Clint Eastwood Blast Political Correctness…And He’s Exactly Right

by:Andrew West 
During the election of 2016, one major issue that was being addressed by then-candidate Donald Trump was the rampant political correctness infecting America. 

Historically, Americans have achieved greatness by committing to bold action, unfettered by the constraints of causing offense.  Our nation is simply founded on freedom of speech – something that is all too often taken for granted.  What is not guaranteed, however, is your “right” to not be offended, as many progressive minds have attempted to claim.
The hijacking of the First Amendment for this very purpose has a name:  Political correctness.  It is truly nothing more than etiquette exaggerated, and then taken to a despicable new level by those looking to marginalize their political opponents.  Truly, we must ask ourselves, since when have we allowed “you can’t say that” as an argument in this nation?

One American icon, an actor, director, and activist, is taking offense to those who habitually take offense, and he’s holding ransom one of his greatest works in the process.

“Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood has hit out at political correctness, claiming one of his greatest films could not have been produced in today’s climate.

“The 86-year-old regaled the Cannes Film Festival also predicted a possible return to acting and decried what he perceives to be the world’s collective loss of sense of humour.

“Eastwood was honored with several screenings of his films, including one marking the 25th anniversary of ‘Unforgiven.’ In a conversation on Sunday, the 86-year-old director said he would revisit acting ‘someday.’

“The last time Eastwood appeared on screen was 2012’s ‘Trouble With the Curve.’ Before that, he starred in his own 2008 film, ‘Gran Torino.'”

The film in question is Dirty Harry; a classic by all measures.  A gritty tale of a beleaguered police officer attempting to do his best in the world that Eastwood believes would never have been made in the politically correct climate of today’s society.
In reality, there are a number of films that would never have graced our imaginations were they to be pitched in Hollywood today.  While Dirty Harry is but one example, we must wonder if racism challenging pieces such as Blazing Saddles would have ever seen the light of day had the idea been born in the 21st century.  That particular film, while silly and a little bit dark, demanded that we reevaluate how we view racism in then-modern America by positioning the blatant bigotry against the backdrop of the Old West – a particularly romantic setting in the hearts of all Americans.  That seminal work, as goofy as it was, made an enormous impact on the world in which it was released.

How will art suffer in the modern political climate?  How many masterpieces have already been lost to the liberal lunatics holding all the loot in the Los Angeles suburbs?  Perhaps we’ll never know, but we can’t say that one of Hollywood’s all time greats didn’t warn us.