The Sensitivity Apparat

[Valin]

The Weekly Standard:

On the scourge of ‘human rights’ commissions

MARK HEMINGWAY

2/4/13

 

Tony Tomelden never wanted to be a First Amendment crusader. A lifelong resident of Washington, D.C., he’s a working-class guy in a town that’s consumed by politics. He runs a bar called The Pug. And it’s not just any bar, it’s the best bar in the city. That may be my opinion, but Googling the place yields many reviews written by people who agree:

 

(Snip)

 

Most people live in total ignorance of “human rights” or “civil rights” commissions, until they run afoul of them. They began popping up all over the country in the 1960s and ’70s, and now nearly every state and good-sized municipality has one. In theory, they were set up to handle the flood of discrimination cases that was expected to overwhelm the legal system after the flurry of Great Society legislation. Local human rights commissions were expected to resolve these disputes quickly in administrative tribunals. In practice, however, the commissions have never really served enough of a purpose to justify their existence. They’ve devolved into bureaucratic star chambers with the power to ruin your life and run you out of business.

 

And so, on September 6, a representative of the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights walked into The Pug and handed Tony a letter that began:

 

It was brought to the attention of the D.C. Office of Human Rights on September 5, 2012, that your establishment, The Pug, was displaying a racially offensive sign which advertised a cocktail for customers’ purchase. Specifically, the sign stated: Marion Berry’s (sic) Dirty Asian Punch. Below the wording was displayed a caricature of an individual with slanted eyes and protruding teeth. We believe that such a sign is not demonstrative of the shared values and practices that make the District a fully inclusive environment for all residents and visitors. Additionally, we believe the statement violates the D.C. Human Rights Act.

(Snip)

 

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So making fun of politicians is now a Human Rights Violation?