Stanford University put out a new list of words it considers to be “harmful language.” The 13-page “Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative” includes words like “immigrant,” which should be replaced by “person who has immigrated.” It advises against saying “walk-in hours” in favor of “open hours” to avoid discriminating against and hurting the feeling of those with disabilities. Stanford urges that we drop the phrase “beating a dead horse” because it normalizes violence against animals.
Under a section called “Imprecise Language,” the guide suggests replacing the term “American” with “U.S. citizen.” It explains: “(‘American’) often refers to people from the United States only, thereby insinuating that the US is the most important country in the Americas.” After all, North and South America contain 42 countries. And they have feelings, too.
Goodness, one of my favorite groups growing up was “Jay and the Americans.” One can never listen to “Cara Mia” the same way again. What about calling someone “un-American”? Is that elitist, too? Can we still refer to a style as “Americana”?
Do we have to dump the term “the United States of America” in favor of “the United States of One of the 42 Countries in the Americas”? In baseball, we have the National League and, goodness, the American League. Bye-bye, “American Dream,” “All American,” “All-American Girl,” “American Idol,” “American exceptionalism,” “American Express,” “AmWay” and certainly the expression “the American way.” Sorry, Superman, and the “never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.”
But there is good news. This means we can drop that stupid, nonsensical, bizarre term “African American.” When a black person from the U.S. visits Africa, Africans do not refer to him or her as “African American.” I asked a reporter with The Los Angeles Times why in one paragraph the newspaper used the term “African-American” to describe a black man, and then in the same paragraph, near the end, described him as “black.” “What?” I said. “You don’t want your readers to get bored, so you switch it up?” I asked him where he was born. He said, “California.” I said, “Where are your parents from?” He said, “California.” To which I said, “Where are your parents’ parents from?” He said, “Russia.”
I asked, “Why aren’t you a ‘Russian-American’? I assure you that my ancestors have been in this country longer than yours. Yet, I have a hyphen when you describe me, but you don’t when I describe you?”
OK, Stanford, here are some suggestions for your next edition. Instead of “smash-and-grab robbery,” let’s use the word “reparations.” Instead of the term “Left-wing bigotry,” like the Hispanic Los Angeles City Council members and the Hispanic Los Angeles County union leader, the ones caught on tape making racist and disparaging remarks about blacks, a Jew, whites and Mexicans. Let’s just call this “Russian disinformation” to get them off the hook. A store thief is an “undocumented shopper.” Under your section of imprecise language, advise against saying “black, American conservative,” and instead use the term “Uncle Tom.” (Be honest — we know that’s what you think.) Southern border crossers are “uninvited guests.” Jew hatred is “thoughtful disagreement.” A serial killer is a “rogue mortician.”
But there is good news. After Stanford put out its language guide, the university immediately became the object of attack and ridicule. It now says the language guide is under review. The school recently issued the following statement: “We have particularly heard concerns about the guide’s treatment of the term ‘American.’ We understand and appreciate those concerns. To be very clear, not only is the use of the term ‘American’ not banned at Stanford, it is absolutely welcomed” (quote emphasized in the original).
Care to know what it costs to go to Stanford and learn stuff like this? Student expenses for 2022-2023: Tuition $57,693; Room and Board $18,619; Student Fees Allowance $2,145; and Books and Supplies Allowance $1,350. That’s a total of $79,807, and doesn’t include any document fees, new student orientation fees, personal expenses or travel expenses.
Instead of using the word “outrageous,” let’s call it “elevated pricing.”
Larry Elder is a best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an “Elderado,” visit www.LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on Twitter @larryelder. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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Progressive Liberal ‘woke’ colleges and universities should concentrate on educating their skulls full of mush students on subjects other than their warped view of social mores, than giving absurd new meaning to words that, in their convoluted minds are “hurtful” to others and even animals.
Liberals have lost what little common sense they ever had in their headlong rush to transform America, and yes, the world into conforming to their moronic world where NO ONE gets butthurt because of a innocuous word that has been co-opted by the Millennials and Zoomers. These CHILDREN spend more time in their safe spaces, running from their imagined ‘trigger warnings’, and contemplating ‘new’ word definitions in the name of ‘not injuring another’s self esteem, or feelings’. They would be so much better off by directing their efforts to their studies, and taking courses in the meaning of words as defined in their Funk and Wagnalls, rather than waste time in a vain attempt to rewrite the common sense definition of words in the English language. Their vain efforts to assuage their WARPED sense of what words are good, and which ones need to be redefined to comply with their childish view of what is wrong is an exercise in futility.
All these whiney babies accomplish is making fools of themselves, and their universities for allowing such psychobabble to corrupt whatever good public opinion they had left. They would much better off continuing to use their “safe spaces” to whine, cry, writhe on the floor, pop bubble wrap, and contemplate their navel lint.
IT IS A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY, TO SEND YOUR KIDS TO THESE HIGH PRICE COLLEGES. WHAT DO THEY REALLY LEARN IS NOT HELPING THEM IN THE LONG RUN. ONLY SO THEY CAN SAY I WENT TO A PRESTIGES COLLEGE, WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP.
Shut down ALL Woke colleges & go to Non Woke colleges then
Attend Woke colleges & Kids become Indoc slaves to system
Hate America,U etc via Woke colleges
The liberal socialist schools are refining their brainwashing methods. No wonder our kids can finish school and still not know anything useful to function in todays world.
Tuition got high because the government payed a lot to support students such as student loans, VA ,, etc. Our government nreds to be involved in preventing increasing costs that prevents achedemically qualified students thst are not able to afford these costs. If they can mandate low inco e housing they can do the same for education.