As a language person, I enjoy talking about how we use it. Discussions about language can be productive in encouraging people to think about what we're saying. America has such an incredibly resilient culture that I think we can weather the damage of conversations where some of us try to impose our words on others. Ultimately, it's a boundary issue. We're re-thinking and potentially re-negotiating our boundaries. It's clearly not going to be a painless process, but I think we can come out of this an even stronger and better culture.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No. "I'm proud to be a US Citizen" does not have the same ring as "I'm proud to be an American."

I'm going to hazard a guess that most of the people who created this list and eagerly follow all the guidelines in this list aren't going to be saying either sentence, since such sentiments would seem problematically "nationalist."

I’m going to guess most of the people complaining about this list use racial epithets on a regular basis.

Really? You're going to guess that people who think "hip hip hooray," or "long time no see," are completely fine to use also use racial epithets on a regular basis? People who refer to their kid who will be going off to school in the fall as a "freshman" and don't see anything wrong with it use racial epithets on a regular basis? People who starts a sentence off with "as a general rule of thumb," uses racial epithets on a regular basis?

I am fascinated. Please tell me more about yourself and your life experiences. (I'm not being snarky. I am genuinely curious as to the background of someone who would think this way, and what occurred in their life and for this to be their mindset.)

If you call me Mx, I will be offended.

There is an ever-growing, never-ending list of words that could cause emotional devastation for someone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No. "I'm proud to be a US Citizen" does not have the same ring as "I'm proud to be an American."

I'm going to hazard a guess that most of the people who created this list and eagerly follow all the guidelines in this list aren't going to be saying either sentence, since such sentiments would seem problematically "nationalist."

I’m going to guess most of the people complaining about this list use racial epithets on a regular basis.

Wow. Do you really think that anyone who considers "rule of thumb" to be a benign phrase also uses racist pejoratives?

I'm genuinely curious about how and where you grew up and were educated, what you do for a living and where you live now, because it seems like you're accustomed to an extraordinarily narrow and highly homogeneous circle of people.

(And I bet they're all white, too!)

Right. I forgot. Only right wing nut jobs can make sweeping generalizations. Like you just did. And everyone else trashing the authors of this list by ascribing to them motives they explicitly disavow in the paper.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No. "I'm proud to be a US Citizen" does not have the same ring as "I'm proud to be an American."

I'm going to hazard a guess that most of the people who created this list and eagerly follow all the guidelines in this list aren't going to be saying either sentence, since such sentiments would seem problematically "nationalist."

I’m going to guess most of the people complaining about this list use racial epithets on a regular basis.

Wow. Do you really think that anyone who considers "rule of thumb" to be a benign phrase also uses racist pejoratives?

I'm genuinely curious about how and where you grew up and were educated, what you do for a living and where you live now, because it seems like you're accustomed to an extraordinarily narrow and highly homogeneous circle of people.

(And I bet they're all white, too!)

Anonymous wrote:

No. "I'm proud to be a US Citizen" does not have the same ring as "I'm proud to be an American."

I'm going to hazard a guess that most of the people who created this list and eagerly follow all the guidelines in this list aren't going to be saying either sentence, since such sentiments would seem problematically "nationalist."

Oh, I totally agree. Just another reason that anyone who could ever dream up something this stupid - let alone take it seriously and expect others to follow along - is truly Crazy / Nuts / Maniac / Lunatic / Insane / Deranged / Psycho / DementedDepressed / OCD.

Anonymous wrote:

No. "I'm proud to be a US Citizen" does not have the same ring as "I'm proud to be an American."

I'm going to hazard a guess that most of the people who created this list and eagerly follow all the guidelines in this list aren't going to be saying either sentence, since such sentiments would seem problematically "nationalist."

I’m going to guess most of the people complaining about this list use racial epithets on a regular basis.

Anonymous wrote:The Deaf one is totally wrong. There is/has been a movement where Deaf people want that to be the way they are referred to, not "someone who is deaf." They consider themselves part of a linguistic and cultural minority, and much like you would say a Spanish person, etc. you should say a Deaf person. If you say "someone who is deaf" is negates their cultural background. So go ahead and say Deaf people.

Same with the "person with disability" thing.

I am disabled. I am not "a person with a disability." My disability is an inherent part of who I am. Would you say "a person with tallness" or "a person with kindness" or "a person with Jewishness"? Of course not.

The Deaf one is totally wrong. There is/has been a movement where Deaf people want that to be the way they are referred to, not "someone who is deaf." They consider themselves part of a linguistic and cultural minority, and much like you would say a Spanish person, etc. you should say a Deaf person. If you say "someone who is deaf" is negates their cultural background. So go ahead and say Deaf people.

No. "I'm proud to be a US Citizen" does not have the same ring as "I'm proud to be an American."

I'm going to hazard a guess that most of the people who created this list and eagerly follow all the guidelines in this list aren't going to be saying either sentence, since such sentiments would seem problematically "nationalist."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be offended if someone referred to me as ze. I am female and I present myself as such. If someone referred to me otherwise, I would assume they aren’t able to discern my gender.

I have a transgender friend who is also offended by the term. She prefers to be referred to as she, and presents herself as such.

Several of these blanket statements of who is offended by what are just as bad as the terms they are trying to correct.

And that's why they ask people for their preferred pronouns, nitwit

You're not supposed to use the phrase "preferred pronouns"!!!
"Using the word “preferred” in front of pronouns suggests that gender identity, especially outside of the binary, is a choice and that the pronouns don’t really belong to the person, they are just "preferring" them over their "true" pronouns."

Did you even READ the document? Gosh, you're so ignorant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.”

Do you speak spanish or are you trying to make this up? They call us estado-unidense (plural estado-unidenses). "United stateser" is a direct translation, but that's not a word. American is the direct translation into English.

That answers my question.
But since we can’t go around saying I’m a United statser... American is the next thing we have.

lol a little because conversationally most people don’t go around saying “I’m american” constantly. But it does come up.

Does PBS’s “The American Experience” cover some portions of non US history too?

"U.S. Citizen" is perfectly good phrase to use instead of American.

No. "I'm proud to be a US Citizen" does not have the same ring as "I'm proud to be an American."

+1,000

Anonymous wrote:Cracker was missing from the list? Or can I only be offended if I’m not one?

BINGO.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.”

Do you speak spanish or are you trying to make this up? They call us estado-unidense (plural estado-unidenses). "United stateser" is a direct translation, but that's not a word. American is the direct translation into English.

That answers my question.
But since we can’t go around saying I’m a United statser... American is the next thing we have.

lol a little because conversationally most people don’t go around saying “I’m american” constantly. But it does come up.

Does PBS’s “The American Experience” cover some portions of non US history too?

"U.S. Citizen" is perfectly good phrase to use instead of American.

No. "I'm proud to be a US Citizen" does not have the same ring as "I'm proud to be an American."