Even Politically Incorrect Parties are Politically Incorrect

Our major college campi grow more politically incorrect every day, and even satirical parties are subject to great howls of indignation and calls for punishment:

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - An off-campus party that asked students to come dressed "politically incorrect" has prompted an investigation by Macalester College officials who learned one student was costumed as a Ku Klux Klan member and another wore blackface with a noose around his neck.

Students at the private school told administrators about the Jan. 16 party on campus.

"My initial reaction was shock," said Paul Maitland-McKinley, a member of the Black Liberation Affairs Committee, a student group. "I thought, this can't really happen on my campus."

A campus-wide discussion is planned for Tuesday.

"We hope we can start a deeper dialogue on ... why these types of activities hurt people and why they get the kind of response they do," said Jim Hoppe, the school's associate dean of students.

The student newspaper, The Mac Weekly, quoted senior David Nifoussi, who attended the party, as saying it was meant to be a satiric comment on "things that would be considered taboo in most situations" at the liberal school.

Yes, the students choice of costume was offensive to some, but that was the point of the party. They specifically wanted people to dress politically incorrectly in order to make a satirical point. Looks like it worked.

Of course, the college president suffered the politically correct amount of apoplexy:

Macalester President Brian Rosenberg sent a statement to students, faculty and staff members condemning the offensive costumes and party theme.

"It is important to understand that the college condemns and will not tolerate activities of this type," he wrote. "It is deeply disappointing that Macalester students would be so insensitive and demonstrate such a lack of understanding of the college's values and mission."

Hey, it's not my idea of a good time, but it was an off campus party and the participants knew what they were getting into. In addition, they're all adults and for at least awhile longer, this is still a free country.

Of course, had they burned an effigy of President Bush, all would have been okay.