Techcordance

Banned

An eye-opening book titled The Language Police lists about 500 words that are banned from school textbooks. Some are amusing, some stupid (probably a banned word), and some are chilling. Here is a very partial list of banned words:

• Founding Fathers—Banned as sexist. Replace with Founders or Framers. (Because we would not want to note that the men who wrote the documents were men)
• Caveman—Banned as sexist, replace with cave dweller. (Wonder if that makes the Geico Cave . . . uhhh . . . dweller feel a little better?)
• Disadvantaged—Banned, replace with reference to the resources or rights that are absent in an individual’s life circumstances. (Example: Dave cannot sing because of resources that are absent in his individual life circumstance. Like talent.)
• Courageous—Banned as patronizing when referring to persons with disabilities. (Some of the most courageous people I know are those who are disabled. I really don’t get this one.)
• God—Banned for being . . . steady yourself . . . too religious. (I can’t even muster the strength to respond.)
• Lunatic—Banned as offensive, replace with person with a psychiatric illness. (C.S. Lewis would have to change his famous argument about Jesus being Lord, liar, or lunatic. His PC argument would be something like this: Is the revered moral teacher a higher power, untrustworthy source, or person with a psychiatric illness? Kind of loses its pizzazz doesn’t it?
• Soda—Banned for regional bias, replace with Coke, Pepsi. (Seriously? Regional bias? I grew up drinking “pop” and moved to “Coke” territory. That has not been my biggest life issue so far.)
• Teenager—Banned, replace with adolescent. (I was all for banning teenagers at various times in my household. Especially when they acted like lunatics.)