‘Politically Correct’ was originally a phrase on the Leninist left to denote someone who steadfastly toed the party line. Then it evolved into ‘PC’, an ironic phrase among wised up leftists to denote someone whose line-toeing fervour was too much to bear. Only in connection with the PC debate itself did the phrase get picked up by people who had no fidelity to radicalism at all, but who relished the nasty syllables for their twist of irony. – P Berman (ed), Debating PC: The Debate over Political Correctness on College Campuses (New York, 1992).

I hope you have read our Front Page story today “Cayman Islands Cancer Society says “No Thanks” to local playwright with cancer”. If you haven’t this editorial is going to be difficult to understand why I am making such a ‘song and dance’ and I admit anger.

My anger and total incomprehension involves the Cayman Islands Cancer Society (CICS) who have been a thorn in my side over their policy of trying to enforce a mandatory registry here of cancer patients past and present without consulting us first – the cancer patients.

Yes, I admit I have prostate cancer and was given at first only 6 months to live unless I had injections every month that might delay the inevitable for 5 years top.

My wife, Joan, is also a victim of cancer. Hers was melanoma that came out in a spot above her lip and rapidly grew into a ball. She had it removed in the nick of time.

So what has cancer got to do with being Politically Correct?

A lot actually. You see the CICS will not align themselves with religious or political issues, even a religious play I wrote that doesn’t have a religious issue, does not try to convert anyone, but simply is a story about the lives of the Apostle Matthias and Mary Magdalene. The two most maligned historical persons that lived with a tiny part told of their lives in the New Testament Books of the Bible. Proceeds of the one night’s performance of the play called “13th Apostle and the Disciple of Demons” at The Prospect Playhouse given freely by the Cayman Drama Society was to be given to the CICS.

They wrote back:

“I have spoken at length with my directors about your kind offer to provide CICS with the proceeds from your upcoming Cayman Drama Society show, and there was a lot of discussion about it, and in the end they all came to a unanimous decision. Although they all certainly appreciate you thinking of us and the people the Cancer Society exists to serve, they don’t feel a production with religious references is a good fit for the Cancer Society. As the Society, typically we are not aligned with religious or political issues as a matter of neutrality for a variety of reasons. I hope you understand. “ – Jennifer Weber – Operations Manager CICS.

No M/s Weber I do not understand. I do not understand your undisclosed “variety of reasons” and I would not understand even one if you had offered it.

Religion or pastoral care goes hand in glove with cancer patients as the Cancer Treatment Centers of America have found. Because statistics have shown cancer patients with cancer who have some religious faith have a higher success rate than those who don’t they have embraced a Pastoral Care Department.

“One of the first things that cancer does is to try and steal hope. But we recognize that God is the source of hope. Through faith, we can find strength and hope in Him, especially in the face of challenges and difficult moments. The Scripture is full of words of encouragement, but one verse that many patients find that particularly meaningful is Jeremiah 29:11” – SOURCE: http://www.cancercenter.com/faith/embracing-faith

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah.

Unless you have cancer or have had cancer you cannot understand the mental stress it has on you. Every day you are alive once you have been diagnosed is a plus and when you have thought you have beaten and undergone the most unpleasant of treatments you worry it will come back. And when it does the mental anguish is difficult to describe.

Without faith I would not be able to speak about nor really deal with it. To have my wife go through the pain and shock of it with the agony of watching her face hacked to pieces to remove the growth is an added burden almost too much to bear.

To have a society that actually purports to “increase awareness among the people of the Cayman Islands of cancer as a major health concern, to initiate positive change in all areas relating to cancer, to prevent the development of cancer and to counsel and support cancer patients and their families” and to ignore religion and will not be associated with it is beyond comprehension.

Even a play about two people who turned their lives around and become model citizens and is TRUE is something the CICS leaders cannot be aligned with.

And their reason has to be PC. Politically correct. And that is more important to them than the feelings I am receiving now and it was unanimous.

And as Mrs Slocombe said “I am unanimous in this.” You are all nuts.

Being PC makes people so anxious to accomplish this they forget whether their actions are actually correct. The unanimous board have positioned themselves like the disciples did after Christ died. They are paralysed with fear of the world recognising they might be labeled. They must not give offense.

Well I am offended. Deeply offended. Yes, I will forgive you. I hope God (if he exists) does as well.

And now I am being PC even if Jesus definitely was not.