So I said to Mr. P.C. that I hoped he would have a nice 4th of July weekend.
He replied, “Thank you, but I don’t celebrate America’s self-centered sense of superiority.”
“Oh,” I responded, “I think we are celebrating the birth of our nation. Isn’t that okay?”
“No because it is insensitive to the heritage of other nations. It is not inclusive.”
“Can’t other nations celebrate their own histories rather than have their feelings hurt that they are not part of the United States?”
Mr. P.C. was not satisfied by my logic. He repeated, unnecessarily, that “the 4th of July is exclusively an American celebration and thus not inclusive,” (which everyone knows is the highest standard).
I stubbornly persisted, “America can celebrate being America, I believe, without it being negative about other nations who are not, in fact, America. When it is your birthday, I don’t think it is my birthday too. I know it is not my birthday and do not resent that it is yours, nor that you are you and I am not you.”
“That is different. I am an individual. This conversation is about nationalism.”
“Okay. I do not object, for example, that Mexicans celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I have even attended events on that date without being Mexican and without resenting the celebration by Mexicans.”
“Of course. So do I. It is important to me to show that I am not prejudiced. My celebrating Cinco de Mayo shows that I am inclusive; that I honor the history of Mexico and all nations.”
I saw a flaw in his argument. “Let me get this straight — you celebrate Cinco de Mayo because you are not a Mexican but you do not celebrate the 4th of July because you are an American.”
“Precisely. Now you understand political correctness. I do not want to appear biased toward America. The 4th of July is all about pride in America. Americans need to get off our high horse.”
“Umm. Well, I still wish you a nice 4th of July, Barack.”
“You still don’t get it, but I wish you a holy Ramadan nevertheless.”
Shootin' the Breeze 
P.C. Concerns about 4th of July
So I said to Mr. P.C. that I hoped he would have a nice 4th of July weekend.
He replied, “Thank you, but I don’t celebrate America’s self-centered sense of superiority.”
“Oh,” I responded, “I think we are celebrating the birth of our nation. Isn’t that okay?”
“No because it is insensitive to the heritage of other nations. It is not inclusive.”
“Can’t other nations celebrate their own histories rather than have their feelings hurt that they are not part of the United States?”
Mr. P.C. was not satisfied by my logic. He repeated, unnecessarily, that “the 4th of July is exclusively an American celebration and thus not inclusive,” (which everyone knows is the highest standard).
I stubbornly persisted, “America can celebrate being America, I believe, without it being negative about other nations who are not, in fact, America. When it is your birthday, I don’t think it is my birthday too. I know it is not my birthday and do not resent that it is yours, nor that you are you and I am not you.”
“That is different. I am an individual. This conversation is about nationalism.”
“Okay. I do not object, for example, that Mexicans celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I have even attended events on that date without being Mexican and without resenting the celebration by Mexicans.”
“Of course. So do I. It is important to me to show that I am not prejudiced. My celebrating Cinco de Mayo shows that I am inclusive; that I honor the history of Mexico and all nations.”
I saw a flaw in his argument. “Let me get this straight — you celebrate Cinco de Mayo because you are not a Mexican but you do not celebrate the 4th of July because you are an American.”
“Precisely. Now you understand political correctness. I do not want to appear biased toward America. The 4th of July is all about pride in America. Americans need to get off our high horse.”
“Umm. Well, I still wish you a nice 4th of July, Barack.”
“You still don’t get it, but I wish you a holy Ramadan nevertheless.”