dichotomy
di·chot·o·my
dīˈkädəmē/
noun: dichotomy; plural noun: dichotomies
a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
Our example begins here.
WISCONSIN BANS CERTAIN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS CHEERS: If
you're planning to attend a high school sports game in Wisconsin you'll
want to be on your best behavior. In a standard that is apparently not
new, but is now being more strongly enforced, the Wisconsin
Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) is now banning cheers like,
"Air ball!", "Fundamentals!" and "Season's over!" In a statement emailed
in December, the WIAA stated, "...any action directed at opposing teams
or their spectators with intent to taunt, disrespect, distract or
entice an unsporting behavior in a response is not acceptable
sportsmanship." The changes are not going over well with students.
Twitter user @JayBilas tweeted, "WIAA acceptable chant to officials:
'Dear Sirs: We beg to differ, but thank you for your service to our
game.'" What do you think? Do the new rules go too far or are they
acceptable?
Meanwhile...
The presidential campaign, or what passes for it this time around, is chock-a-block full of trash talk, vicious smear talk, slander, libel and words we never heard in the Bible, transcending cheap shots and, arguably, lowering the bar to a level that makes the Mariana Trench look like as sidewalk puddle on a rainy afternoon.
Lots of talk on the radio show about the tsunami of political correctness washing over the nation. From concern about offending ethnic groups to concern about offending sexual groups to concern about offending just about anyone or anything that it is theoretically possible to offend, a country filled with people traditionally inclined to take a straight up stand on issues is now mastering the art of bending over backwards in an effort to prevent offending any and/or all of the aforementioned potential offendees.
With a couple of notable exceptions.
Apparently, it's fair game and acceptable play to degrade, denigrate and/or diminish one's political opponent(s).
And it's now standard operating procedure to insult and offend those amongst us who believe that a campaign for the Presidency of the United States should take place on a higher than average moral high ground.
Hmm.
So, young people ramped up and cheering for their respective favorite high school sports team need to refrain from any specific, or even hint of, taunt.
And all the gloves, and bets, are off when it comes to showing the world the level of statesmanship is involved when it comes to choosing a leader of the free world.
Irony?
Hard to refute that.
Especially given that, now, the area of our lives that offers us the very least in political correctness is...
...wait for it...
...politics.
There's another word that pretty much nails it, though.
The word is dichotomy.
Meanwhile...
The presidential campaign, or what passes for it this time around, is chock-a-block full of trash talk, vicious smear talk, slander, libel and words we never heard in the Bible, transcending cheap shots and, arguably, lowering the bar to a level that makes the Mariana Trench look like as sidewalk puddle on a rainy afternoon.
Lots of talk on the radio show about the tsunami of political correctness washing over the nation. From concern about offending ethnic groups to concern about offending sexual groups to concern about offending just about anyone or anything that it is theoretically possible to offend, a country filled with people traditionally inclined to take a straight up stand on issues is now mastering the art of bending over backwards in an effort to prevent offending any and/or all of the aforementioned potential offendees.
With a couple of notable exceptions.
Apparently, it's fair game and acceptable play to degrade, denigrate and/or diminish one's political opponent(s).
And it's now standard operating procedure to insult and offend those amongst us who believe that a campaign for the Presidency of the United States should take place on a higher than average moral high ground.
Hmm.
So, young people ramped up and cheering for their respective favorite high school sports team need to refrain from any specific, or even hint of, taunt.
And all the gloves, and bets, are off when it comes to showing the world the level of statesmanship is involved when it comes to choosing a leader of the free world.
Irony?
Hard to refute that.
Especially given that, now, the area of our lives that offers us the very least in political correctness is...
...wait for it...
...politics.
There's another word that pretty much nails it, though.
The word is dichotomy.
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