Words that annoy the French and how we should annoy the politically correct

I just finished a great read.

If you are interested in history and have a good sense of humour, let me recommend “1,000 Years of Annoying the French”. It is by English historian Stephen Clarke and available via Amazon.

I bought it at Heathrow Airport on my way home from Turkey. It’s long. It’s funny. It’s provocative.

From William the Conqueror in 1066 through the 100 Years War right up to Charles de Gaulle and the building of the Chunnel, Clarke rips and rolls his unique way through French-English history.

His comments about the French approach to national honour are particularly interesting in light of the French soccer team debacle in South Africa. As the team arrived home in shame, their leader Thierry Henry was called on the carpet in front of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. (Lest we get too smug, let’s consider how we respond when Team Canada fails in international hockey. Oh the ignominy! Oh the shame! Oh the national hand-wrenching!)

Now France (and Italy) begins the process of reviewing their national honour in light of their teams’ struggles in what is, after all, a game.

But where is the shame and hand-wrenching on things that really matter? Where is the national soul search when as a country we adopt policies or legislation that fly in the face of all that this country was founded upon? Where is the angst when Judaeo-Christian principles are mocked, stripped away and trampled upon by the politically correct brigade? Where is the anger when people who express a faith and a faith-based approach are ridiculed? Where is the shame when politicians are lambasted for mentioning God or expressing their faith in the course of their duties?

It’s easy to get our knickers in a knot over the inconsequential. But it’s a lot harder to tackle the tough issues our country faces.

It’s time to confront the PC elitists who have taken upon themselves the mantle of “protector” of fairness and equality when in reality they are anything but fair and equal. It’s time to challenge their false premise that any expression of faith or belief must be stamped down in the name of an inclusive society. Simply put, that’s BS and its time we stood up and said so.

Maybe it’s time to write a book “1,000 ways to annoy the Politically Correct”. Would I get any buyers?