Offensivesensitivity

Opus, of course, was right all along.

We are oversensitive. We take offense where none is intended, we rail over offense and roil in a burning desire to not forgive when offense was meant. We overreact.

But what a world we live in.

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shootings we really (myself included) for free speech rights. Then that gets warped into the right to offend – and a feigned righteous indignation when our right to speak offends someone else.

Offense against religion is supposed to be tolerated; those who get offended when their religion is slighted are just supposed to ignore it, as treating another’s beliefs with respect is to bow to the other’s right to spout whatever vile thing pops into their head. (The Charlie Hebdo shootings are, of course, a gross overreaction to offense, but that does not erase the fact that eyes were deliberately poked.)

Offense against culture, however, is not to be taken lightly. Pope Francis, deriding the “Mexicanization” of drug trafficking in his native Argentina has caused great offense and umbrage that is causing great consernation and hubbub. Sean Penn’s lame joke about who gave Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu his green card is causing all sorts of hand-wringing, as is the fact that recipients of Academy Awards this year don’t represent a cross-spectrum of enough races to keep the offended folks happy.

That’s the stuff that’s supposed to get us all riled up and protesting and angry and, well, offended.

But I, a religious fellow, am supposed to take the high road when the writer of a Broadway musical thinks it’s amusing to have my holy book shoved up someone’s butt. Hee hee, look at the free speech rights, trumping your stupid religious sensitivities.

And that’s fine. I exercise my religious sensitivities by not seeing the musical. You’ve left me the high road free and clear, bub, and I thank you for it.

No offense taken – though offense was meant.