When will political correctness jump the shark? When will the political-correctness movement get so crazy that people in general say, “Whoa, this is madness, this can’t go on”? At universities such as Princeton, the heads of residential colleges have long been called “masters.” But now, in 2015, that has to be changed, because of, you know … slavery.
In music schools, there have always been “master classes” — public classes taught by an eminent musician, or “master.” Will we be forced to change that, too? If not, why not?
Christians have always referred to Jesus as “Master.” Uh-oh.
But back to the shark. A friend of mine in Pennsylvania sent me this news story. “I want to believe this is some kind of off-season April Fools’ joke,” he wrote, “but apparently not.” The article is about Lebanon Valley College, in Annville. On that campus is Lynch Memorial Hall, named after Dr. Clyde A. Lynch, who was president of the college from 1932 to 1950. From what we learn in the article, he was a stand-up guy.
But his name …
Yes, they — “they,” the nutcases and brats — are demanding the removal of his name.
The attorney general of the United States is a black woman named Lynch. Should the president fire her? (Maybe, but not for that reason.) As a music critic, I sometimes cover a baritone named Lester Lynch. He’s black, but that’s no excuse: Should I boycott his performances?
I have a plea for adult, non-crazy America: Stop indulging the nutcases. Now. If you don’t draw the line somewhere, you will perish.