Purdue Prof Under Fire for Using Term ‘Wuhan Virus’ on Syllabus
“sparked upheaval in the class group chat”
What’s the problem? The virus came from Wuhan and people in liberal media used to call it the ‘Wuhan Virus’ until the left decided that was unacceptable.
The College Fix reports:
Purdue U. professor under fire for using ‘Wuhan virus’ on his syllabus
A professor of construction management at Purdue University is getting heat for using the term “Wuhan virus” in his course syllabus.
According to The Exponent, no one even noticed until halfway through the semester, and then it “sparked upheaval in the class group chat.”
A prefer-to-remain-anonymous student told the student paper the politically incorrect term for COVID-19 even stayed up on the course’s homepage for almost two weeks after someone brought it to Prof. Randy Rapp’s attention.
Though Rapp ultimately changed the syllabus’s wording, he said the term was just like any other malady referred to by its place of origin, like “Spanish flu.”
“Wuhan virus is a simplification, not in the least illegal, immoral, unethical, inaccurate or dangerous,” Rapp said. “Of course, there is nothing political about that phrase.”
He said the term had been in his syllabus before the semester and in “assorted communications of mine since the disease struck,” a total of about 22 weeks. “So many people read the words […] and said nothing about the term — rightfully not.”
Zhi Zhou, an associate professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering, said he, as a Chinese man, views the terminology of “Wuhan virus” as harmful.
“Unfortunately, Asian hate crimes have increased significantly,” Zhou said. “As reported by NPR in August 2021, there have been more than 9,000 anti-Asian incidents since the pandemic began.
“Another NBC report in October 2021 showed that anti-Asian hate crimes rose 73% last year, according to FBI data.” …
[Purdue senior Dimitri] Karallas said his concern that such language was harmful to the Asian community was one of the main reasons he confronted Rapp.
“Asian hate crimes have risen,” he said. “And when you put this blame of this world disease on one specific group, people will just look at that group just like they are to blame for when really, it could have happened anywhere in the world.”
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Comments
“Zhi Zhou, an associate professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering, said he, as a Chinese man, views the terminology of “Wuhan virus” as harmful.
“Unfortunately, Asian hate crimes have increased significantly,” Zhou said.”
Blow it out your ass.
Using the term “Wuhan Flu’ is not a crime, much less a hate crime.
What’s next — binge-watching Mr. Moto movies?
You being a Chinese man doesn’t give you any more expertise or authority than Carrie Bourassa being a Native American.
Maybe we should start calling it the “FAUCHI Virus” or the previously used “CCP Virus”.
Wuhan Flu is like Spanish Flu namely a description not a pejorative term
RE: “Unfortunately, Asian hate crimes have increased significantly,”
Perhaps he ought to check where and by whom this increase is occurring. As seen on TV, he might find it primarily in Blue cities and states with the Get Out of Jail Free cards.
The article says “The virus came from Wuhan and people in liberal media used to call it the ‘Wuhan Virus’ until the left decided that was unacceptable.”
I think it was more than the American left that pressured the WHO and the media. I think the Chinese government pressured the media just like they pressure the NBA, the BBC, and others. They did it again when they got the name of the new variant to be Omicron instead of Xi.
Have you noticed that the MSM are very careful not to refer to the “country” of Taiwan, and they are even more careful about Hong Kong. China is a big market, and if they cut off a network (like they did with the BBC), it will cost that network megabucks (like it did the NBA).
In the last week, I’ve heard Fauci and Collins refer to the “Wuhan strain.” Why is it OK for them but no one else?
Asian hate crimes have increased by blacks. Not adjectives.