Posted on 08/31/2012 10:45:44 AM PDT by massmike
John M. Robinson, the Chief Diversity Officer at the U.S. Department of State, wants America’s diplomats to know that common phrases and idioms like “holding down the fort” are, in fact, deeply racist.
Robinson, who also serves as director of the Department’s Office of Civil Rights, used his “Diversity Notes” feature in the July/August issue of the official “State Magazine” to examine the hateful roots of everyday sayings. In one recent public relations kerfuffle at Nike, Inc., he wrote, the company torpedoed a sneaker called the “Black and Tan.”
“What a wonderful celebratory gesture and appreciation for Irish culture. Not!” wrote Robinson, an adult.
Robinson notes that “Black and Tan,” in addition to being an enjoyably robust alcoholic concoction, can refer to the brutal Protestant militiamen who ravaged the Irish countryside in the early 20th century — which is why Irish bartenders always get so upset when you order one.
In an effort to avoid offending those notoriously fragile Irish sensibilities, Nike pulled the shoe from stores.
Robinson would like us all to learn from the sneaker company’s inadvertent racism and really start watching what we say. For example, did you know “going Dutch” is a reference to Netherlanders’ apparently well-known parsimoniousness, and that your widowed neighbor, sweet old Mrs. Rasmussen, cries every time she hears you use it?
And did you know using the phrase “holding down the fort” is the linguistic equivalent of scalping a Cherokee? According to Robinson, the phrase dates back to American soldiers on the western frontier who wanted to “hold down” all that land they stole.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
Let me guess. This guy is from Chicago with connections to Valerie Jarrett?
According to Alan Colmes (FOXNEWS 1:20 CDT), ‘watermelon’ is a racist term, too.
Eliminate the Office of Human Rights. Obviously, these over-paid paper-shufflers don’t have enough to do if they are analyzing idioms for racist content. Sheesh....talk about searching for victims under every bush......
say "Aw!"
Late 19th century it was also applied to a mix of dark beer and pale ale.
As a natural development the term was applied to the Royal Irish Constabulary Auxiluary when it was formed in 1920, for the obvious reason.
Then Ben and Jerry thought the Irish association would be a a good peg to hang a special St Paddy's Day ice cream on. Ah, "Progressives" heart in the right place, left of centre, but terminally ignorant.
Probably can’t fire him, but he could eliminate all Diversity positions throughout the Federal Government, then eliminate enough positions in general so that people were forced to find other work rather than waiting for the Civil Service jobs to open up. Of course, I could see the same stuff coming out of a State Department Chief Protocol Officer.
The Battle of Allatoona Pass
October 5, 1864
Sherman, who during the fighting had signaled “Hold the fort,
for we are coming.” had done so as a ruse. No men leave his stronghold
at Kennesaw Mountain during the battle.
http://ngeorgia.com/history/allapass.html
“It is just as big a thing to take offense as it is to give it”
-Chinese proverb.
George Orwell clearly saw this too.
This is an example of “folk etymology,” where some person or group comes up with a logical-sounding supposed origin for a word or phrase and tries to convince others the phrase shouldn’t be used because of its original meaning.
The article references the notion that “rule of thumb” refers to the size stick a man can use to beat his wife. Not. It goes back many centuries and refers, fairly obviously, to a craftsman using his thumb or another body part as a rule(r) to get consistent sizing.
Another example popped up recently where homos claim the term “faggot,” with its dual meaning as a stick of wood and a gay person, originates from the long history of burning gay men to death, as in “throw another faggot on the fire.” Unfortunately for this neat theory, faggot for stick goes back many centuries, while as a term for gay men it didn’t show up till the 20th century, when not many gays were being burned in England or USA. Also homosexuals were seldom burned. We hung ‘em.
Mr. Robinson comes up with a variant of “fake but accurate,” in which he agrees these terms may not actually have these origins, but we should be careful not to use them anyway.
Which sounds pretty niggardly to me.
(not that there is anything wrong with being fat)
Near Charlotte, NC there is a lake called Lake Norman. It was named after Norman Cox. They decided to name the lake, Lake Norman. LOL
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