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Muzzled: From T-Ball to Terrorism-True Stories That Should Be Fiction

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Philadelphia attorney and talk-radio host (WPHT 1210 AM) Michael Smerconish has collected here about two dozen examples of victim culture and political correctness gone goofy, among which are:

-How the Philadelphia Daily News, for which Smerconish writes a column, felt pressure to apologize for a front page featuring the mugshots of 18 non-white murder suspects in Philadelphia, even though no whites were among the 56 people wanted for murder at the time.

-In New Jersey, bars that use the term, "Ladies' Nights," have been branded as "discriminatory."

-Teachers who refuse to mark a failing student's schoolwork or test with red ink because they fear it would stigmatize the kid.

-5ft. grannies who are hired as policewomen (I bet my use of this gender-specific term will inflame some people reading this) and prison guards who are assigned to duties calling for them to deal with murderers and rapists who often are packed with well over six-and-a-half-feet of muscle.

-Little girls who are prohibited from leaving flowers on soldiers' graves.

-How firefighters who volunteered to help out in the Gulf states ravaged by Hurrican Katrina were directed to undergo diversity training.

Too bad this book has come out before the recent "controversy" here in Philadelphia involving Joey Vento, owner of South Philly landmark, Geno's Steaks. An opportunistic city councilman, Jim Kinney, looking to make points with his increasingly growing Hispanic constituency, has publicly criticized Mr. Vento for a sign in his place that says, "This is America, order in English." This has become considered "newsworthy," making the rounds at CNN, Good Morning America, etc. Consequently, the city's Human Relation Commission is now involved.

The majority of us Americans find these things absurd; unfortunately, however, too many others out there see it otherwise. As Smerconish points out, such things have become battle symbols for professional activists and guilt-ridden middle class white folks. More importantly, besides being fodder for the legal industry who clog up our courts with such ridiculous junk, the words "racism," "sexism," "discrimination" are being cheapened by such constant use in reference to such trivialities.

Author Smerconish puts the spotlight on the arena of political correctness. Is this trend in todays world really about "righting a wrong" or "overreactions"? Decide for yourself as you read this well-written collection of true stories.


You may recognize some of the situations cited from your daily newspapers:

-little old ladies hired to guard 200 pound prisoners,

-newborn babies or toddlers and old men with walkers singled out at the airport for security scrutiny vs Profiling?

-LADIES NIGHTS promotions for discounted/ free drinks at restaurants and bars debated as discriminatory.

- a 9 year old boy ordered to stop putting flowers on dead soldiers' graves in a cemetery. He noticed that everyone's lot in the cemetery had flowers but none in the soldiers' lot where veterans of Vietnam, Korean, Revolutionary , Civil, Spanish-American Wars and WW I and II were buried. His compassionate action inflamed others and became the catalyst for a furor between Cemetery Board trustees, City fathers and Veterans.

- the Miss America beauty pageant candidates' platform issues


-Religion,

-Politics,

- T-ball.



"Muzzled" may make you squirm, laugh, and even start thinking about the increasing encroaching effect of this trend on your way of life.

Don't listen to what the first reviewer said -- Muzzled is an unbelievably interesting and frustrating (for what it exposes) book that everyone should read. Political correctness has become all to pervasive in society and Smerconish is working to end it.

There is a world view that the political left has that insists that reality is a fiction and that fiction can be a reality. In MUZZLED, radio talk show host Michael Smerconish takes to task the entire spectrum of thought that demands that we see the world through the lens of those who try to please everyone but winds up pleasing no one. Political Correctness (PC) is a recent invention of the left. When I first heard of it in the late 1980's, I thought that it might be a good thing. After all, how could I argue against those who seemed to be trumpeting the rights of the handicapped, the disaffected, the disenfranchised, and minorities in general? Well, as it turned out, I found out that the list of potential entrants into the pool of the handicapped et al quickly grew in number until the only ones not included were the ones not likely to donate to the party that promised an ever increasing piece of the economic and social pie.

In the world of the politically correct, Smerconish notes that one can lash out in any direction without fear of facing consequences. In MUZZLED, he provides numerous examples of PC recipients who have taken Star Trek's Mr. Spock's admonition and turned it on its head: "The needs of the few must always outweigh the needs of the many." One example: Teaching supervisors warn teachers not to use red to mark the papers of students who have made grammatical errors. The rationale is that red has punitive overtones and can lead to a student's loss of self-esteem. Purple has now become the new red. Smerconish notes that when purple then develops the same insidious overtones that now allegedly afflict red, then purple will have to be replaced in turn by a less offensive color. He further notes that current educational pedagogy now elevates student self-esteem over student mastery of what used to be called the three R's.

Smerconish's other chapters do not merely deal with issues that are annoying such as the purple-red controversy, but many touch on issues that relate directly to the very survival of this country. The politically correct left insists that at airports, Swedish grandmothers are to be considered at the same level of danger as young Moslem males. The recent arrest of some two dozen terrorists at England's Heathrow Airport was made possible only by using the very techniques that PC demands be dropped.

What becomes clear from reading MUZZLED and listening to the apologists of PC in the New York Times is that political correctness is merely one facet of a multi-pronged effort to transform the United States into a socialist vision that belongs only to the scattered few who nevertheless wield a power far out of proportion to their numbers: the media, academia, and the Hollywood elite. Smerconish closes by noting that it is now no longer politically correct to call terrorists terrorists. Now when we see planes blown out of the sky, the media may have to refer to the perpetrators as "co-ordinators of aerial strikes."

This book will make you laugh but it should make us all cry. To see what the effects of political correctness has had on our society is frightening. Smerconish does a great job of digging up some examples of out of control political correctness and its adverse effect on society. From scoreless sporting events to teachers using purple ink, each story will make you chuckle but should serve as a wake up call.

I bought this book right away when it came out, i'm having trouble figuring out how the first guy even read this book since his post is from march and the book came out April 4th. Michael is my most favorite radio personality and had been listening for years until i moved out of the area.

I thought this book started off slow in the introduction and in the first chapter, but after that, it really took off. To me, most of the stuff Michael says is just plain common sense. I have a few disagreements with his opinions, but I think he is saying what is needed to be said on a lot of issues.

The warning at the beginning says it all, this book is NOT for the easily offended.

Muzzled: From T-Ball to Terrorism-True Stories That Should Be Fiction by Michael Smerconish is another one of those fun to read right wing books that is full of stories about how the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Lots of anecdotes that seem impossible to believe, but of course are true. Teachers aren't using red ink anymore to correct papers; it was too traumatizing to the students. Purple is the new, friendlier red. Political correctness has gone crazy in this country and Smerconish, a radio talk show host from Philadelphia, wants to expose how deep its roots are going into our daily lives. The stories are well-written and researched, and honestly Smerconish is enjoyable to listen to. He seems like the guy who you could kick back with and listen to him talk all day. His style is very conversational and rarely in your face, a nice relief from so many publishing books and on the radio today. I don't necessarily agree with him on all his points, but he makes good ones, and this book makes for entertaining reading.

"Muzzled" is a well written account of Political Correctness (PC) of the worst kind. Michael Smerconish deals with all types of out-of-control subjects ranging from children's athletic events to freedom of speech issues. The strongest parts of the book take on political and educational institutions (the famed "water buffalo" incident at the University of Pennsylvania is especially well detailed), while the weakest part of the book deals with actual links to terrorism. I happen to agree with Smerconish that PC is hurting the war on terrorism, but except for a couple of insightful chapters which establish his premise somewhat tentatively, I think his argument could have been more persuasive.

Overall this is an entertaining and informative book which I recommend to any literate and open-minded reader. I don't always agree with Smerconish, but I do respect his opinions. I am especially pleased that people as politically diverse as Ted Nugent, Bernard Goldberg, and Alan Dershowitz enjoyed and recommend the book, as do I. I feel comfortable in such company.

The format of the book is fantastic. It's set up with short chapters each representing a new story. I can't believe this stuff actually goes on in our world.

"Muzzled" is a collection of 28 chapters about PC behavior that Smerconish
disapproves of. The author has a talk radio show in Philadelphia and
some of the topics are more local than national, but I suspect all the
topics could be interesting to readers anywhere. The muzzling behavior
is well documented in notes totaling almost 10% of the book. He seems to
seek out poeple on both sides of issues. In the few cases I am familiar
with, he got the facts right, so I suspect you can trust the material
that is presented. Of course, there might be material not presented.

Here are a few of the topics; the numbers identify the chapters.
3. A paper prints pictures of 18 men wanted for murder, none white,
out of the 56 wanted for murder, none white. 4. cowardly sales manager
gives "Dress For Success" to entire staff because one woman needs help.
Black man screams racial harassment. 5. Increasing business by having
"ladies night" is wrong. 7. Fired for "God bless..." 8. Preventing
a kid from putting flowers on military graves. 11. You can't call your
maid service a maid service. 13. The famous U. Penn. "water buffalo."
18. Scolds both sides of the intelligent design controversy.
20. Protesting a Mexican postage stamp in USA. 25. Don't depict any
Muslim as a terrorist. 26. Don't even use that word. 27. Airline
security.

That last chapter is the most serious. It includes new horror stories
beyond his "Flying Blind".

The topics run from trivial to serious. The tone is typical talk radio
shock, with attempts at humor. The book is not a serious attempt to
understand the PC phenomena. It is like the program, an attempt to
attract and hold an audience. Of books by broadcasters and columnists,
this is in the top third, perhaps the top quarter.