Do I Live in a Split Level Head?

For those who do not recognize the reference in the title, it is taken from a song by Napoleon XIV, the pseudonym of Jerry Samuels, who had a one-hit wonder in 1966 with his novelty song, “They’re Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!”

His nom de plume, for his series of mental illness songs was a play on the names of Napoleon I and King Louis XIV. Samuels used these songs to make some humorous, yet astute observations about life in the 1960s and beyond.

The second stanza of the song should be a familiar refrain to many today, and is an unspoken, mantra to many:

“I do what I want to; no worries, no cares if anyone bugs me I climb little stairs way up to a level where I feel no threat ‘cause I’m happy I live in a split-level head.”

We live in an age where doing what one wants to without worrying about the consequences, or caring who or what is damaged along the way seems to be a way of life for many. They retreat behind a variety of shields that offer a false sense of protection from the realities of life.

Drugs and alcohol come to mind when most of us think of methods of escape, but these are not the avenues I’m speaking of. The aforementioned are used by relatively few when compared to the emotional and intellectual escape artists who comprise an ever increasingly larger portion of society. Today more and more are hiding behind subtler, but more dangerous and damaging means of denial. Taking center stage among these mental escape artists is the use of an innocuous little phrase: “political correctness and tolerance.”

By embracing the wonderful and innocent sounding concept of tolerance, the modern escape artist is immediately protected from the agony of making hard and possibly unpopular choices about such painful issues as ethics and morality. It is much easier to accept every thing as okay, rather than take a stand (except when you do not agree with them!) In their minds, it is not acceptable to face the possibility that their words and actions might be wrong and causing harm to others.

The problem with this style of escapism is that sooner or later someone else goes too far and trespasses into the escapist’s backyard, causing horrible damage to life style, property, body and soul. When no one takes a stand, then any thing and every thing is not only acceptable but is possible – and usually happens. It was once politically correct in Germany to give the Nazis salute, but Jews were not tolerated because they were touted as the cause of all evil and intolerance to “real” Germans according to the politically correct elitists of that day.

Anyone remember what happened?

Political correctness is the modern escape artist’s paean. With glee, believers in invoking this magic incantation imagine it destroys all forms of discrimination. In theory, all forms of bias are eliminated and all are now free to believe and act as they choose without fear or restraint.

In reality, this is not so. Few followers of this philosophy realize that another synonym for political correctness is “biased correctness.” If one is political, one has taken a side for some thing and against some thing else. If you don’t believe this, look it up in the dictionary. Anything that is political is biased one way or another.

Political correctness accomplishes two things for the escapist. First: political correctness provides an emotionally pleasing rationale for escaping from the responsibilities of citizenship and for allowing the destruction of the fabric of society. Second: political correctness gives one a more innocuous and innocent appearing means of bashing and controlling those who disagree.

In the public arena, tolerance and political correctness provide escapists the means to paint opposition to their beliefs in verbal tar and feathers. Those who dare take a stand against them are immediately labeled with such terms as intolerant bigots, racists, violent radicals, and ignorant fools. Any attempt to set the record straight results in an ever increasing torrent of such abuse (and ever more frequently physically violent abuse). By this means a segment of the American population has gained control over virtually all aspects of society. No one is allowed to establish limits of acceptable behavior or to discuss personal beliefs concerning morals, ethics or religion unless those dovetail into the beliefs of the intolerant minds and hearts of the politically correct and intolerant who are attempting to gain total rule over the nation.

One last definition to think about: tolerance is normally defined as the ability or capacity of recognizing and respecting the opinions and practices of others. Today tolerance has been redefined to exclude respect and recognition of Christians, conservatives, military veterans (unless members of the peace movement) or any other person who holds an opinion or belief different from that which is promoted by the escapists. It is politically correct for them to smear the good names of their opponents. It is acceptable for them to outlaw Christianity and conservatism as hate crimes.

Does this trip any correlations in your memories of history? (How about Nazi Germany, the U.S.S.R, Red China, and certain South American countries?)

So to answer the question: Do I live in a split-level head? No. I know what I believe and I am willing to take a stand for my beliefs. Now – let us see who is the more tolerant and correct.