Saturday, January 19, 2002

 

Politically correct. But is it right?

I'm totally outraged and saddened by the statue that is supposed to represent the three firefighters who raised the flag amid the rumble of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. In case you live in a cave and haven't heard, although the three firefighters who raised the flag -- the photograph of which is one of the most poignant from that day -- are white, the statue depicts a white, Hispanic and black firefighter.

This is being politically correct to the extreme, and it's wrong. I probably can't say it any better than the people in this Washington Post article. It pretty much sums up how I feel. The statue, which is supposed to be a reminder of this country's strength and resolve on the worst day in its history, should be historically accurate. This is not the time to make a political statement about ethnic diversity. Even the black firefighters union of New York says its more concerned with real-life diversity, not the symbolic kind.

Of course there should be memorials to all the people who died at the World Trade Center -- all races, sexes, religions -- but let's leave this piece of history the way it is.

As long as I'm writing about being politcally correct, look at this. It's not as important as the firefighter statue, but it says something about our culture. It seems that all new merchandising for The Brady Bunch is being done without the image of Mike Brady, the father.

What's the first thing you thought of when you read/heard that? The people who own the rights to Brady Bunch merchandise don't want to use Mike Brady/Robert Reed anymore because he died an AIDS-related death. Right? Wrong. That's not the reason at all. It seems that shortly before his death Reed refused to sign a deal with Viacom/Paramount that would let the corporation use his '70s-era image on Brady products.

Surprised? So was I when I read the truth. I was also sad that we live in a world that allowed me, possibily even forced me, to think my first thought.

posted by Anne 1/19/2002 01:41:00 PM