You Can't Say That: Forbidden words and the ridiculous "education" guidelines that forbid them.

The Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal ^ | February 13, 2004 | Diane Ravitch

[quidnunc]

To judge by the magazines we read, the programs we watch or the music lyrics we hear, it would seem that almost anything goes, these days, when it comes to verbal expression. But that is not quite true.

In my book "The Language Police," I gathered a list of more than 500 words that are routinely deleted from textbooks and tests by "bias review committees" employed by publishing companies, state education departments and the federal government. Among the forbidden words are "landlord," "cowboy," "brotherhood," "yacht," "cult" and "primitive." Such words are deleted because they are offensive to various groups — feminists, religious conservatives, multiculturalists and ethnic activists, to name a few.

I invited readers of the book to send me examples of language policing, and they did, by the score. A bias review committee for the state test in New Jersey rejected a short story by Langston Hughes because he used the words "Negro" and "colored person." Michigan bans a long list of topics from its state tests, including terrorism, evolution, aliens and flying saucers (which might imply evolution).

A textbook writer sent me the guidelines used by the Harcourt/Steck/Vaughn company to remove photographs that might give offense. Editors must delete, the guidelines said, pictures of women with big hair or sleeveless blouses and men with dreadlocks or medallions. Photographs must not portray the soles of shoes or anyone eating with the left hand (both in deference to Muslim culture). To avoid giving offense to those who cannot afford a home computer, no one may be shown owning a home computer. To avoid offending those with strong but differing religious views, decorations for religious holidays must never appear in the background.

A college professor informed me that a new textbook in human development includes the following statement: "As a folksinger once sang, how many roads must an individual walk down before you can call them an adult." The professor was stupefied that someone had made the line gender-neutral and ungrammatical by rewriting Bob Dylan's folk song "Blowin' in the Wind," which had simply asked: "How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?"

While writing "The Language Police," I could not figure out why New York State had gone so far beyond other states in punctiliously carving out almost all references to race, gender, age and ethnicity, including even weight and height. In June 2002, the state was mightily embarrassed when reports appeared about its routine bowdlerizing on its exams of writers such as Franz Kafka and Isaac Bashevis Singer.

-snip-

[JustPlainJoe]

Oh Brother! How about the word "is". After all, it has many interpretations to many people. Some of those interpretations just may offend somebody!

I say we WIPE it out! Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

[Askel5]

What a queer article to be posting at this site.

[3catsanadog]

I guess Bob Dylan was a neanderthal.

[frithguild]

I guess the book I'm working on won't go over to well. It's title is, "Yachting with the Primitive Cowboy Cult and the Landlord Brotherhood."

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - EDUCATION AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

[SarahW]

Somebody explain to me why it is necessary to defer to the "muslim culture", i.e., the superstitious beliefs of *any* creed *especially* those from foreign lands.

[anniegetyourgun]

These so-called bias review committees at publishing houses are a result of the demands of government schools and their 80-pages RFP's. There is hardly a good text out there for any subject (even math), and most are written by committee - cut a paste/click and drop jobs.

Adults feed young people this kind of bunk, disengaged parents sit on their nates, and then we all wonder why quality is job #29 in this country.

[Tax-chick]

Who's offended by yacht? People who can't spell it? Care to join me for a cruise on my expensive recreational watercraft?

[anniegetyourgun]

Yeah...well, intrep #8, LK....and don't get me started on this....

; ]

[Tax-chick]

You can't say "black ice" ... it implies that "normal" ice is white.

[Space Wrangler]

Yes, someone must tell me how yacht got onto the list as being offensive. Care to take a ride on my 'luxurious floating vehicle'??

[Sonny M]

Um, my family is in real estate, we're landlords, how would I describe my families occupation then?

[watchin]

"Niggardly" is notoriously banned from public use.

Which makes me wonder what they do with the Spanish-speaking students, who use the word "NEGRO" for "BLACK"?

Maybe it's okay since it's pronounced "NAYGRO"?

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

I find the various groups that are offended by "such" words to be offensive themselves.NO REAL AMERICAN WOULD DO WHAT THESE WALKING FECES(sorry,i meant to say sh*t)ARE DOING!

[Blue Screen of Death]

Oh Brother!

Oh, Sibling! I guess you did not get the memo.

[Seeking the truth]

[no_problema]

so why do i see "sisterhood" routinely in newspapers?

[Aeronaut]

If you are elected as a P.C. leader of a committee you are the chairperson - clearly a male offspring reference, therefore sexist.

[watchin]

It's all about political correctness. How about "tyrants"? Or "oppressors of the poor and downtrodden"? Land Sharks?

No, once it is decided that we cannot offend even the evil landlord, we choose a more complex term ... how about "multiple living space occupancy supervisor"?

[GSWarrior]

Here in Baghdad By The Bay some folk think its more sensitive to call the homeless "campers." And Supervisor Chris Daly introduced legislation signifying that from here on pet owners are to be referred to as "pet guardians."

[JimRed]

Um, my family is in real estate, we're landlords, how would I describe my families occupation then?

Uhhh, how about "rich oppressors of the working class"?

;^)

Oooh, but I'm a landlord too...

[NYFriend]

Actually, my idea is to have the Education Department start with the dictionary, and remove offense or even unnecessary or redundant words.

[discostu]

You're oppressors of the downtrodden and disenfranchised.

I like coming up with phrases like that for my tax forms where it asks for my occupation, never given the IRS a straight answer to that one and I never will.

[kennedy]

But it is o.k. to say "the F word" on TV, so long as you don't mean it sexually.

[kennedy]

A college professor informed me that a new textbook in human development includes the following statement: "As a folksinger once sang, how many roads must an individual walk down before you can call them an adult." The professor was stupefied that someone had made the line gender-neutral and ungrammatical by rewriting Bob Dylan's folk song "Blowin' in the Wind," which had simply asked: "How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?"

How insensitive to people who can't walk.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I thought that the word "cowboy" was allowed provided it only referred to Presidents Reagan or Bush.

[retrokitten]

I guess the book I'm working on won't go over to well. It's title is, "Yachting with the Primitive Cowboy Cult and the Landlord Brotherhood."

It will be okay as long as you don't put a picture of a left handed woman with big hair wearing a sleeveless dress typing on a home computer on the cover.

[retrokitten]

Feudal Lords.

[DeFault User]

An earlier article I read on this stated that censors had removed any mention of Jews or Jewish culture from the works of Isaac Bashevis Singer. The fact that 'Jewishness' was at the core of the stories and that they made no sense without the culture somehow escaped the censors.

Instead of stories presenting opportunities to learn about history or culture, students are left with stick figures with no soul and no meaning.

[templar]

Somebody explain to me why it is necessary to defer to the "muslim culture"

That question should best be addressed to Bush. "Religion of peace", Ramadan ceremonies in the White House, etc., make it obvious he should have the answer.

[Mr. Mojo]

Yeah, the song just doesn't have the same flow to it.....

"How many times must a human look up
Before that individual can see the sky?
Yes'n how many ears must one person have
Before she or he can hear people cry?"

[Grit]

Actually, my idea is to have the Education Department start with the dictionary, and remove offense or even unnecessary or redundant words

That would be double plus good. :)

[Grit]

Yes'n how many ears must one person have
Before she or he can hear people cry?"

Offensive to the deaf [individuals with hearing disabilities]

[Ohioan]

I, of course, share the good-humored outrage of the other posters. My initial reaction to the PC mindset, a decade or so ago, when all this was gathering momentum, was the expectation that Americans were still--on average--intelligent enough to treat the whole thing as the great joke, that it should have been treated as. Sadly, a huge number have taken this seriously; and really are trashing our culture, our educational institutions and our common sense, in everything they do, when the opportunity presents itself.

However, rather than have fun with this subject, here; where all are basically preaching to the choir--why doesn't everyone make a point to make similar comments this weekend, when they are around those suffering from the Emperor's New Clothes syndrome. And then post something to like effect on some non-Conservative forum, on Monday.

If Conservatives just gripe to each other, things are never going to get any better.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[John Beresford Tipton]

"yacht"..offensive to various groups?

Only to those who don't have one.

[Chris Talk]

actually the way I hear it pronounced is "NEG-graw"... VERY politically incorrect, even when they are talking about beans.

[Chris Talk]

My favorite one is what to call a "manhole," if one is to be politically correct. And of course, how to replace
"MANufacturing"!

Might a foundry say it specializes in
the Personufacturing of Personhole covers?

[Chris Talk]

When I see these signs now along the roads that say "WORKERS AHEAD"...

I think I am about to encounter either (a) bees or ants of the lower orders; or (b) frothing Marxist revolutionaries as in "workers of the world, unite." Downright un-American, chilling!

Then it turns out to be just a few good ole boys standing around with shovels.

[nmh]

Liberalism is divisive and childish.

[Ditter]

If everyone doesn't have a yacht, then no one can have one!

[Oztrich Boy]

Yes'n how many ears must one person have Before she or he can hear people cry?"
Offensive to the deaf [individuals with hearing disabilities]

The word "disabilities" is offensive to the differently abled.

[3catsanadog]

You can't say "cruise." It'll offend a trannyboi.

[chickenlips]

Actually, my idea is to abolish the Dept. of Ed. and privitize all schools. Only then will no child be left behind.

[Jaysun]

Somebody explain to me why it is necessary to defer to the "muslim culture", i.e., the superstitious beliefs of *any* creed *especially* those from foreign lands.

Quite simply the liberals love them because they aren't white or evangelical. The liberals are hellbent on destroying America as we know it - and Muslims would certainly help their cause.

[Jaysun]

Somebody explain to me why it is necessary to defer to the "muslim culture", i.e., the superstitious beliefs of *any* creed *especially* those from foreign lands.

The liberals love them because they aren't white or evangelical. The liberals are hellbent on destroying America as we know it - and Muslims would certainly help their cause.

[Aeronaut]

Might a foundry say it specializes in
the Personufacturing of Personhole covers?

Can you say hole?

[Tax-chick]

You can't say "cruise." It'll offend a trannyboi.

A what?

[Maria S]

From the article "...anyone eating with the left hand..."


"I guess the book I'm working on won't go over to well. It's title is, "Yachting with the Primitive Cowboy Cult and the Landlord Brotherhood."

I'm thinking you'll be O.K., unless of course you eat left handed. Then you may have some problemos.

[3catsanadog]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1077410/posts