Just Plain Stupid
Apologies up front to any Penn State grads, although especially if it’s been a while since you were enrolled on campus, you may also find this action below to be foolish, in spite of it being your alma mater. No question, this elitist nonsense undoubtedly ‘infects’ other U.S. college/university campuses, as well.
That said, here we go. Just last month, Penn State’s Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs OK’d the removal of “Gendered & Binary Terms” from course and program descriptions. This is a move to remove gender identities and, by so doing, increase and encourage all manner of “inclusivity.”
They seem especially determined to replace any reference to “men,” however secondary or inconsequential, to avoid any preference for that lowly gender. For instance, “freshman” is no longer acceptable, verbal or written, to be replaced by “first-year.” Sophomore, junior, and senior, then, through their age-old relationship to the now prohibited “freshman,” have also been expelled, replaced by the limited remaining alternatives of “second, third, and fourth-year,” again, for no other reason, it appears, than to remain in lock-step with the abandonment of “freshman.” And, again, for the apparent urgent need to deep-six any and all references to “men,” the terms upper and lower classmen, considered to be both sexist and classist, also had to go, to be replaced by “upper and lower divisions.”
And of course, in order to pay further homage to the ‘goddess (opps, my bad) of gender neutrality,’ the terms “him” and “her” were clearly in the crusading eyes and ears of the Penn State Senate, so they are to be henceforth replaced by the inclusive word “them.” As in, one suspects: “Them there non-men and non-women now have no individual identity, but it don’t seem to matter, no how.” Oh, and no more Mr./Miss/Ms./Mrs. (wonder if Dr. is safe?), no doubt, again out with the male/female identifiers, to be replaced by “faculty member” or “staff member.” Seems like the study of history, political science, ands other subjects might be a bit of a challenge when avoiding he-she-him-her. And foreign languages have masculine and feminine forms and designations. So long, Mademoiselle! There will, however, be approved exceptions, for instance, with majors in fields like gender studies (Note: Unless one is on a grant-paid, full-ride, in order to avoid future debt re-payment issues, be advised there remain limited employment prospects for any major with the word “Studies” in the title!).
So, then, rather than concentrate more fully on subject matter studies, with the hopes of excelling academically, and then landing solid employment with a company or organization that likely does not have restricted speech, sons and daughters…oh, sorry… “them” students, it appears, will have to constantly keep in mind the need for ever-inclusive language, presumably in any assigned written work? This, it would seem, is an unnecessary burden on students, and frankly, just plain ridiculous. Once this move got out, Twitter response was not always positive! Examples include: “College campuses are quickly becoming complete jokes. Glad I went to college before academics went completely crazy.” And: “Are you really getting rid of terminology such as freshman and sophomore? Because I have a child at the main campus, and I am about at my wits end with all of this stupidity.”
As the last writer, a parent, stated, this really does smack of stupidity, at a time when there is so much else of actual importance going on, both in classrooms (or should be) and within our nation, and the worrisome world beyond. So, you will likely be distressed to find out that 88.75% of Penn State students actually approved of these terminology changes!! Saints preserve us !!
While this entire article and campus episode involved Penn State, you can bet that similar language modifications and restrictions are either already in place, or soon will be, on many other campuses around the country. So, among the conclusions from this hopefully short-lived foolishness might be: Wokeism vs. COVID-19: both now seen to be competing for the title: “Worst Virus.”
Out of invented, fact-free, pandering-media-hammered terms like, ‘systemic racism’ and ‘white supremacy,” have emerged the two competing sides (whites vs. non-whites) in the battle to determine exactly which one deserves the sparkly crown as the “Fairest of ‘them’ all in the Developing Kingdom.” Will it be the unfairly-proclaimed “Oppressors’ or the self-proclaimed ‘Victims’? With incessant media and Progressive Democrat help and clamor, no doubt the winner of the sash and crown will be the self-proclaimed and identified: ‘Victims.’
To assist the ‘Victims,’ the more recently highlighted terms, diversity and inclusion, have given birth to the notion of ‘equity’ vs. ‘equality.’ Not satisfied with equal opportunity (i.e., equality), from the ‘victims’’ crusade has come the drive and demand for equal outcomes (i.e., equity). Forced or manipulated ‘victim’ outcomes, which as the song says is ‘the impossible dream.’ You know, there was a time not so long ago when inclusion, that is, acceptance, was earned, gained by skill or merit, regardless of race or ethnicity. Earned, rather than dictated by government-encouraged social policy. Earned rather than the elitist-forced leveling of every competitive playing field in life.
In point of fact, in a free nation, there simply should be neither oppressors nor victims. All should be on an equal ‘included’ footing, based on abilities, personality, and most importantly, again as Dr. King pleaded, personal character. Hopefully, one day, character and ability, not race and background, will become society’s equalizer. The preferred solution to inclusion. Sadly, as the ‘wokeism’ epidemic continues to spread, it is this, the phony language and assumptions of elitism, that is in danger of becoming America’s real ‘oppressor.’
And finally, for a move perhaps more petty than stupid, Mr. Biden has reversed President Trump’s last-in-his-term order envisioning a National Garden of American Heroes, along with his order to protect American monuments on federal land. The Trump vision was to honor prominent Americans from government to athletics to entertainment to innovation, giving visitors the opportunity to learn about these diversified great prominent citizens, toward a fuller, broader understanding of genuine American history and achievement. Mr. Biden missed an opportunity to assume that project and make the National Garden his own. Instead, he chose to dumpster this planned salute to individual success, diversity, and inclusion, based on the personal abilities of great, successful Americans.
More seriously and significant, at the same time, Mr. Biden also dumped the Trump decree to protect America’s historic monuments, at a time in mid-2020, you’ll recall, when monuments across the land were being desecrated or torn down by history-ignorant mob actions. The Trump order called for the “prosecution to the fullest extent permitted under Federal law acts of vandalism and destruction to statues on federal property.” There is no defensible reason for cancelling this monument protective order, which should rise well above politics. Just more Trump-diminishing pettiness, which we certainly hope doesn’t green-light future destructive actions against America’s historical monuments and memorials.
(Penn State stats & quotes via dailymail.com, Gina Martinez, 5-15-21; Revoking Trump orders stats & quote via breitbart.com, Charlie Spiering, 5-14-21).