The paragraphs below contain my opinions based on my observations and life experiences. The can be accepted or denied as you wish.

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I am considering starting another blog called Politically Incorrect. It is never really my intent to be “PI”, but it seems the more common sense, careful thought, and basic morality I or anybody tries to put into our opinions, the more politically incorrect, by 21^st Century American standards, that I/we become. If that’s the case, then I will just have to continue to proceed with that label. Always remember to take a good look at who is setting the so-called standard of political correctness. Would you really wouldn’t want to be like them.

Until the last 8 or 10 years I’ve never really had a problem with politically correct terminology. In other words, when one group or another decided to change what they want to be called, I usually just did it. If that’s what they want, that’s fine with me. Then I heard American Indians calling themselves Indians instead of Native Americans. The same with black versus African Americans. Hispanic, Latino, and on and on. I mean it got down to the point where we had to be politically correct with what we called a janitor or a secretary. I didn’t feel any different about any of the groups, as I as no bad feelings anyway, before or after one of their many name changes. I began to wonder who made up the rules for our speech, and if it was so important why didn’t everybody who belonged to the group refer to themselves in the newly accepted vernacular?

A year or so ago I was watching an old western ( made around 1952) on TV. It was about a physically challenged elderly woman ( are the terms elderly and woman still OK?. Maybe I should say a seasoned American lady). She had been robbed of money that she had earmarked for use in the building of a hospital for people like her. She said, I wanted that money to go to cripples like me. I cringed. Then I thought back to earlier times in my life and the word cripple meant exactly the same as physically challenged does today. The show was meant to inspire people to help, but today they would be chastised for their terminology.

I decided a while ago that I would not bow to constantly changing names or phrases, until after they became so mainstream ( just like the words they replaced) that they flowed from my lips naturally. I never condone intentionally calling groups of people bad names, unless of course, they’ve proved themselves bad. Political correctness redefines our language, according to what a select few self-proclaimed intellectuals decide for the rest of us. They are what I call (yes I know that I am name calling, they‘ve proved themselves) “pointy headed intellectuals”.

It seems there are always a very small number of people who are forever telling us what to say, when and how to say it. They are usually the most small-minded, and sometimes most bigoted among us. Maybe it’s time to take our language and our thoughts back.

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The blood bath that is called Chicago, Illinois, continues daily. Chicago is not the only American city under siege, but it may be the worst. Certainly LA, Baltimore, Milwaukee and others attempt to emulate the ‘Second City”. Chicago, of course has among the strictest gun control laws in the nation. Hmmmmmm!!!! The only people without guns in Chicago are the honest people who “just might” like to protect themselves, but are too honest to carry guns that are made illegal via the so-called “wisdom” of city and state leaders. It needs to be asked, is there any wisdom left in an American city with a population of over 300,000?

The group our President seems to love so much, Black Lives Matter, could not be more inappropriately named. The vast majority of those lives lost in Chicago, as well as most major American cities are black. The group Black Lives Matter is generally silent when blacks, often innocent children, are robbed of their lives on almost an hourly basis. It seems, that the only black lives that matter to the group of that name, are those ( often criminals in the act) killed by white Americans who are dressed in blue. The leaders of that group should walk a mile in the shoes of officers of all colors who are dressed in blue. That is, unless they are  too busy consorting with those committing the crimes that eventually leads to those shootings, and the loss of black lives.

If you think I am being unfair with that group, this news flash came in while I was writing this. One of Black Lives Matters leaders Charles Wade, often referred to by the American Left as a civil rights activist, has just been arrested for the human sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl in Maryland. She was placed (by Wade) as for sale on a website used by sex traffickers. He was found in a motel room with the 17-year-old. He had just been invited by the White House to watch movies, with the President.

In fairness, unlike how Wade handles issues, I will add to this section that he has been accused and I believe charged, but not yet proven guilty.

Perhaps amnesty from the President?

If a group was created called White Lives Matter, to cast a light on any white people, who are killed by black criminals, it would be shouted down, and deemed politically incorrect. I might well agree with those who shun that name, but the same is true with a group called Black Lives Matter who cares nothing about 99.999% of the killing of blacks in America. When those gang bangers who kill blacks are given barely a “love tap” by our judicial system, I never hear Black Lives Matter complain.

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This article will be moved from the “front page” of Earth Images shortly after publication. Like all non-photography posts, it will live with others of its own kind.

I take hard stands on many subjects, and I realize that those stands don’t really belong with photography articles. Please note, I am not racist, sexist, homophobic or anything else. I cheer for and pray for the success and good life of all people. Most of my heroes are those who have moved forward with wisdom and selflessness, the plight of those who have been kept from what we used to call, the American Dream. Most are black, many are women, some are black women. Seeing and writing the truth, instead of meekly staying on the sidelines and giving in to political correctness,  might add one tiny push to correct the true faults of today’s world. Holding minorities and other groups hostage, by fear mongering individuals (Al Sharpton) and groups (Black Lives Matter) who only want what’s best for themselves as individuals or groups, is done for money and power. It will never accomplish any sort of success for anybody but the “users”.

Thank you for stopping by, I appreciate your patronage,                                                             Wayne