AMON'S LAW

Back in November, Dale Amon of Samizdata wrote:

Political Correctness is not a matter of what is said; it is a matter of who says it. The annointed are “allowed” freedoms of speech unavailable to the hoi polloi. Had it been myself…making the same remark, I would be pilloried for it.

The Human Rights Campaign illustrates Amon’s Law in action brilliantly, as Andrew Sullivan notes:

Here’s the Human Rights Campaign’s Winnie Stachelberg’s response to a Democratic congressman calling another congresman a “fruitcake” and a “****sucker”:

“I think Congressman Stark’s use of the word [fruitcake], he probably regrets having used it. I think he meant nothing by it, but I think in the 2003 context, it’s probably a poor choice of words. But it’s also important to note that Congressman Stark is one of the gay community’s staunchest allies.”

Translation: bigotry is fine if you vote our way. How will anyone take HRC seriously when they condemn Republican bigotry in the future?

Brent Bozell has some additional examples of Amon’s Law in action, and no doubt there are countless more.