"THE DUPES AND HOW NOT TO BE THEM; A Primer on the Perils of Political Correctness" This witty collection of original verse was inspired by the century-old children's classic "The Goops", by Gellett Burgess, which served for many years as "A Manual of Manners For Polite Infants". This new version for the youth of today skewers the attitudes of Political Correctness that threaten to stifle creativity, expression, and freedom everywhere. It's designed for anyone 8 to 18, as well as for those concerned grownups with young people in their life.

The Dupes and How Not to Be Them

A Primer on the Perils of Political CorrectnessBy Noelle McGrath

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Noelle McGrath
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-1221-6

Contents

INTRODUCTION.............................................viiTHE DUPES................................................1DRESS....................................................3SMOKING..................................................5GLOBAL WARMING...........................................7THE DUPES # 2............................................9CAPITALISM vs. SOCIALISM.................................10INNOCENCE................................................13DEFENDING MARRIAGE.......................................15FREEDOM OF SPEECH........................................19THE DUPES, # 3...........................................20ELEPHANTS AND DONKEYS....................................23AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM..................................26THE AMERICAN IDENTITY....................................29KNOWING HISTORY..........................................33THE DUPES, #4............................................36RESPECT FOR YOUR ELDERS..................................39SEXUALITY AND GENDER.....................................43DOING GOOD WORK..........................................479/11.....................................................49THE DUPES, #5............................................53IN GOD WE TRUST..........................................55THE ORIGINS OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.....................61A LAST WORD TO THE WISE..................................64

Chapter One

THE DUPES The Dupes they point their fingers, the Dupes they sulk and stare. They disrespect and disobey and leave fliers everywhere. They say they have the answers, though they haven't got a clue. And that is why I'm glad that I am not a Dupe- are you?

DRESS

Have you seen as you wander through city and town teenage boys halfway dressed with their trousers way down?

Or perhaps, at the mall, Mother says "Keep eyes closed!" For nearby are young girls with their "assets" exposed.

It's a sad situation when youth's only job is to be idle, and foul-mouthed, and dress like a slob.

The way that you dress tells the world who you are. It shouts "I'm a fool!" or "I'm one who'll go far!"

If you witness behavior like I have described, don't drink of the poison such fools have imbibed.

Instead please remember to have self-respect. You're a young man or lady, not a worthless insect!

SMOKING

I seem to recall lest my memory forgets, it once was the fashion to smoke cigarettes.

My Dad and my neighbors and folks on TV, they all puffed away just as cool as could be.

But over the years with the passage of time, cigarettes changed from a fad to a crime.

And now, though it still is a legal behavior, smokers are lost and in need of a savior.

At least, that's how some people treat them today. They must learn that their smoking, like crime, does not pay!

Well, smoking's not healthy, so please, do not try it. But smoking a crime? I'm just not gonna buy it.

So please do not panic, point fingers or moan. If someone's a smoker, just leave them alone.

GLOBAL WARMING

When I was a lass back in `74, in the days of pet rocks and the Viet Nam War, scientists said "Listen up! We're not fooling! The earth is in danger! It's called "Global Cooling"!

We now skip ahead about thirty-five years, to find they were wrong- nothing came of their fears. But wait! Not so fast! Scientists still are alarming. They've got us all trained now to fear "Global Warming".

But oh! That's so dumb, so five minutes ago. We're freezing, you see, and we're buried in snow.

So what shall we say when the weather is strange? It's simple! It's brilliant! It's just "Climate Change".

My darlings, the truth, inconvenient or not, is just our old Earth - she gets cold, she gets hot. She sneezes and earthquakes go rumbling through. It's not caused by me and it's not caused by you. Respect Mother Nature, pet dogs and hug trees. But leave Global Warming to nincompoops, please.

THE DUPES # 2

The Dupes they tilt at windmills, then erect them in your yard. They legislate and agitate and make all of our lives hard. They start as nasty children, and end up as Stupid Twits, so have a care and please beware of Dupes with raging fits.

CAPITALISM vs. SOCIALISM

We've heard it said life should be fair, that everyone should have their share. And so, to make our joy abound, we have to spread the wealth around.

The problem, though, As we have seen, depends upon the "in-between". Those people who work hard and long, and help to make the nation strong. And also on the bright and quick, whose smart ideas do the trick.

The wealth that all these people make is theirs- it is not ours to take. And yet they give a lot away to taxes and United Way. To traffic lights and charity, and ways to help society. Take more and more of what is theirs, and soon they'll kick you down the stairs.

You see, eventually, honey, you run out of other people's money. Without the ones who work and save, you'll soon find things begin to cave. You cannot build a Paradise by taxing once and taxing twice.

At some point we are forced to say you cannot give it all away to those who do not work as hard, and sit on bottoms made of lard.

We all must learn to do our share. The future's for the ones who dare. A silly Dupe you must not be! Open your eyes and learn to see.

INNOCENCE

If you look at the pictures in books from the past, you'll see scenes where the children don't grow up so fast.

They laugh and make mischief or play with their toys, innocent girls and innocent boys.

Childhood's really a magical time. There are dolls to be dressed up, and big trees to climb. But Madison Avenue wants you to think that childhood's a joke and your kiddie games stink.

Those folks want you dressing in clothes much too tight. They want you consuming from morning till night. They want you to act like a cynical grown-up. They won't rest until they see innocence blown up!

So don't you believe them. Kids rule! Kids rock! Let your innocence show- be the best on the block!

DEFENDING MARRIAGE

Did you see the fair visage of Carrie Prejean, California girl and brave beauty queen, when she looked in the camera and told the whole nation that marriage was sacred, one man and wife's station?

It took guts and some gusto to give up the crown, to just tell the truth, though it might take her down. But Carrie knew something most seem to forget: a moment's sad weakness makes endless regret.

Is marriage for ferrets and weasels and fish? Is marriage for anyone, any way they wish? Is marriage the way our society's built, or something for two guys named Marty and Milt?

We all know the answer, but most are afraid to call marriage marriage or a spade a...