Colorado State: don't use American

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://collegian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Inclusive-Language-Guide_10_30_18.pdf

This is another instance where I have to remind myself that, as bad as this sounds, the VAST majority of people I know in real life are not this stupid/radical left/intolerant. In fact, I can't actually think of one person I know who wouldn't call this list total BS. Still disheartening that a college would print it.

That's why Donald Trump uses "sad" so often!

No, Trump uses "sad" so often because he has a limited vocabulary and is incapable of more complex levels of communication. And thought.

[Anonymous]

I have a practical question.

Scenario. I am in the grocery store. The person (who appears to be a female to me) in front of me drops a dollar bill. Before I saw this list, I would say "Ma'am, you just dropped this dollar bill." So now am I supposed to say "Person, you just dropped this dollar bill."

Because even though the person looks like a female to me, I'm supposed to use inclusive language and if I don't I'm considered non-inclusive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a practical question.

Scenario. I am in the grocery store. The person (who appears to be a female to me) in front of me drops a dollar bill. Before I saw this list, I would say "Ma'am, you just dropped this dollar bill." So now am I supposed to say "Person, you just dropped this dollar bill."

Because even though the person looks like a female to me, I'm supposed to use inclusive language and if I don't I'm considered non-inclusive?

How about "Excuse me, I believe you just dropped this dollar bill."

[Anonymous]

There is nothing wrong with American. We are the united states of America. Mexico is actually the United States of Mexico and no one says the first part. I do speak Spanish and realize the problem that they think they're Americans too, but it's our country's name, just their continent's name.

No Canadian is calling himself an American because he lives in North America.

[Anonymous]

Some of these aren't even based in truth. For example, the "rule of thumb" origin is a debunked myth. People have been using the thumb as a measure for all kinds of things, and the reference to domestic abuse has no foundation.

[Anonymous]

I had no idea that there was a Colorado State. guess I assumed Boulder was the only state school.

Some of these are useful, but others are silly. I think the emphasis on language takes away from actions that really could lessen inequality.

[Anonymous]

"Hold down the fort" is baseless too. For example, the fort at St. Augustine, dating back to the 1500's, was built by the Spanish as a fortification against attacks by the BRITISH. Its construction had nothing to due with the native people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a practical question.

Scenario. I am in the grocery store. The person (who appears to be a female to me) in front of me drops a dollar bill. Before I saw this list, I would say "Ma'am, you just dropped this dollar bill." So now am I supposed to say "Person, you just dropped this dollar bill."

Because even though the person looks like a female to me, I'm supposed to use inclusive language and if I don't I'm considered non-inclusive?

"Excuse me, you just dropped this dollar bill."

It's not that hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with American. We are the united states of America. Mexico is actually the United States of Mexico and no one says the first part. I do speak Spanish and realize the problem that they think they're Americans too, but it's our country's name, just their continent's name.

No Canadian is calling himself an American because he lives in North America.

They are Americans, too. Just like people from France and Germany are Europeans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with American. We are the united states of America. Mexico is actually the United States of Mexico and no one says the first part. I do speak Spanish and realize the problem that they think they're Americans too, but it's our country's name, just their continent's name.

No Canadian is calling himself an American because he lives in North America.

They are Americans, too. Just like people from France and Germany are Europeans.

Did I say that? No I said they aren't calling themselves Americans. In English we don't have a word "United Stateser". It's not a thing. American is the ONLY word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not saying ‘American’ to refer to people from the US is not new. It does rankle all others on our continent. I learned this in the early 80s.

Also calling anyone not from the US ‘foreign’ is a uniquely US phenomenon, as in foreign students. Better to say ‘international’ student.

+1, also remember this being taught in the 80s. It's a distinction between everyday speak and accurate writing. We'd also be dinged if we referred to the Soviet Union as Russia.

+2. Exactly. We learned these in the 1980s and to be precise in writing especially.

[Anonymous]

So other American countries.. such as those of central, north, and South America...

They call us ..

“Americans” or “americanos” right?

They don’t call us “el gente de los estados unidos” or “personas de EEUU.”

[Anonymous]

That was very interesting. Thank you for sharing it!

I didn't know about "rule of thumb" before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That was very interesting. Thank you for sharing it!

I didn't know about "rule of thumb" before.

That's a myth. Don't perpetuate it.

[Anonymous]

I think this is super useful, to be honest.

I grew up in a pretty remote community, in a part of the country where the only PoC were Native Americans, and was lucky enough to attend a top-flight university far from home.

So I arrived at university with a good understanding of native issues, and ZERO awareness of so many other things. I am sure I was regularly insensitive, but it came from a lack of exposure.

I wish my university had shared this sort of list before I went. It would have saved me a lot of embarrassment, and saved my classmates some microaggressions from the backwoods white girl who didn't know any better.