U. Michigan ‘Words Matter Task Force’ Releases List of Potentially Offensive Terms
“A centerpiece of the memo is the first of four appendices, a table of terms deemed offensive and alternatives to replace them.”
The list includes the word ‘picnic’ for some reason. It’s also worth noting this came out of the IT department.
The College Fix reports:
UMich’s IT department told to stop using word ‘picnic,’ it could ‘harm morale’
“Crack the whip.” “Master/slave.” Even the term “picnic” has been deemed offensive, according to a lengthy list of words and phrases put out recently by the University of Michigan’s Information and Technology Services’ “Words Matter Task Force.”
“To effectively communicate with customers, it is important for ITS to evaluate the terms and language conventions that may hinder effective communication, harm morale, and deliberately or inadvertently exclude people from feeling accepted to foment a healthy and inclusive culture,” states the memorandum obtained by The College Fix.
The memo, last updated December 8, contains nearly 36 recommendations for alternative words and phrases, the naming of artifacts, cultural development within the organization, the creation of an advisory board, and a list of “next steps.”
A centerpiece of the memo is the first of four appendices, a table of terms deemed offensive and alternatives to replace them.
The list includes the word “picnic” under the offensive column. It suggests using “gathering” instead.
The University of Michigan media relations department declined to comment at this time on questions from The College Fix on the list and what would happen to employees who refused to abide by the guidelines in the memo.
The University of Michigan’s Information and Technology Services leadership also did not respond to a request for comment from The Fix on whether the list could be seen as a form of policing language.
An internet search on the issue of the word “picnic” being racist includes a Reuters article from July 2020 headlined: “Fact check: The word picnic does not originate from racist lynchings.”
As for the rest of the list, it contains several words containing a variation on the word “man,” such as “spokesman” or “chairman.” The guide recommends using terms like “spokesperson or “chairperson” instead.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
More totalitarian idiocy from the goose-stepping, Dhimmi-crat Language Gestapo.
Total control over every facet of people’s lives — what they eat, what they wear, what they think, what they say, how they live — is the vile Dhimmi-crats’ goal.
For crying out loud, what is the matter with these people and how did they get into positions of authority at a major university? Who gave these professionally-offended dolts any authority to dictate what people can say? The only office they should be in is the Unemployment Office.
I like how the document at the link includes “This list is not exhaustive and will continue to grow.” So they’re not through telling us what we can say yet. We all know that it won’t be too long till these petty tyrants start trying to tell us what we’re allowed to think.
” how did they get into positions of authority”
Affirmative BS
Here’s an unmistakable one: GFY, leftist pukes.
Chairman: either male or female.
Chairwoman: female.
Chairperson: militant feminist of either sex.
The only reason this nonsense ever gained traction is because it was not ignored when first pushed.
Do they still have “personholes” in Woonsocket (1978) ?
Unfortunately I think not directly addressing this idiocy when it was first raised allowed it to fester and gain traction and momentum. Just ignoring it allowed it to grow, like many other things we’ve witnessed in recent years.
I believe the same is true when we were told that – prsto change-o – “Negro” was racist, when in fact it was not. We were instructect to say Afro-Americans, then African-American, then black, then this then that. Being good little puppets, we danced to these tunes without question. That, or, if we didn’t, we were ostracised and risked losing our livelihoods.
Chairperson is wrong. The correct way to address a female chair is “madame chairman”.
Proper etiquette and protocol have no place in the “woke” vocabulary. The modern progressive refers to the opposing political party as “a bunch of f***ers.” But for crying out loud, don’t use racist vocabulary like “picnic”!!
Variation for the up-coming change in president. Pronounce it “Ma-DAMN president”.
One wonders if they’ve thought this through. For the nature of such lists is that they can only grow, never shrink. For there will always be new words or phrases that supposedly offend someone, and who would ever waste time trying to get anything removed from such a list?
Eventually the only permissible words will be the definite and indefinite articles. That, and a few carefully chosen political slogans.
Unless, perhaps, you can count yourself among the oppressed; then, all is permitted and nothing is prohibited.
Write a fun story using all the “banned” words. Submit it for extra credit from the Censors.