by definition intolerant of any opinion except the “correct” one. We see it every day in all walks of life. PC is not just about politics and political parties. PC affects all subject matter. So long as an “incorrect” or unapproved opinion can result in negative consequences, you are subjected to PC.
The purpose of a beauty contest (which by definition is subjective — beauty really is in the eyes of the beholder) is to set a standard of perfection as regards physical feminine beauty. The contestant who best meets that standard wins. A contestant’s opinion on gay marriage — for or against — should not influence the outcome of the contest one way or the other. If the opinions had been reversed — that is Prejean for gay marriage and the judge against it — denying her the crown based on the difference of opinion would have been equally wrong.
Every human being has opinions on a wide range of subjects. In the 21st Century we should be now be able to work, and associate with those whose opinions differ from our own. This author is married to a woman who does not like Governor Palin and also has a co-worker/friend who is an Obama supporter. While this author vehemently disagrees with them, he respects their right to their opinions. The old saw, “I may disagree with you, but I would die for your right to express your opinion” is apropos here.
References
Palin, S. L. H. (2009, May 13). Governor Palin statement on attacks against Carrie Prejean SarahPAC. Retrieved May 14, 2009 from: http://www.sarahpac.com/news/news26.aspx
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