State Department Chief Diversity Officer John Robinson has published a warning to State Department employees that if they want to “go Dutch” or “hold down the Fort,” they had better find another way to express it. Those phrases are now deemed offensive.
Robinson asks in the publication “How many times have you or a colleague asked if someone could ‘hold down the fort?'” The answer is presumably often but he explains that what you were really saying was “I have to run out but cannot you look out for any Native Americans while I am out?”:
“You were likely asking someone to watch the office while you go and do something else, but the phrase’s historical connotation to some is negative and racially offensive. To ‘hold down the fort’ originally meant to watch and protect against the vicious Native American intruders. In the territories of the West, Army soldiers or settlers saw the ‘fort’ as their refuge from their perceived ‘enemy,’ the stereotypical ‘savage’ Native American tribes.”
To make matters worse, when you used the phrase “rule of thumb” in lines like “As a rule of thumb, I always avoid that” you were really saying “As a wife beater, I always avoid that . . .” He states that the phrase came from a rule that you should not beat your wife with a stick thicker than your thumb.
Robinson nevertheless concludes that “Now that you know the possible historical context of the above phrases, perhaps you will understand why someone could be offended by their use.” Robinson’s hold on the historical context of some of these phrases however seems a bit off.
He appears to be wrong on the origins of these phrases. “Hold down the fort” has been traced by some to both Roman times and more directly to the Civil War.
Likewise, rule of thumb does not appear to originate with the wife beating rule (which by the way was not a wide spread rule). It has been traced to ancient times where fingers and thumbs were used for measurements (here and here).
Putting aside the false assumption that these phrases are racist or misogynistic, there is the problem that virtually no one subscribes this false meaning to the phrases. Until this publication, few people would have thought that saying “hold down the fort” referenced hostile Indians or “rule of thumb” referenced wife beating. Thus, I seriously do not believe that he was talking about an analogous rise in wife beatings when President Obama’s top economic adviser Lawrence Summers said “Breaking from historical patterns, the unemployment rate — currently at 9.5% — is 1 to 1.5 percentage points higher than would be expected under one economic rule of thumb.”
Of course, this may explain how “war” was redefined by the President as a Time Limited Military Action.
Source: Daily Caller
Yes, a torture isn’t a crime either. YEAH! ”
Torture is not acceptable. Enhanced Interrogation is politically correct.
This is both the classic and archetype for a useless position promoted by management for political purposes. The stupidity spewed out here is a symptom.
I have maintained for years that when companies or gov’ts conjure positions to address imaginary but crisis viewed through the goggles of political correctness it leads to incidents that are preposterous.
Here you have this man selected for a position that has questionable merit and practically has no expectation of producing anything, that is widgets, obtaining customers, reaching out to end users, nothing. So this type of person often sits around with nothing to do but craft busywork for the sole purpose of justifying their useless position.
Typically, since the position has no productivity requirement, the qualifications for such person are of a very low bar, often times it will include a person who has participated in the subject of the position but coming from again another position that has no productive value they continue to offer nothing in the future. Maybe they took the position to begin with because they were unproductive and lazy themselves.
This type of position can hamstring a company in the future.
Yes, a torture isn’t a crime either. YEAH! ”
“After Making Bank Fraud Legal, Eric Holder’s DOJ Makes Torture Legal
By: emptywheel Thursday August 30, 2012 4:09 pm
DOJ has announced that the two ongoing investigations it had into torture have been closed for lack of admissible evidence.
The Attorney General announced today the closure of the criminal investigations into the death of two individuals while in United States custody at overseas locations.
Eric Holder tried to put a good spin on this event.
AUSA John Durham has now completed his investigations, and the Department has decided not to initiate criminal charges in these matters. In reaching this determination, Mr. Durham considered all potentially applicable substantive criminal statutes as well as the statutes of limitations and jurisdictional provisions that govern prosecutions under those statutes. Mr. Durham and his team reviewed a tremendous volume of information pertaining to the detainees. That review included both information and matters that were not examined during the Department’s prior reviews. Based on the fully developed factual record concerning the two deaths, the Department has declined prosecution because the admissible evidence would not be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt…”
Nothing to see here.
Jonathan Turley: Please remove my name from your email list. I don NOT want your posts. Thank you!
Dear Randyjet,
Yes, he most likely makes well over six figures — I mean come on — direct advisor to Hillary …. And yes, he’s laughing ALL the way to the bank ….
Can you imagine what he’s thinking as he gleefully looks at himself in the mirror each day — ” I got over on them again ” …..!!!!
Meddling moron.
What Mespo said! Stupid is as stupid does!
And this guy is paid HOW MUCH to stir up trouble and animosity? I’ll bet his employees LOVE this guy!
Makes me wonder how many government employees are there that don’t need to be Government employees. Diversity correct speech. How about that! All the minorities are trying to make all the white people racist.
The PC Gestapo are undermining the very core of the First Amendment. Pleased to see some folks here get it.
He is a grad of Brown U, so that should have tipped us off. This is the place that thinks that when a woman climbs into your bed while you are asleep is RAPE of the woman! This is one position that needs to be gone. His bio did not say what his salary is, but my guess is that it is well over six figures.
If the Chief Diversity Officer doesn’t have more pressing concerns, perhaps the position is unnecessary.
Wait… no one say a word. Not one word. You **might just OFFEND*** someone! Seriously, Intelligence is dead.. thoroughly dead.
There goes a couple of days of news cycle on the campaign trail. Just the sort of thing that makes progressives cringe and wing nuts fire their guns un the air.
mespo:
“You have to be impressed with a guy who dictates sensitivity at work based on his own sensitivities rather than fact. I’d diversify him right out of a job.”
What are you talking about? A guy like that has real potential to move up in rank, especially in government service.
Hell, give him a promotion right now.
And people wonder why I want limited government?
Anonymously Yours 1, August 31, 2012 at 8:52 am
No, no, no….. Stupidity has reached a new peak… I guess you can’t say peter principle anymore….
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But for The Gracie Slick, there go The Vagina Monologues.
“History is a set of lies agreed upon.” –Napoleon Bonaparte
You have to be impressed with a guy who dictates sensitivity at work based on his own sensitivities rather than fact. I’d diversify him right out of a job.
It seems like the Chief Diversity Officer needs some more diversity in his education.
No, no, no….. Stupidity has reached a new peak… I guess you can’t say peter principle anymore….