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
THIS WHOLE P.C THING IS A BOUNCH OF BULLSHIT, AND THOSE WHO “deem” CERTAIN WORDS TO BE OFFENSE SHOULD TURN IN THEIR HUMAN RACE MEMBERSHIP CARD AND GO HOME. I HAVE THE INTRINSIC AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO SAY, FEEL, ACT, CONDUCT MYSELF IN ANYWAY, SHAPE FORM OR FASHION AS I CHOOSE, SO LONG AS I DO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. AS TO OFFENDING SOMEONE, IT IS NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW IF I AM OFFENDING SOME OR NOT, IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO LET ME KNOW THAT I HAVE OFFENDED AND THEN IT BECOMES MY RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO REPEAT THE OFFENDING ACTION OR WORDS TOWARDS THAT PERSON AGAIN.
HV do you SERIOUSLY think Romney is going to take back America? It’s going to keep going right down the hill!
Frankly,
THANK YOU.
It is important to get the ship pointed in the right direction before others get their motors revved up.
Sometimes the professor is not always clear. Cunning professor.
I’d just like to thank so many of you here who proved the point I made earlier about the real crime this guy committed.
You can try to change what you want befor the election is over but once Romney takes back america things will be changed back.I promis this>>>>
I will say what i want where i want when i want
Ladies,
Thanks for the measurement methods. And the personal histories. So self-referencing. I love it. Even MikeS does it, and we love his stories.
One measurement caught my eye, as being critical on certain occasions. The span of the hand plus two thumb widths equals satisfaction. Right?
BTW, the whole action is a bad joke, particularly at the State, which handles our relations with other nations.
We handle other nations like s**t, literally. And now we are going to watch what we say at the State to each other.
What a hoot.
Agree with Feemeister.
Gyges, not freedom FROM criticism. Freedom TO criticize.
Another horrible thought is that his “askings” are the result of 20 person-years of work, and innumerable donuts
at meetings, and 200 KG of increased obesity, and USD 200K of increased salaries, EACH year.
The horror…..!
Print his rules on a role of toilet paper and put the rolls on the little device in the bathroom so that everyone can employ them appropriately.. A photo of the guy on the sheets would do well, as well. Put a sign up. “As a rule of thumb, sixteen sheets per poop.” Another ones: “Hurry Up Times A Wastin”. On the door: “Hold Down The Farts.” “Dutch Guys Finish Last.”
“More and more chipping away at the First Amendment is my take on this!”
Ah yes, the legendary First Amendment, which guarantees an absolute right to freedom from criticism.
I just read the article he wrote; it’s ridiculous! You must always speak very thoughtfully, as the things you say could be offensive to people. Well guess what! Most of us have neither the time nor the available research material (since so far we’re not transhumans) to evaluate and research every word out of our mouth before we say something. And I shudder to think what life would be like if we had to do so! And since anything can be offensive to anyone (hence the blue hospital room scenario) that pretty much means everyone needs to just shut up and never say anything as they could offend someone. This is just insane! Going back to hold down the fort. I wonder how many Native Americans actually KNOW what that even meant all that time ago. Probably zero, possibly one or two.
More and more chipping away at the First Amendment is my take on this!
Mick mic bo butt, bannan nana for fart. bo butt,
if the first two letters are ever the same,
you drop them both and say the name.
Like Ed, fed,, effin both dumb dead or Larry Larry , is contrary…
–The Name Game
Eliminate guys like this and you make life better for Mick, mic bo butt.
Idealist,
The wife beating one. It’s in Boondock Saints, right before the brothers get fired from their job. I’d heard it other places before then as well. Maybe I’m just an outlier, but I figure if it makes it into a movie like that, then it’s not likely some weird piece of arcana.
“I find the color of blue offensive on the walls of hospitals. To whom and under what rule of thumb may I complain?”
Are you saying that since you’re offended by one random thing, nobody else should ever consider what could offend other people? I’m asking that in sincerity.
I read the article the guy wrote (it’s sort of linked in the Daily Caller piece), and it’s not great, it’s also not long. The thing is, he really is JUST ASKING that people consider the origins of the language that they use. That’s all. Sure he choose a couple (two of five) of bad examples. Does that mean that the idea that we should show the same consideration in our speech to how it might effect others that we give our actions bad? I mean, it’s not like he’s calling for any sort of policy where by people are punished for using words that he (or others) find offensive. He’s just asking people to be nicer.
Which is why I don’t see any connection to you being offended by blue in that setting. I mean, if a large enough percentage of people disliked blue in hospitals, maybe they’d consider changing. The thing is, he’s not even asking people to change what they say, he’s just asking them to THINK about what they say in a way they might not have.
You’ll notice I keep using the word “ask” because that’s what the article was, a request. Not an order. Not a declaration that some things are “bad.” It wasn’t a manifesto, it was simply a request. Granted, it was a request that carries a little more weight than others, but let’s be honest, policy isn’t set in quarter page fluff articles the in-house magazine.
You judge how well a steak is made by making a fist. The area between you thumb and index figure is the gauge. Make a tight fist That area is tight. Then if your steak responds to that touch like a tight fist when you poke it..give it to your dog, they like well done beef. Now make a medium fist, see the pliable area between the thumb and index, that’s how a medium steak will feel. Take it off the grill! You know it continues to cook after you remove it from the grill, don’t you??. Finally,, make a very loose fist, that is how a medium rare steak will feel when you poke it. That’s when higher order people take the steak off trhe grill. Vegetarians need not respond.
Gyges:
now that is a rule of thumb!
Malisha:
it is called the right hand rule. it is used for vectors, if I remember correctly, to describe the direction.
I think this guy is all wet. I’ve known for years that the width of my thumb at the outermost knuckle is one inch, the width of my hand, measured at the middle knuckle, is 3″ and my handspan, tip of thumb to tip of pinkie when stretched, is 8″. Comes in handy when I forget to take a tape measure.
Malisha,
You’re a baby … I was a sophomore in college on that day and was taught that the rule of thumb had something to do with beer. I’ve forgotten what …
Bron, Gyges, etc.:
High school physics class the day JFK was assassinated: Curl your fingers and stick out your thumb. If the something-or-other is going around in the direction of your fingers like this, the direction of the something else (either magnetism or electricity or one of those weird unseen powerful things like patriotism or wicca) goes toward the thumbnail from the first knuckle.
At least that’s how I remember it. Then we all got distracted because somebody (a single bullet from the window of the book suppository) shot the President. So that’s why I can’t remember the Rule of Thumb.
Gyges,
I find the color of blue offensive on the walls of hospitals. To whom and under what rule of thumb may I complain?
Please don’t be offended. I am just making statements of being offended by things. And hope that the officer at the State Department takes notice of them. Surely, he must as I am a citizen and sensitive to things. Just ask me.