The University of New Hampshire considers use of the word “American” as quote “problematic.” That’s according to a so called Bias Free Language Guide published on their Web site. According to the guide, quote the word “American” is problematic because it quote “assumes the U. S. is the only country inside these two continents.” The guide also says quote “North Americans often use ‘American’ which usually, depending on the context, fails to recognize South America.” It recommends Americans refer to themselves as “residents of the U.S.” or “U.S. citizens” and, apparently, if one insists on using the term “American,” they recommend they put North or South in front of it so as to not insult the other continent.
Other problematic words include: “Arabs,” “Caucasian people,” “foreigners,” and “illegal alien” among others like “mothering,” “fathering” and “senior citizen.” The guide has multiple chapters including one on quote “Micro Aggressions,” in which it classifies saying quote “Dogs smell funny” to a blind person using a guide dog as an example of a quote “verbal attack.” And, if I could get through it without my head exploding, I’d read examples of what’s proper and problematic from the quote “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” and “Women and Gender” categories. Oh My HEAD! (Bet that term’s problematic!)
Bradley: Will use budget to “amend” what’s happening in Durham
In response to the guide, New Hampshire Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley issued a statement saying quote: “Implying the word ‘American’ is not appropriate to use on campus is un-American to say the least. Will UNH next propose to change our Live Free or Die motto to Live Free but Upset No-One? When the subject of UNH funding occurs as the budget gets resolved I look forward to proposing an amendment to rectify this sad state of affairs in Durham.” Bradley said the university had taken political correctness to quote “farcical levels.”
We’ve linked to the guide so you can experience U N H’s attempt to redefine words and turn everybody into a bigot because, apparently, they have nothing better to do over there with one of the highest paid faculties in the country. I’m thinking they need some more budget cuts ‘cuz I don’t want my tax dollars paying for this defaecate. I’d say “crap,” but that would probably be “problematic.”
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Gross: It’s all Burt’s fault!
Is trouble brewing in Goffstown over Planned Pinardhood again? At a recent joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Sewer Commission and Economic Development Committee, in which extending a sewer line up Daniel Plummer Road was discussed, Selectman Scott Gross bemoaned the death of the Planned Pinardhood, which would have rezoned the neighborhood, and blamed State Representative John Burt for it. He said Burt was peddling conspiracy theories about government takeovers of the town and that the Board of Selectmen shouldn’t be afraid of people like him. Had Burt not scared everybody, then the problemsPinardville’s having with empty store fronts and a sputtering economy wouldn’t be as bad, according to Gross.
Burt: It’s all his fault!
Well, that captured the attention of a least one citizen who went to the next meeting of the board and took Gross to task for his quote un quote “unprofessional comments” about Rep. Burt, among other things. It also raised the ire of a number of folks in Pinardville who rallied their neighbors to defeat the town’s attempt to use federal grants to redesign their neighborhood. As listeners of this show will remember, a primary purpose of Planned Pinardhood was to facilitate the development of large scale, high density, rental housing, which, I guess, is economic development to some, like the people who build it, but don’t live in the areas in which they build. Anyway, Gross blamed vacant storefronts, including the empty Shaw’s Supermarket, on Burt and the defeat of Planned Pinardhood.
Thanks to our Super Secret Citizen Journalist in Goffstown, we have the complete story posted to Girard at Large dot com and have linked to it from this newscast.
Georgantas: We put it on the Web site…
This story, by the way, has a lot of people in town wondering why Gross is on the Board of Selectmen in the first place as he didn’t run for reelection two years ago. Selectman Nick Campasano resigned his seat because he moved out of state, leaving a vacancy. Selectboard Chair Peter Georgantas told Girard at Large the vacancy was posted on the town’s Web site, but nobody applied. He says he asked Gross to fill the vacancy because he had experience and nobody stepped forward. He also admitted that they undertook no public awareness effort about the vacancy outside the Web site posting, meaning they didn’t alert the media. The term expires this March.
Derry Fire Union: Targeting “the four”
Things aren’t as they appear in the Derry budget battle. Yesterday, Girard at Large learned that the attorney the town retained to review the petitions submitted by residents who want to overturn the budget cuts enacted by the town council issued two separate letters. The first letter apparently does say that the petitions are in order and that the council must act on them within thirty days. However, a second letter was issued following questions posed by the councilors in a non-public meeting with the attorney, affirming the council as the sole authority on budget issues. The dual message did not come in one single letter as we reported yesterday.
Osborne: Charter needs to be changed
In an interview with Girard at Large, Town Councilor Mark Osborne said it was clear from the lawyer’s findings that if the town’s citizens want to vote on budgets, they’d have to change the charter. He said the attorney, in the second letter, which he declined to release to Girard at Large, provided N H Supreme Court precedents affirming the council’s authority in the matter. Osborne said he won’t release the letters because of the legal threats made by those who oppose the cuts. He also said neither he nor the rest of the council’s majority were going to be bullied, intimidated, threatened or otherwise scared into changing their position. He said Mob rule wasn’t going to overrule the majority of citizens he’s heard from about the budget decisions the council’s made and said that’s why we have elections so those who disagree can vote for change.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is next!
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