Racist Canine, Nixed Neckwear, Berzerkely

Dolpho the racist police dog is back in the news, reports The Associated Press.

The dog, a K-9 officer (search) in McKees Rock, Pa., has again been accused of racial profiling (search) after biting a black child at a middle school demonstration. The bite tore the child’s clothing but did not break the skin.

The allegations of racism against Dolpho (search) first surfaced two years ago after he bit a 9-year-old boy while on patrol. He was cleared following a two-month investigation, but some local residents say this latest attack only renews their fear. They want him retired or put down.

'Tolerance Counseling'

A philosophy professor at Lakeland Community College near Cleveland, Ohio, has been removed from his post for not disguising his deeply held Catholic beliefs, reports the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

FIRE says James Tuttle’s troubles began in May 2003 when a student complained to administrators that the professor mentioned his Catholic beliefs too often in class and suggested that he needed "counseling for tolerance."

Following the complaint, Dr. Tuttle added disclaimers to the syllabi of two of his classes informing students that the professor was "a committed Catholic Christian philosopher and theologian." He also encouraged students who felt uncomfortable with his views to talk to him outside of class.

Administrators said they were troubled by the disclaimer and suggested that Dr. Tuttle would "be happier in a sectarian classroom." His course load (and pay) was subsequently reduced and his classes were monitored by a fellow professor.

Nixed Neckwear

A teacher in Norway has been asked not to wear a half-inch Star of David around his neck so as not to offend some students, especially those from the Palestinian territories, reports Norwegian Broadcasting.

The teacher, Inge Telhaug, works at an adult education center in Kristiansand. The principal of the school told him the star could be interpreted as a political symbol and provoke Muslim students.

Telhaug is not happy. "I can't accept this. It is a small star, 16 millimeters [0.6 inches] that I have around my neck, usually under a T-shirt. I see it as my right to wear it," he said.

Berzerkley

Activists in Berkeley, Calif., are angling to change the name of Jefferson Elementary School because the signer of the Declaration of Independence (search) owned slaves during his lifetime, reports the Berkeley Daily Planet.

Instigators of the change have garnered the signatures of 40 percent of the staff and 32 percent of the parents in their effort. Now, students must vote on the change.

Should Jefferson go, he would be the latest in a stream of dead white males scrubbed from school buildings in Berkeley. Abraham Lincoln Elementary was renamed Malcolm X following community pressure some years ago, and just four years ago Christopher Columbus Elementary was rebuilt and renamed after Rosa Parks (search).

So Were We

An NBA announcer who came under fire for referring to basketball star Yao Ming (search) as a "Chinaman" has apologized and said he was unaware it was an insult, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

Steve Kerr was pilloried after he used the term during a nationally televised game a couple weeks ago. The Organization of Chinese Americans described its members as incensed by the phrase.

"I'd like to offer a heartfelt apology to all viewers, and to Chinese Americans in particular, for referring to Yao Ming as a 'Chinaman' on TNT's broadcast of the Houston Rockets game this past Monday night," Kerr said in a statement. "I made the comment very innocently, as I incorrectly believed that referring to Yao in that way was the same as calling someone a 'Frenchman', an 'Englishman' or a 'Dutchman.'"

A New Slur?

A Canadian hockey player has been suspended for referring to an opposing player as a "Euro" during a match, reports The Associated Press.

The Ontario Hockey League suspended Plymouth Whalers defenseman James Wisniewski for five games for telling Stefan Ruzicka that he did not fight "Euros" when challenged. Ruzicka is from Slovakia.

Ted Baker, the OHL's director of hockey operations, said the league does not tolerate comments directed at players based on their origin, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Racial Hostility

The Southern Poverty Law Center, despite being located hundreds of miles of away, has called on the University of Illinois to abandon its Chief Illiniwek mascot because it is offensive to American Indians, reports the Champaign News-Gazette.

The SPLC’s Brandon Wilson said the center's position was released in anticipation of a vote by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees in March on whether to retire the chief.

"If the members of the board vote to retain Chief Illiniwek as a mascot and symbol, it communicates to us support of a racially hostile environment," Wilson said.

The Montgomery, Ala.-based SPLC made a name for itself chasing Klansmen and militias. Now, it focuses on serving diabetic prison inmates, 10 commandment-toting judges and writing movie reviews.

For a daily dose of politically correct shenanigans, head over to the Tongue Tied Web site.

Mailbag:

Elizabeth P. in Austin, Texas, writes:

What these actual events show is that maybe Kurt Vonnegut wasn't too far off base when he wrote "Harrison Bergeron" in 1961. The PC Police will just evolve into the United States Handicapper General.

Newsflash to all you oversensitive victims out there: "We aren't all equal and that's what makes this world so darn wonderful!" Life would be pretty boring if everything were as blanded out as the PC Police would like.

Elaine P. writes:

I really enjoy reading your column. I am always shocked to hear how stupid people can be, especially about the African-American debate. I suppose you could say I'm Polish-American or even French-American, but I'm just about as Polish as these people are African.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could redefine the term as pertaining to people who have truly just gotten off the boat from Africa? These people need to get over themselves and stop asking for special treatment because their ancestors were persecuted years ago.

Sam J. writes:

I so enjoy seeing those who were early participants in the politically correct movement have that same movement come back to bite them.

What are our NAACP leaders going to say now? Could it be that they will say that, since they are a minority, that they could not possibly be politically incorrect? That since they are just as oppressed as the transgendered community, it gives them the right to say anything? After all, I can use the n-word to one of my friends, but let a white man call me that, and it is a crime.

As far as I am concerned, the NAACP leaders have offended me so much more than any white man (person), or for that matter any other color, and I am sure that I have offended someone with this reply... too bad.

Mike S. in Columbia, Mo., writes:

The PC response to everything: "If something makes someone feel good, than that same something makes others feel bad, so we must stop it." To punish those who work hard, achieve and make the honor roll by doing away with it is ridiculous. If not making the honor role embarasses you, well then, you have a goal to aim for next semester.

Ryan L. at Penn State University writes:

I was under the impression that illegal immigrants were called illegal immigrants because they are in this country illegally. Did I miss something here? If the term offends them, then I have a great idea for them. Apply for legal citizenship just like my great grandparents did and take up the responisiblity of being an American.

Bill P. in Saint Paul, Minn., writes:

I enjoy your articles very much but I want to quibble about a grammatical point that has been irking me more and more in recent years: your column this week leads off with the claim that "local black leaders took offense with the idea."

You can't take offense "with" something, but "to" it. "With" doesn't make sense. You can agree with something, or disagree with it, but you have to take offense TO it!

I see more and more writers lately using prepositions interchangeably; I think it's because they don't teach in the schools anymore which preposition is appropriate in each construction.

Jeffrey B. at Camp LeMonier in Djibouti writes:

Sometimes I forget why I am over here in No-where Africa fighting the Global War on Terrorism. Then, after reading the Tongue Tied articles, I am reminded. It's not becausesomeone would prefer to be called African-American or black; it's not because someone feels bad because their child is an underachiever; it's not that those who have not gone through the proper process of entering this country feel bad because they are called "illegal."

It is because of all of the other Americans -- black, white, brown, red, yellow -- who are concerned with supporting their family, finding purpose, and enjoying freedom (though, most enjoy freedom unknowingly). The reason these ridiculous issues make the news is because they are uncommon. They are forgotten within the week, and it's business as usual. However, they do make for some humorous reading.

I am no super-patriot, but I enjoy giving back to a country that has given me so much opportunity. It has given me the opportunity to be as successful as I want or as unproductive as I want. That is what America offers to its citizens -- the opportunity for you to find purpose, to choose to make a difference or not, good or bad, right or wrong -- opportunity.

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