Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 1, 1993                   TAG: 9305030260
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

POLITICALLY CORRECT CLOSED MINDS

Askins has received "hate" mail, most of which is directed at him personally - and not the issues he raises, which are being seriously studied by legal experts throughout the country. He has been assailed by both friends and strangers, because he dared reflect upon matters that by no means have been resolved, despite the mandates of Politically Correct Thinking.

I find it quite interesting that this intellectual movement finds it impossible to entertain opinions deemed inappropriate. Politically correct thinkers, who regard themselves as liberal and open-minded, have literally opted for a closed ideology, the content of which is to be determined by themselves. Does this not suggest reactionary rigidity rather than open-mindedness?

For example, feminism has employed the tactics of "deconstruction" to level previous standards of literary merit, and yet one leveling obviously implies further levelings, including that of ideology itself. If we can no longer claim that Shakespeare's sonnets are greater works of art than aboriginal rain chants, it seems logical enough to assume that political correctness has no more validity than any other ideology. But the buck does stop - because the real point of the politically correct is not truth, inquiry or reflection, but power.

The dynamics go something like this: Politically Correct Thinking overthrows previous opinion because it is oppressive, restrictive and outright dictatorial. It erects itself as the only thought permissible, despite previous levelings; and then assumes hegemony, becoming as repressive, restrictive and dictatorial as what it overthrew. The movement is common in revolutionary politics, e.g., Trotsky's Marxism followed by Stalinist totalitarianism.

At any rate, those who claim that Askin's thoughts on the matter of date rape are counterproductive should not attack him but his arguments, which is vastly more difficult. As it stands, Politically Correct Thinking has closed off dialogue altogether.

LOUIS GALLO\ RADFORD