The speech police dubs yet more words 'racist' David Harsanyi notes how completely inoffensive phrases are now considered verboten

wnd.com ^ | 7/9/2020 | David Harsanyi

[rktman]

Recently, I ran across a piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer that lays out four racist words and phrases that should be banished from the English language. It begins like this:

"Editor's note: Please be aware offensive terms are repeated here solely for the purpose of identifying and analyzing them honestly. These terms may upset some readers."

Steel yourself, brave reader, here they are:

Peanut gallery

Eenie meenie miney moe

Gyp

No can do

The same grammarian who authored the piece had previously confronted the "deeply racist connotation" of the word "thug," noting that President Donald Trump "wasn't the least bit bashful" when calling Minneapolis rioters "thugs" in a tweet, despite the word's obvious bigoted history. In 2015, President Barack Obama referred to Baltimore rioters as "thugs" as well. He likely did so because "thug" – defined as a "violent person, especially a criminal" – is a good way to describe rioters. It's true that not everyone in a riot engages in wanton violent criminality. Some participants are merely "looters" – defined as "people who steal goods during a riot." That word is also allegedly imbued with racist connotations, according to the executive editor of The Los Angeles Times and others.

[heterosupremacist]

Try using the word ‘Negro’ as Martin Luther King often did...

Autocorrect just changed it to “metro”!

[hanamizu]

“Ennie meeni miney moe, catch a tiger by the toe...That’s the way I was taught...in the South in the 60’s.

---

I find this fascinating. In SoCal in the early 50s, we learned a slightly different counting rhyme, the original. The next line was, “...if he hollers, make him pay fifty dollars every day” which makes no sense at all if one is dealing with a tiger.

Anyway, in just 10 or so years, the children’s rhyme had been so successfully changed, that you, growing up in the South learned the tiger version. Kindergarten teachers changed the culture!

I’ve read that the original, which is quite old, was referring to runaway slaves being caught and having to buy their freedom.

[Tunehead54]

“Love you long time” is probably out too. ;-)

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

P.O.E. :" That’ll fix the problems in the inner city. So we’re done then? /s "

This proves the fact that who controls the language,
also controls the argument and discussion.

[heterosupremacist]

If you say you are a transqueer lesbian, nobody has a problem.

If you say you are heterosexual people will shout, “No! You are cisgender! You are binary!”

[ZOOKER]

I guess “dog-faced pony soldier” is still ok, then?

[rockvillem]

I suppose, “I haven’t seen you in a coon’s age” is out of the question?

LOL. Yeah, may have to park that one next to "that's mighty white of you" ;)

[hattend]

Who are the “speech police” and why should we even give them the time of day?

[hattend]

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***President Donald Trump “wasn’t the least bit bashful” when calling Minneapolis rioters “thugs” in a tweet, despite the word’s obvious bigoted history.****

Say what? The word derives from the THUGS of India.

I am reminded of my CO-OP dog food from years ago. GRIMALDI’S DOG FOOD! WOPing to please! DAGO for Grimaldi’s!

[Savage Beast]

And don't write "black tie" or "white tie" on any more invitations.

Don't say "RSVP" either. I don't know what they could make of that, but I'm sure it's something.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

I know a preschool teacher who found a neat trick online - draw eyes and a smiley face on Elmer’s Glue bottle lids that visually indicate whether or not the bottle is closed. I saw the picture - will never fly, the glue bottles looked like hooded klansmen.