More diversity lunacy: The Army Intelligence and Security Command’s list of forbidden words; Update: Add “brown people” to the list

By Michelle Malkin  •  November 28, 2007 02:07 PM

Update: Nine-year-old suspended for saying “Brown people.”
***

celebrate diversity

In response to the Denver diversity video debacle, a military reader shared his own diversity lunacy story:

“I’m not sure this tops the Denver story but this past August the Army Intelligence and Security Command’s (INSCOM) Equal Opportunity (EO) promulgated a list of forbidden words. Some of the words on this list wouldn’t be used in the work place by most people with any common sense — but some of the words on the list are ridiculous and epitomize the overreaching hysteria of the PC speech police. I’m sending a screen shot of the email message that accompanied the forbidden word list, as well as a screen shot of the forbidden words list (2 columns). On the screen shots you can see that I’m logged into my Army AKO email when viewing both the email and the attached forbidden words list — I did this so you can be assured that they were circulated via the Army’s AKO email system and are not something that was made up. However, I’ve blacked out my account information as I do **not** want to be identified as the source. I don’t know whether this list was published Army-wide or DoD-wide or whether it was just an INSCOM project, but note that the EO Advisor says this list was the product of the Army’s EO School, which suggests that this would have been sent Army-wide.”

Here are the screenshots:

2eeo.jpg

2eeo004.jpg

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Trackbacks

  1. Right Voices » Blog Archive » Kids often say the darndest things….9 Year Old Charged With Hate Crime..He Said…Brown People
  2. Someone at INSCOM needs a real job | DragonLady’s World
  3. CDR Salamander
  4. 9 Yr-Old Suspended for ‘Hate Crime’ (He used the ‘B’ word.) - UPDATED
  5. US Army Releases List Of Offensive Words. Guess What Word Is Left Off The List.
  6. Word wars « Full Metal Cynic
  7. Maggie's Farm
  8. 05541e6084da52a78659

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Comments


  1. #181788
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:33 pm, jrlingreenbay said:

    Okay — since nobody else has said it… Can we still say camel-jockey?

    Only at the Fallujah Derby at post time.

  2. #181792
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:36 pm, gayle said:

    Next to be banned; “Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas”…..bye Santa.

  3. #181797
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:39 pm, jfish said:

    Next to be banned; “Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas”…..bye Santa.

    Sadly, gayle, the union of shopping mall Santas (yes, there is some such group) just released a statement to their cadre of Santas that they should no longer say “Ho, Ho, Ho”, but instead say “Ha, Ha, Ha”.

    un.flipping.real

  4. #181798
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:40 pm, Godzilla said:

    OH GOD

    I’m using spear-chucker all the time now. I’d never heard that before but that could be the greatest term ever.

    But “monkey?”

    My mom calls me monkey. I guess if someone overheard it they should take her to court, huh?

  5. #181803
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:42 pm, Archon said:

    RaisedRight,

    Dumb PR escapes me. Red Bone refers to one of American Indian (is that right? or are they still Native Americans…eff it, injuns). High Yellow is actually incorrect. The correct term is “High Steppin Yeller”, used to refer to a light skinned person of color. Guinea Pig can be someone from a Pacific Island.

    All that being said…I shared this in the team room with my all of my team mates, including the high steppin yeller one, the spic, and the Joo….they laughed their asses off.

    Dear Mom and Dad,
    Went to war and garrison broke out.

  6. #181804
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:44 pm, Archon said:

    Okay — since nobody else has said it… Can we still say camel-jockey?

    Camel jokey, towel head, dune coon, haji (or the effeminate, hajina), durka…or as we so often call them: TARGETS.

  7. #181805
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:44 pm, tony the tiger said:

    jrlingreenbay #25
    … We’re “Army Strong” now…
    An Army of one has passed the trails of “be all that you can be”

    Just thought you’d want to know…

  8. #181808
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:46 pm, Surveyor said:

    Good. I see I can still call someone a “foot-tapper”.

  9. #181823
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:52 pm, Buck I said:

    #99
    I think the Army has differnt S.O.Ps additional, seperate, and apart from the Constitution. They can implement policies for group cohesion. The right not to be offended argument and how it relates to the Constituion arguement fails me. I don’t think anyone is saying it’s a Constitutional issue. You have a constutional right to call your boss or co-worker a racial slur, and he/she has a legal right to fire you. It’s not about going to jail(i.e. losing your liberty), it’s about words having consequences in a civilized environment.

    Russ and 99
    You can’t be paranoid over every possible hypothetical mishap. If somebody get’s screwed, I’m sure many will come to their defense.

    I heard Carl’s wife had a boy.

    To answer you question, I believe, maybe even can guarantee that the Army personnel in Russ’ scenario would tell worker A to “get the hell out of his office and wasting his time”, if A keeps pressing, he may be assigned to a shrink. I think the scenario of “wifee had a baby boy” causing a stink is beyond implausible. Call me naive perhaps, but I see a little bit of “chicken littles” running around forcasting impending doom, that just won’t materialize. If I’m wrong, I’m man enough to come back down the road, and eat my words, but these scenarios are a little much.

  10. #181831
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:56 pm, Buck I said:

    Archon and Godzilla

    That flows easily on the comfort of a keyboard, but try it at work, or church, or a grocery store ect…. Words do have consequences.

    I’m sure tongues are firmly in cheek, but I’m just sayin….

  11. #181833
    On November 28th, 2007 at 4:57 pm, Peejz said:

    That list makes you want to cry..

  12. #181847
    On November 28th, 2007 at 5:07 pm, docflash said:

    Dumb PR-Puerto Rican

  13. #181858
    On November 28th, 2007 at 5:20 pm, Jim M. said:

    Well, at least they didn’t take profanity away. A military organization cannot run without profanity. There are NCO’s out there who would be unable to speak if that happened.

    It is truly amazing what an extended stint in the field can do to one’s verbal preferences.

  14. #181872
    On November 28th, 2007 at 5:37 pm, Archon said:

    That flows easily on the comfort of a keyboard, but try it at work

    Read the second paragraph of my #105 post. Believe me when I say that if this list went out as an ALCON, we certainly didn’t get it. Hell racial slurs are identifying markers around here, and are the least offensive nouns used. I’ve had a few guys actually make some new words up, because the current vocabulary available was insufficient for their purposes.

    As far as the church or grocery store goes: the memo was directed for words used at work. Of course, on the rare occasions that I go to a chapel, my mouth is tightly closed for fear of being lit a flame. Other public places, like the commissary, I represent the epitome of professionalism.

    I think most everyone on this site understands that words have consequences. It’s too bad that the majority of the “civilized” world doesn’t grasp that concept.

  15. #181875
    On November 28th, 2007 at 5:41 pm, travis said:

    How come fat ass isn’t there? Like, “Ew, those fries tased ‘fat ass’”.

  16. #181876
    On November 28th, 2007 at 5:42 pm, travis said:

    oops, tased=tasted.

  17. #181887
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:02 pm, leepro said:

    #84 meatpieandtatters said:

    S.N.A.F.U.

    No, worse than that:

    F.U.B.A.R

  18. #181888
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:02 pm, amigoneus said:

    #109 ~ I understand that the military has seperate rules. However, you must admit that putting out a list of forbidden words is pretty stupid. Okay, so I can’t say n*****, but dumb f*** isn’t on there, so I can still walk around saying it? It’s a matter of respect, not banning certain words.

    It is a constitutional issue. Because it starts out “Congress shall make no laws…” and yet they do. No, it’s not a constitutional right to be able to say hateful words, it’s that congress doesn’t have the right to tell you what you can/can’t say.

    It’s not a paranoid, chicken little thing. I don’t know what your work status is, but at my work, we have to undergo harrassment training, to teach us to be sensitive. And when I watch those stupid vidoes, I’m just amazed. What happened to common sense? Yes, I can call my boss an idiot and he can fire me. I can walk down the street and call somebody a wet back and they can punch me. But that’s my right to do so and theirs to respond. Where does the government get off even thinking about bringing the subject up?

    PS – since when has our environment been civilized? It’s not about civilization, it’s about one group of people trying to control another group’s thoughts and actions. Sticks and stones and all that.

    Anyway, thanks for the good debate and have a great night, all (boys and girls hehe). Time for happy hour!!

  19. #181892
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:05 pm, MNUSMCDavid said:

    Wow…just looked at that list. Anybody know a good tutor for the American Sign language? I’m going to need one.

  20. #181897
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:10 pm, Sergeant Tim said:

    Note that “all” was the distribution designation; that memo went to every in-box within the command. I guess staff wienies (’wienies’ is not on SFC Blanding’s list) NCOs at INSCOM have been delegated command authority. Boy Man, I’m jealous.

    I served two years as an the Army’s Nurnberg Military Community’s EOA (Equal Opportunity Adviser, Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), class 87-3), before returning to my original career field.

    While there, as a Sergeant First Class, I occasionally sent information to companies and detachments on base within the base commander’s authority. Yet what SFC Blanding sent had the air of policy about it. My boss, a Brigadier General, never let me tell all them Captains and Lieutenant Colonels what to do.

  21. #181914
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:33 pm, travis said:

    Wow…just looked at that list. Anybody know a good tutor for the American Sign language? I’m going to need one.

    Why bother? Just move to New York, all you need is a finger.

  22. #181916
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:35 pm, trinitytim said:

    Good call leepro.

    FUBAR pretty much sums it up.

  23. #181925
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:46 pm, On-my-soap-box said:

    Update: Nine-year-old suspended for saying “Brown people.”

    The proper term to stay in skewl is:

    “Brown Christians”

  24. #181929
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:51 pm, coachken said:

    Right on #34
    My comment
    My mom taught me “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me”
    Been called a lot of things in my day and I still waiting for my feelings to be hurt.
    Down with PC.

  25. #181932
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:53 pm, Lifeofthemind said:

    Such stupidity just gives cover to grievance mongerers, who infest the civilian government, and inhibit the ability of real leaders and managers to exercise their authority. Someone can now complain the mean boss spoke insensitively so they can’t be subject to discipline by that person in the future.

    Many many years ago some subversive genius in the Navy sent out an ALNAV message, that means it went to every command, that purported to be about when you could or could not serve what are advertised as “South African Lobster Tails.” The subject of the message, that was liberally repeated in every sentence, referred to “Split Tails.”

  26. #181936
    On November 28th, 2007 at 6:59 pm, John Ansell said:

    #125, why not S.A.L.T. tails?

  27. #181937
    On November 28th, 2007 at 7:01 pm, gunslingerpatriot said:

    amigones-
    Actually the context only matters if you are one of the protected classes of people-Christian, white males need not complain of racism.

    Saw a few racial incidents in the Navy and learned that there is the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. See how far it goes when a non-white ethnic calls a white person a slur and compare it to see how far it goes when the races are reversed (reverse racism). Sadly the worse racism I saw was how blacks were treated by other blacks-especially if they were taking college classes on base and walking back to the BEQ.

    If it ever gets to the point that other non-white ethnic groups are held to the same standard consistently, then I will apologise and retract my opinion.

    GSP :)

  28. #181953
    On November 28th, 2007 at 7:19 pm, Bob1234 said:

    “Boy!” “Girl!” Fetch the smelling salts! Being unaccustomed to such raw language, I feel an attack of the vapors coming on!

  29. #181962
    On November 28th, 2007 at 7:28 pm, tony the tiger said:

    Just left the Ft Lewis Class VI – they’re selling “coolies” with the Army logo emblazoned on them… had to chuckle about that.

  30. #181984
    On November 28th, 2007 at 7:59 pm, Boomer said:

    tony the tiger I knew I should of hit the Class VI on my way out of Mountain Home AFB tonight. I have a feeling I’m going to need something to take the edge off of tonight’s BS hosted by CNN.

    I still can’t believe anyone in uniform approving of this PC crap going through out any command. My first week in basic training I never heard so much harsh language and slurs in my life. Most of it came from the female Training Instructors (TI). That was back in the day when men were run by men and women by women. We were more afraid of the women TIs then our own. Most vivid memory is hearing, “when I tell you halt I want to hear 50 (expletive for female sexual organ starts with a C) slap shut at the same time.” I guess this generation are supposed to be kinder and gentler killers now.

  31. #182252
    On November 28th, 2007 at 11:31 pm, cthelight said:

    Lots of words left out…all the words
    that are used to describe Middle Eastern
    types…is the Army afraid they might
    get blown up or 40 lashes?

  32. #182297
    On November 29th, 2007 at 1:24 am, right_on said:

    Boy, I’d really be in trouble…my name is MICK! Bad pollock…BAD pollock!!! Ha! I just can’t seem to win for losing…the Army made me a victim, and I didn’t even have to work it. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!!!

  33. #182298
    On November 29th, 2007 at 1:25 am, right_on said:

    Lots of words left out…

    Yeah, what happened to the term “skinnies” from the Somalia debacle?

  34. #182325
    On November 29th, 2007 at 2:20 am, Jim C. said:

    I’m currently reading “Red Star Over Hollywood” by Ronald and Allis Radosh. At one point the Communist Party was criticizing its own member writers for “white chauvinism” for small things like words/phrases such as “whitewash” and “black sheep”. Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood 10, ran afoul of this himself!

    You can find this material using the “search inside the book” feature over at Amazon.

    “Oriental” is bad because the late non-lamented Edward Said condemned “Orientalism”. People are Asian, rugs and other things are Oriental.

    “Sounds Greek to me” is offensive? Quick, change Shakespeare! (Julius Caesar act I) “But for my own part, it was Greek Esperanto to me”

    “Pollock”? Geez, get your racist terms right. It’s POLACK, morons! Pollock is a fish! I’m a Polack person of Polish descent.

  35. #182396
    On November 29th, 2007 at 5:25 am, herself said:

    Maybe I’d believe such a list if “Gringo” and similar words were on it. It’s just stupid.

  36. #182454
    On November 29th, 2007 at 7:22 am, AuntiEm said:

    I can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow too…

    My local paper forum bleeps the word spade no matter the context.

  37. #182474
    On November 29th, 2007 at 7:52 am, TMoney said:

    How wonderful our world will be when we all stop using these mean and hurtful words and phrases.

    HAVE A RAMA-HANA-KWANZ-MAS everybody!

  38. #182579
    On November 29th, 2007 at 10:28 am, misterbee241 said:

    I retired from the Department of the Navy 2 years ago. I’d bet this list is making the rounds there too.
    Some words I could see, but some of them are just plain stupid.

  39. #182673
    On November 29th, 2007 at 11:28 am, Thunder_Run said:

    The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the – Web Reconnaissance for 11/29/2007 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.

  40. #183029
    On November 29th, 2007 at 2:33 pm, right_on said:

    Jim C.

    Yes, you are right, however you have a headlock, a wristlock, and a polelock (also misspelled – as pollock). Can you guess where that lock is placed?

  41. #183148
    On November 29th, 2007 at 3:59 pm, bipartisancomplainer said:

    So when will minorities stop calling Caucasians “white people.” I mean it’s really offensive!

  42. #183467
    On November 29th, 2007 at 8:50 pm, bear1909 said:

    So, as the homosexual parlor police write the lexicon of acceptable military jargon, the question remains: do our soldiers still get to nation build?

    /sarc off

  43. #183479
    On November 29th, 2007 at 9:03 pm, bear1909 said:

    In all seriousness, this put-a-lid-on-it approach only makes it worse.

    It’s the personal scale of a useless geopolitical strategy that has become all too familiar. For example, power elites spend decades putting a lid on conflict with their version of diplomacy, only to have a resurgent bloodbath occur as the artificial “boundaries” burst. I give you WW1, ww2, the cold war (3) and now WW4 in the middle east.

    Lame. Ass.

  44. #183493
    On November 29th, 2007 at 9:12 pm, AlturaCt said:

    Forbidden words?

    “All it takes is for someone to hear it”

    BS! Says who and since when?

  45. #183996
    On November 30th, 2007 at 11:14 am, Ignatius Reilly said:

    Hey…you all be crackin’ so hateful on this SFC. Can’t you all be understandin’ that these makework EO jobs — reserved for members of “the community” — are everywhere? Corporate American has them out the whazoo. Government, universities, BIG TIME. Even the military. If you don’t believe it, next time you’re hanging in the hallway, take a peek into HR. What you think they be doin’ in there? They ain’t got no skills. This poor SFC was just doing her thing.

  46. #202342
    On December 23rd, 2007 at 8:52 pm, graysonret said:

    Little by little, citizen rights are taken away. Today, more of free speech. What comes tomorrow?

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