Every single day in America, the verbal fascism of groups such as Antifa, BLM, and the Left in general is on full display: In some professions and in some circles, unless you employ the exact words and phrases that they approve, be on guard.

Nevertheless, aside from these mob and Marxists groups, periodically it seems as if the U.S. is an authoritarian society. Although each of the following statements otherwise seem perfectly acceptable, my personal experience confirms that you’d better not utter them.

Do Not Mention Job Offers

I received unemployment compensation only once in my life, in between my first and second job. When I was asked by an unemployment office agent if I had been looking for jobs in the last two weeks, I replied yes.

In fact, I volunteered, I even received an offer, however the offer was from a company quite far from my residence and for far less salary than I had been earning years ago. So, I had to turn it down.

With that, on cue, the agent became indignant. Bzzzz! Wrong answer. Was this the moment for which she lived? She emphatically informed me that I’d receive no further unemployment compensation. I had violated the rules.

The rules, apparently, encompassed having to accept a job offer even if the job paid far less than you are accustomed to be earning, represented a hardship in terms of the distance involved, and was not truly in your field.

I was 25 years old, with no savings, barely making my way in the career world. I labored for another eight weeks to finally land the right job; I surely could have used the unemployment compensation during that time. Lesson learned, I’ll never volunteer that kind of information again.

Don’t Talk About IRS Procedures

Years later, I brought coins to a show and was seeking to sell them to a particular dealer. In the back of my mind, I recalled that if you deposit too much cash in the bank on any given day, you might flag the IRS. Never mind that I was seeking to sell coins that I purchased with money which I had earned, and upon which I had already paid taxes. Never mind that I was selling the coins at a slight loss.

Harmlessly (I thought), I asked a coin dealer, “What is the amount that triggers IRS scrutiny?” With this question, the dealer went gray, clammed up, and told me, “I can’t discuss that with you.” Huh?

“Otherwise, I am potentially colluding to violate IRS rules.” I said, “What? I’m simply asking if you know what the sum happens to be.” He clammed up even further. I could see this conversation was going nowhere, so I stopped on a dime.

The Internal Revenue Service used to be called the Department of Taxation. Funny, I’m not sure where the ‘service’ aspect of their activities kick-in. In contemporary America, why can you not ask a simple question related to the laws of our nation?

Don’t Cite Your Reasons

I’ve been donating blood for years. It is helpful to me and it is helpful for those in need. The need presumably is urgent: I continually receive messages from the Red Cross every few days, even after I’ve already donated, asking me to donate again. For health and safety, one is asked to wait at least eight weeks between donations.

So, one day, I’m at a local Red Cross chapter, donating blood, as I do every eight weeks. During an encounter with the nurse on hand, I mentioned that one of the reasons I donate blood is that I have a high iron count. Donating blood helps to keep it in check.

At that point she bristled, then regained her composure, and told me I should not mention my reasons. Donating blood for purposes of lowering your iron count, which has some technical name, gets you thrown out of the system.

Oh, excuse me!

On that very same visit, because I have a blood type that is in demand, I was asked by someone else if I could come in more often to make other kinds of transfusion donations?

So, they want me to visit more often to donate what they need. Yet, if I seek to make a donation that benefits both the Red Cross and myself, I am violating Red Cross regulations? Guess who is going to seek someplace place to donate blood, other than at the local Red Cross?

Such Deadly Words

The above scenarios are tame and lame compared to the ridicule, employment termination, career destruction, physical attack, or death that might fall you if you have the temerity to state in public, or in a public forum, “All Lives Matter,” “All Black Lives Matter,” “White Lives Matter” “All Baby Lives Matter,” “All Victims Matter,” or, God forbid, “Blue Lives Matter.”

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