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Stanford University’s Woke ‘Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative’ Exposed

Posted on Friday, December 23, 2022
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by Tammy Bruce
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112 Comments
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Stanford

Normally, if you design a guide for your entity, and it’s based on your supposed values, and it’s meant to improve people’s lives, you would make sure the world knows about it and be proud to share it with everyone. Stanford University had another idea. When everyone found out that their little Orwellian “Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative” had developed a ‘guide’ of forbidden words Stanford panicked and locked the censorious project behind a firewall and began to gaslight everyone about what its intentions were.

Fortunately, the Stanford Review, the university’s independent newspaper, is filling us all in with the latest shenanigans of what used to be a premiere university having slouched toward woke in the most predictable of ways. In a story titled, “Big Brother is Watching You: Stanford’s New ‘Harmful Language’ Guide,” we are given a peek at the insanity driving the woke.

With an agenda of supposedly eliminating “racist, violent, and biased” words from its IT system and websites, instead they provide the rank absurdity driving today’s woke mob. A sampling of the words and phrases considered too toxic and damaging to be used include “Walk in” as it’s insensitive to the disabled, so “drop in” is to used instead. “White paper” is racist and will be replaced with “position paper.” “Karen” will be swapped with “Demanding or entitled White person.” “Brave” is out as it perpetuates the “noble savage” stereotype. There is to be no replacement.

The Daily Mail tells us, “It also says it will swap the term ‘blind review’ for ‘anonymous review’, while ‘tone deaf’ should be swapped for ‘unenlightened’ and ‘handicap parking’ changed to ‘accessible parking’. It also states in its gender-based section that ‘pronouns’ should be used instead of ‘preferred pronouns’, as the latter implies that ‘gender identity is a choice’. The section on institutionalized racism states that ‘black mark’ and ‘black sheep’ are not used because of ‘negative connotations to the color black’.” And now even the woke term “trigger warning” is now too… triggering and will be replaced with “content warning.”

Making the most news is the elimination of the word “American” to be replaced with “US citizen.” Why? American “often refers to people from the United States only, thereby insinuating that the U.S. is the most important country in the Americas (which is actually made up of 42 countries).”

You just can’t make up this sort of madness. Degrading language is cultic and meant to control and impede the freedom of thought of those targeted. Universities are supposed to be environments where the minds of students are to be expanded, not contracted. There is no excuse for this at Stanford or any other institution in this country under any guise.

The mocking and outrage was so swift and merciless Stanford’s Chief Information Officer issued a classic back-peddling statement saying they “missed the mark” and that the guide does not represent university policy. And yet how does something this outrageous get past any sort of review prior to even an internal implementation unless it reflects the desired and brutalized academic culture?

This of course is not new. Stanford is not alone. Censorship and banned word projects are pushed by marginal extremists in school systems, in media, and certainly in politics and in entertainment. This latest iteration of the vandalism of language started decades ago with the idiocy of political correctness. It is now part of the bureaucratic agenda throughout our establishment.

One of the first things totalitarian societies have relied on is censorship and the changing of language. George Orwell used his fiction masterpieces in an effort to warn Western civilization about the cancer of socialism and fascism. From Animal Farm to 1984 Orwell made clear how language and the meaning of words is at the foundation of civilization.

Understanding each other is at the foundation of our ability to govern ourselves and at the heart of our comprehending the world itself. The Tiny Tyrants among us also know that if it is too dangerous and forbidden to use certain words and phrases we will eventually stop thinking about things which require those words to convey your own assessment of society and culture and politics. We will retreat as only silence is ‘safe.’ And that is exactly the point.

If the next generation is going to have any hope of living decent and free lives and being able to function in society, this circus of the absurd must be condemned and stopped. Stanford can issue mea culpas all they want, but nothing will change. Americans everywhere mocking and denouncing the fools who implemented this is an important step, but Stanford alumni must get involved, speak up and say enough is enough.

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Richard Reed
Richard Reed
1 year ago

The articles on your website are getting better and better.

PaulE
PaulE
1 year ago

I have to wonder if SBF’s parents, both Sanford law professors, had a hand in crafting this nonsense. It seems right up their alley in terms of both focus and the type of word spin they like to engage in. In any event, this seems perfectly consistent with the left’s ongoing mission to completely reframe both language and what is considered acceptable thought in the United States.

SPITFIRE?1940
SPITFIRE?1940
1 year ago

What I wonder,will Stanford replace “Horsesh*t” with?.It would appear that this pathetic excuse for a center of higher learning is attempting to corner the market on that particular commodity!

Nobody’s Business
Nobody’s Business
1 year ago

Hi I’m a Democrat is harmful language that should definitely be eliminated!

porterv
porterv
1 year ago

If you can only say what someone else approves of then you have no freedom of speech at all. The USA used to be a relatively free country. Not any more.

Barrett Smith
Barrett Smith
1 year ago

I think we should replace the word “university” with “indoctrination center”.

J. Farley
J. Farley
1 year ago

I remember what my father used to say about people who lacked common sense, he called them —– Educated Idiots!
How right he was!

Fred
Fred
1 year ago

I would suggest “missing the mark” is problematic. It has gun connotations, as in target shooting.

Elaine
Elaine
1 year ago

To think that parents and students pay a hefty price to learn this garbage. Karen is “white”? How do they figure, when I have met some who are definitely not “white”. The gender question is ridiculous, how many biology classes does it take to learn the different male and female genders are the ones that can procreate.
Another lie was when all the icebergs melt our shore cities would be flooded, guess you can fill a glass with ice cubes and water and when the ice melts the water level goes down…elementary grade science experiment. Get rid of colleges giving out degrees to “educated idiots”. Go back to trade schools and the “hard school of knocks”. We need more hard working hands that get dirty and keeps the plumbing, electricity and homes built to withstand the climate fluctuations and use our own natural resources to keep our delivery trucks, farms and goods flowing without gaps.
The above is my 82 year old grandmother’s opinion.

Miffed52
Miffed52
1 year ago

“There is no swifter route to the corruption of thought than through the corruption of language.”—George Orwell

The following quote, I think, sums up Stanford.
“It is the classic fallacy of our time that a moron run through a university and decorated with a Ph.D. will thereby cease to be a moron.”—H. L. Mencken

Granny26
Granny26
1 year ago

I don’t care what the idiots at Stanford say..I am an AMERICAN and will always be an AMERICAN. There’s no way I’m changing the way I speak for some jackasses at ‘Stanford Indoctrination center’.

Maralyn Killorn
Maralyn Killorn
1 year ago

I don’t accept these changes. It is a step backward to a state of confusion. Totally not necessary – Stanford.

Nick Murphy
Nick Murphy
1 year ago

It is even worse in England. A woman was just arrested for praying silently in her head while standing outside an abortion clinic. That really happened! The police ask her if she was silently praying and she said I might have been, and they arrested her. She was not even saying anything out loud. That’s coming to a country near you soon

Barbara Williamson
Barbara Williamson
1 year ago

Who is attending and teaching at these so-called institutions of higher learning? Anyone with half a sensible brain knows this kind of garbage is utterly ridiculous! Get a life, people! This insanity must stop before we are all wearing straight jackets! LIVE AS FREE PEOPLE!

nate
nate
1 year ago

Why are young folks seemingly coming out of college dumber than when they went in?

TRUTH
TRUTH
1 year ago

Stanford University should change its name to: ‘DUH’ University with the rest of Loser so-called elite schools.
Anybody that’s stupid enough to waste their money there and Not get a Real education (Not Communism Correct) will learn hard way that a Communist Correct college/university won’t put food on table or roof over your head.
But WILL put you into DEBT for YEARS. All because you were stupid enough to believe FASCIST liberals lies.
Hard head makes a soft butt as the saying goes.

Jan Satterfield
Jan Satterfield
1 year ago

AND I THOUGHT ALL THIS TIME WE WERE JUST ALL BLESSED BY GOD TO BE AMERICANS. I THOUGHT AMERICANS HIT THE BEACH ON DDAY AND HELPED LIBERATE EUROPE . I THINK THE PEOPLE OF EUROPE SAID THE AMERICANS ARE COMING MEANING UNITED STATES SOLDIERS.JUST SAYIN

Tim Toroian
Tim Toroian
1 year ago

What happens with YELLOW journalism and other such for there may be no choice. Isn’t every damned paper a position paper? Stop donating to such despotic narrow-minded institutions.

Arlene
Arlene
1 year ago

They would no doubt be happy if we didn’t talk at all! Just walk around like a bunch of zombies.

David Millikan
David Millikan
1 year ago

Immediately strip Stanford University of ALL Federal Funding.
I DON’T PAY TAXES FOR COMMUNIST SCHOOLS.

Rebecca
Rebecca
1 year ago

These liberal colleges/universities no longer teach…they fabricate and instill falsehoods that students take as gospel. I believe it’s time to withdraw ALL funding given by the federal government and let them find other ways to support their institutions. I also suggest that salaries for “professors” be cut in half. They don’t teach or show up to class so why should their paycheck show up.

possum
possum
1 year ago

Just can not comment on stupidity …These entities were clueless before, now they are just empty in mind of any rationalization..Makes no sense..

Margie
Margie
1 year ago

Anyone who enrolls his or her don or daughter at this school is a fool. ( can I still say fool?)
Or maybe just plain ignorant

Ron Howard
Ron Howard
1 year ago

I am sick of all of the over-sensitiveness of people, especially the Left! Just as one example of what is wrong with Stanford’s changes is the replacement of “handicap parking” with “accessible parking”. I would take “Accessible Parking” as meaning it was alright for anyone to park there, or “not restricted”! We all have more serious problems to deal with every day! Everyone needs to grow up and get over themselves!

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
1 year ago

Apply to other Univs too; Yale, Harvard, Brown etc??

Harry Seals
Harry Seals
1 year ago

Excellent article by Ms. Bruce! We are thoroughly fed up with “politically correct” and all of the “woke” idiocy of the Left inside and out of the seemingly grossly stained halls of academia. I really feel badly for conservative students in this leftist, socialist nightmare.

Colleen Edmondson
Colleen Edmondson
1 year ago

Also banned grandfather. Said to use legacy instead since “grand” implies superior! God help us all! Thanks Tammy. Never miss when you’re on, always informative, just grand (and I do mean superior )!

DonS
DonS
1 year ago

Attend and graduate from the Royal Flush University with a PhD in Proctology. Thereafter, as a holder of this degree, you will be addressed by an anti-Stanford and a common sense possessing American citizen making this requesting of you: “Please take care of this a**hole for me!”

Bob Olden
Bob Olden
1 year ago

Well they don’t believe in right and wrong or objective truth, so nothing they say has any meaning. It’s just words. And if they shame you for ignoring them, they are guilty of bullying! Not that they can recognize it in themselves. Their heads are empty, and so are their hearts. I pity them and especially when I think of judgement day when they appear before a holy God. Wake up!! Don’t be woke!

Robin Walter Boyd
Robin Walter Boyd
1 year ago

This is more like the bi*chy spouse who always causes grief by saying; “It’s not what you said, it’s the way you said it.” Well, screw that! Freedom of speech is not having to put up with word Nazi’s telling us how we are allowed to say things.

NewDay
NewDay
1 year ago

These are self appointed rulers of thought. They are extremely intelligent. If you don’t believe it just ask them. On second thought who really cares what these folks dream up in their little self made universe. Long live free speech.

Tom P
Tom P
1 year ago

I thought these universities were suppose to make people smarter, however it seems some of these folks have serious mental deficiencies. Who would waste time nitpicking words that do not mean anything derogatory to anyone except a few that don’t have a life. Like Dr. Phil used to say, they need to get real!

PapaGrouch
PapaGrouch
1 year ago

I thought Stanford’s, and academia’s for that matter, woke language hypocrisies were exposed years ago. This is certainly not news to me, anyway. How about my fellow AMACers. The laws protect their new age global woke garbage. Their lawyers use the Constitution to destroy the Constitution, the 1st amendment to destroy free speech. The woke left accuses patriotic Americans of the very things that they, the woke, are guilty of. Too much of the GOP is bought and paid for and those with any integrity are drowned out by not only the left but the bought and paid for coward neocons and RINOs. How many of us see it clear that this is all a very deliberate effort on the part of evil of the global elitists to “save the planet,” as it were… Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Follow the money. …and in time, if/once they get their way, we can all watch with great humor as they eat their own, the ones who put them in their little utopian castles. Even now we’re beginning to see it. So, whatever happens, whether one believes it or not, God is on His throne, and when He passes down judgement, it’s going to get reeeeal sporting on this earth, for each one of us. No one gets a pass.
Not even George Soros or his good buddy Klaus….

GTPatriot
GTPatriot
1 year ago

These rewriters of our language are narrowminded dimwits ( Demwits) whose minds are deteriorating in a university environment. I will forever use words and phrases such as illegal alien, queer, homo ( not sapiens), deadbeat, and black sheep when I see these phrases to be appropriate. And they often are and apply to many people. The Stanford new-language rewrite I agree with is calling we and myself as US citizens. We are not Americans.
Venezuelan, Canadian, and Mexican citizens are americas and I’m not one of them. I am a citizen of the United States of America, not just America.

GTPatriot
GTPatriot
1 year ago

The left slaves daily to rewrite our language.

Philip Hammersley
Philip Hammersley
1 year ago

I’d say calling half of the voters “semi-fascists” is harmful. Do you think the so-called “brains” at Stanford would agree? How about “deplorables,” “irredeemables,” etc.?

David Shepherd
David Shepherd
1 year ago

This is certainly not new – but the level to which academia and most on the left are pressing the evolution of language is alarming. Of note, language has always evolved (investigate the words gentleman or stupid and you’ll be surprised), but history shows us only a few examples of agenda-driven, intentional, forced redefining of words. Most frightening is that 100% of these examples are dictatorships or totalitarian, communist, fascist, or socialist governments influencing academia and other social organizations. In every case, the majority populous (that disagreed with the changes) stood by and let it happen. Remember all the little towns near Nazi concentration camps? The people there, who clearly HAD to be AWARE, just looked the other way and pretended not to notice. Ordinary citizens of the U.S. MUST wake up (and be truly woke…) to prevent the loss of everything early Americans (proper usage for the time) fought for.

Robert D
Robert D
1 year ago

Please allow me to be the next Commencement Speaker at Stanford !

I’ll use my Don Rickles incorrect PC Bible as my resource guide!

Will Parents and Grandparents will be required by Stanford to only attend graduation only if the pass a bizarre and insane PC interrogation session, so not as to offend any living creature on Earth!?

American
American
1 year ago

Just another form of attempting to control peoples minds and keep the divisive rhetoric in play. They continue to tell people what is supposed to offend them to make themselves feel superior. As for me, I have no respect for any of them and only hope they are gone from this earth before me so I can smile again instead of worrying about the future for my children and grandchildren.

George
George
1 year ago

This must be what the incredibly large endowment funds are being used for instead of possibly lowering tuitions and fees so that a college education is available to more people.

Corbin L Douthitt
Corbin L Douthitt
1 year ago

Academia has gone off the deep end, jumped the shark and is absolutely useless. I am surprised that graduates aren’t suing universities for fraud.

Robert Zuccaro
Robert Zuccaro
1 year ago

Good thing they outlawed the word “STUPID” so there’s nothing to accurately describe this bull$%@*

Ruckweiler
Ruckweiler
1 year ago

This shows the level of insanity extant at Stanford. They say it’s for internal use which is a lame excuse for word tyranny. A once great university has, like so many others, fallen into the leftist fever swamp.

Steve Bird
Steve Bird
1 year ago

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me. I learned that when I was 7.

Tom Yeoman
Tom Yeoman
1 year ago

This nonsense, from he IT School at Stanford. Obviously since they and other IT ‘professionals’ have solved all the actual real world IT problems; hacking, computer fraud, computer theft, ransomware, cyber bullying, child pornography, human trafficking, and all other cyber crimes and bad things it was time. Time for he best & brightest (sarcasm font) IT minds in our country to attack, and solve & correct “words & language” that make them sad. Just ‘WOW.

Weary
Weary
1 year ago

In strange ways, this baloney is a good thing. It’s taking this extreme nonsense to wake a lot of us up to the to the Many Negatives of “prestigious “ colleges. The warnings have been in place for decades, but these absurdities just might cut through our ingrained belief in having to have a college education.

Clark Kent
Clark Kent
1 year ago

The ONLY way to fight this crap is to double down on using language they deem ‘offensive’. They have NO POWER over the words you use unless you let them buffalo you.

Stan d. Upnow
Stan d. Upnow
1 year ago

Next on the “woke” chopping block: the word “dog.”
The Progressive-Socialists contend that spelled backwards, it’s “god,” and that might offend atheists and other non-believers. So instead, you must refer to your furry pet as a “canine lifeform.”

Ain’t “progress” grand?

Stan d. Upnow
Stan d. Upnow
1 year ago

Oh look everyone, Stanford has the first snowflakes of the season!

Mr & Mrs S Johnson
Mr & Mrs S Johnson
1 year ago

Intelligent idiots. The old saying in academia is “publish or perish”. So they frantically publish anything in an attempt to be relevant. Sorry you’ve perished ????

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