You Can't Say That: Forbidden words and the ridiculous "education" guidelines that forbid them.

The Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal ^ | February 13, 2004 | Diane Ravitch

[quidnunc]

To judge by the magazines we read, the programs we watch or the music lyrics we hear, it would seem that almost anything goes, these days, when it comes to verbal expression. But that is not quite true.

In my book "The Language Police," I gathered a list of more than 500 words that are routinely deleted from textbooks and tests by "bias review committees" employed by publishing companies, state education departments and the federal government. Among the forbidden words are "landlord," "cowboy," "brotherhood," "yacht," "cult" and "primitive." Such words are deleted because they are offensive to various groups — feminists, religious conservatives, multiculturalists and ethnic activists, to name a few.

I invited readers of the book to send me examples of language policing, and they did, by the score. A bias review committee for the state test in New Jersey rejected a short story by Langston Hughes because he used the words "Negro" and "colored person." Michigan bans a long list of topics from its state tests, including terrorism, evolution, aliens and flying saucers (which might imply evolution).

A textbook writer sent me the guidelines used by the Harcourt/Steck/Vaughn company to remove photographs that might give offense. Editors must delete, the guidelines said, pictures of women with big hair or sleeveless blouses and men with dreadlocks or medallions. Photographs must not portray the soles of shoes or anyone eating with the left hand (both in deference to Muslim culture). To avoid giving offense to those who cannot afford a home computer, no one may be shown owning a home computer. To avoid offending those with strong but differing religious views, decorations for religious holidays must never appear in the background.

A college professor informed me that a new textbook in human development includes the following statement: "As a folksinger once sang, how many roads must an individual walk down before you can call them an adult." The professor was stupefied that someone had made the line gender-neutral and ungrammatical by rewriting Bob Dylan's folk song "Blowin' in the Wind," which had simply asked: "How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?"

While writing "The Language Police," I could not figure out why New York State had gone so far beyond other states in punctiliously carving out almost all references to race, gender, age and ethnicity, including even weight and height. In June 2002, the state was mightily embarrassed when reports appeared about its routine bowdlerizing on its exams of writers such as Franz Kafka and Isaac Bashevis Singer.

-snip-

[JustPlainJoe]

Oh Brother! How about the word "is". After all, it has many interpretations to many people. Some of those interpretations just may offend somebody!

I say we WIPE it out! Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

[Askel5]

What a queer article to be posting at this site.

[3catsanadog]

I guess Bob Dylan was a neanderthal.

[frithguild]

I guess the book I'm working on won't go over to well. It's title is, "Yachting with the Primitive Cowboy Cult and the Landlord Brotherhood."

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - EDUCATION AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

[SarahW]

Somebody explain to me why it is necessary to defer to the "muslim culture", i.e., the superstitious beliefs of *any* creed *especially* those from foreign lands.

[anniegetyourgun]

These so-called bias review committees at publishing houses are a result of the demands of government schools and their 80-pages RFP's. There is hardly a good text out there for any subject (even math), and most are written by committee - cut a paste/click and drop jobs.

Adults feed young people this kind of bunk, disengaged parents sit on their nates, and then we all wonder why quality is job #29 in this country.

[Tax-chick]

Who's offended by yacht? People who can't spell it? Care to join me for a cruise on my expensive recreational watercraft?

[anniegetyourgun]

Yeah...well, intrep #8, LK....and don't get me started on this....

; ]

[Tax-chick]

You can't say "black ice" ... it implies that "normal" ice is white.

[Space Wrangler]

Yes, someone must tell me how yacht got onto the list as being offensive. Care to take a ride on my 'luxurious floating vehicle'??

[Sonny M]

Um, my family is in real estate, we're landlords, how would I describe my families occupation then?

[watchin]

"Niggardly" is notoriously banned from public use.

Which makes me wonder what they do with the Spanish-speaking students, who use the word "NEGRO" for "BLACK"?

Maybe it's okay since it's pronounced "NAYGRO"?

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

I find the various groups that are offended by "such" words to be offensive themselves.NO REAL AMERICAN WOULD DO WHAT THESE WALKING FECES(sorry,i meant to say sh*t)ARE DOING!

[Blue Screen of Death]

Oh Brother!

Oh, Sibling! I guess you did not get the memo.

[Seeking the truth]

[no_problema]

so why do i see "sisterhood" routinely in newspapers?

[Aeronaut]

If you are elected as a P.C. leader of a committee you are the chairperson - clearly a male offspring reference, therefore sexist.

[watchin]

It's all about political correctness. How about "tyrants"? Or "oppressors of the poor and downtrodden"? Land Sharks?

No, once it is decided that we cannot offend even the evil landlord, we choose a more complex term ... how about "multiple living space occupancy supervisor"?