By Roy Klein

Political correctness, in general, has gone too far. For the most part, at our age you’d think we’d lighten up and stop being so sensitive about every little thing. I mean, a bald guy is a bald guy. Calling him “follically challenged” is just stupid. And a jerk is a jerk. Let’s not mince words by calling him “socially impaired.”

Persons with disabilities

If there’s one exception, though, it’s how we refer to persons with disabilities.

These folks have to overcome so much just to function in society. They deserve our utmost respect and compassion. So if they prefer to be called “physically challenged” rather than crippled, that’s fine with me. “Differently-abled” instead of “disabled” is also okay. “Special” instead of “retarded” is entirely appropriate. As are “visually challenged” (blind) and “hearing impaired” (deaf).

Terminology doesn’t make things right

Unfortunately, just changing our terminology isn’t enough to make things right. To the contrary, it’s a classic case of form over substance – the language may be more respectful, but our feelings and perceptions aren’t.

The problem is that those of us who think of ourselves as “normal” (or “unchallenged”?) are victims of a powerful, instinctive defense-mechanism: Although we empathize with the less fortunate on some level, at the same time we still can’t help but poke fun at them. It’s like some kind of reflexive superstitiousness. As long as we ridicule them, what happened to them can’t happen to us. “There but for the grace of God go I; knock on wood; poo, poo, poo!”

Dark humor and tasteless jokes

This isn’t limited to our reactions to the disabled. Dark humor and tasteless jokes seem to be ways we choose to deal with all sorts of human tragedy. For example, within hours of the Challenger shuttle explosion, the phone lines were abuzz (remember, there was no Internet back then) with the worst sorts of jokes imaginable. As disgusting as they were at the time, though, some made us laugh. (Which may have helped the grieving and healing process.)

I’m well past 50 now and I have to confess that I’m discussing all this now in an effort to assuage my own feelings of guilt and shame over my own less than pure thoughts. I recently observed an unusual couple. She was a “little person” (formerly known as a “midget” or maybe a “dwarf”). He was blind. He walked behind her, with his outstretched hand resting on her shoulder. For a moment, I was overcome with compassion; this was obviously a match made in heaven, and it was beautiful to see. Inevitably, though, my base instincts kicked in, and these thoughts popped into my head: (1) wow, a new business – Seeing-Eye Dwarfs (Ughhhh!!!!)

Politically incorrect but right on the money

There really is no way to rationalize such horrible thoughts. The truth is that us “normal” people aren’t unchallenged after all. We’re “empathy challenged” or “socially impaired.” And what’s the politically incorrect word again for describing such an individual? That’s right. We’re all insensitive jerks. <<

For other articles by Roy Klein visit his website www.RoyKlein.com. For further information on Roy visit the websites for his law practice (Loorak.com) and his arbitrator/mediator practice (Limacs.org).