Being Politically Correct Takes the Fun Out of Celebration

The older I get, the more aggravating being Politically Correct becomes.  It's reached the point where a person can't even have some good clean fun without offending somebody.

Next week is the beginning of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  Historically the Friday before the start of the festivities is deemed "Go Texan Day."  Many companies encourage their employees to dress up in their country best, and even the corporate bigwigs can be seen wearing jeans, boots, and cowboy hats to work.

Since I'd rather die than wear that garb, I decided several years ago to go a different route.  With the help of a friend and my boss, I fashioned a device which I wore all day long with a sign attached to it saying "Damn Yankee".  It was a hit.  For the next few years I wore the item, changing out the sign every year.  The most popular one was "Thinks Rodeo Is A Street In Beverly Hills".  It always got attention and more than a few chuckles.  I think that one stayed on three years running.

I'm sure you want to know what it was I wore that got such a positive reaction during rodeo season.  It wasn't anything wild or fancy or expensive.  It was simply...a noose.

Thanks to its recent use in racially-charged situations such as those at Columbia University and Jena, Louisiana, the noose has become a negative symbol of racism.  Which means that you can be labeled something that you may not be simply for using it.  It's like what happened with the Confederate flag--guilt by association.

So I'm not "dressing up" again this year for "Go Texan Day".  What a bummer.