You may have read my recent article titled, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, where I tried to tackle the issue of shaming and mocking people who “take offence” to things others do not… something I like to call “sensitivity-shaming.”

The controversial nature of the central subject of my article – namely, the recent banning of this beloved Christmas song by multiple radio stations in the U.S. and Canada – seemed to overshadow the actual point of my article completely. The people who read it that were outraged about the banning of the song couldn’t see the forest for the trees. Some of the comments and posts, almost – ALMOST – got there, but they just kept going back to their arguments about how the song should never have been banned.

And I don’t disagree with them. I kinda like the song. It’s cute and kitschy. I don’t necessarily see a need to ban the song. But I can also see how people – women in particular – might feel uncomfortable with some of the themes in the song (no matter how innocuously rooted they are in the social structure that existed in the 1940’s when the song was written), particularly if they’ve ever felt unable to deflect the unwanted attention of a man. And I also agree with many comments I’ve read intimating that if a person doesn’t like the song/isn’t comfortable with it/feels triggered by it, well… they can just shut it off. Of course. Of course they can! And likewise, people who insist on including the song into their personal Christmas milieu can download it and play it 24-7 on their personal devices if they like.

But that’s neither here nor there. None of that was ever my point. The song is not the issue. So, let’s try this again, shall we? This is far too important an issue to have my intended point miss its mark. And this time, I won’t confuse the issue by bringing such touchy subjects as erasing our beloved Christmas traditions into the fray.

OK – now that we’ve got a clean slate, you’re probably wondering, “what IS your point?” My point, dear reader, is simply that mocking, shaming, and bullying people who happen to be more sensitive to things than you are (or for any reason, really) is wrong. Not only do you see a lot of that happening around the hot-button Christmas song issue, you see it everywhere… all the time. In fact, you really don’t have to spend much time on social media to see the litany of jokes, memes, videos, jabs, and commentary bashing proverbial “snowflakes” and “libtards” and the concept of political correctness in general.

So let’s unpack that a little. What exactly is a “snowflake?” According to Urban Dictionary, it’s a put-down for anyone that complains about any subject. Well that clears it all up then! I hate to break it to you… we’re all snowflakes in one way or another. Whether you’re complaining about having to hear a song, or complaining about not being able to hear a song, you’re a snowflake. Whether you’re complaining about something that offends you or complaining about someone who is complaining about something that offends them, you’re a snowflake. Calling someone a snowflake is an overt, outright act of hypocrisy.

Now, let’s examine the slur “libtard”, a particularly offensive word to me given that I have a daughter with Down syndrome. This gem is a poignant blend of the words liberal and retard, and again, according to Urban Dictionary, a libtard is an individual whose thinking process has been rendered impaired by political correctness and the failure to understand that people are responsible for their actions and the world does not owe lazy or stupid people a living.

Those are some interesting assumptions… that political correctness is by definition some kind of ailment of which one can become so afflicted so as to become mentally impaired, imbuing the person with the feeling that people are not responsible for their actions, and that the world owes lazy and stupid people a living. Hmmm… I’m not sure I’ve ever actually met a person so afflicted.

If you examine the history of the evolution of left- and right-wing politics, you’ll see that “political correctness” was borne out of desire to upset typical right-wing ideologies which tended to be primarily dedicated to preserving white male causes to the exclusion of minorities, women, and those who didn’t fit their narrow version of “normal.” Considering the right-wing agenda, it’s no coincidence that such an offensive slur as “libtard”, which denigrates people with developmental disabilities, is slung at anyone who disagrees with these traditional ideologies. It’s an obvious result of the underlying ideology.

As the “snowflakes” began to stick together, they created an avalanche of “political correctness”. These “libtards” successfully affected change to many public policies and social constructs resulting in a society that is much more inclusive of all citizens, not just the privileged few. But in so doing, they’ve upset the patriarchy, they’ve challenged homogeneity, and have threatened many long-standing traditions.

For some traditionalists, the systematic dismantling of all they hold dear is so threatening and unsavoury they can’t do anything but thrash about like a fish out of water and sling insults as far and wide as they can. Their need for things to be the same as they’ve always been is as strong as the need of the underprivileged, underrepresented, and repressed masses to be free of oppression, discrimination, and exclusion. Social change is hard.

I will admit, I’ve got a vested interest in some of this change. Four of my six children have special needs. Of course I want them to be considered and included in society. I don’t want them to be left by the wayside, with their needs going unmet and their voices going unheard. You could argue this makes me sensitive… a bit of a snowflake, if you will. And why wouldn’t it? Why shouldn’t it? And does that mean I should be shamed and mocked for it?

Truth be told, I’ve always been a bit of a snowflake. Nothing bothered me more as a child than seeing someone smaller and weaker being picked on by someone bigger and stronger. I’ve always tried to stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. If that makes me a libtard, so be it.

Listen, I’m not saying traditionalists are bad, or ignorant, or that their viewpoints and ideologies are outdated and irrelevant. I believe traditional viewpoints have a place of value in the discussion, too. Traditionalists keep us connected to our past and remind us where we come from.

What I AM saying, is the few that choose to mock, shame, and bully the rest of us need to stop doing so. Right now. You need not be “sensitive” to agree this kind of behaviour is appalling and pointless, and that it has no place in a civilized society regardless of which side of an issue you are on.

And frankly, if the people who feel compelled to fight for the status quo can find a way to communicate their viewpoints without shredding others to pieces, they might be taken more seriously. If they can present their thoughts, values, and ideals with respect and dignity, and without shaming and mocking others, these important conversations will no longer need to devolve into a free-for-all of name-calling, shaming, and denigrating others.

So would you please join me in the movement to end sensitivity-shaming? Will you commit to engaging in robust debate without slinging insults, shaming people who may have reason to be sensitive about certain issues, and hiding behind thoughtless labels like “libtard” and “snowflake”? It’s not helping anyone or anything, least of all, you.