A 2003, Book That Tells Us “Almost” Everything

We all see the sausage. We are all quite aware that the sausage’s making and contents are daunting. Yet, we don’t understand why we got the sausage. Presently, people are keenly aware that schools, businesses, and government act bizarrely and irrationally. People are well aware that they are being manipulated. They cannot, however, penetrate the casing to fully grasp the inner workings.

Diane Ravitch’s 2003 “The Language Police” offers the insight that perhaps can lead to “the theory of everything” that is going on today. Author Ravitch’s exploration into the creating and editing of testing and textbooks offers are nightmarish view of the products. They are the product of when ideologies and capitalism collide. This process, however, certainly is not as delicious as to when peanut butter and chocolate collide to make Reese’s pieces.

My last sentence, ironically, is something likely to be subject to ridicule, derision and censorship within the field of academic testing and textbooks. You see, some students have peanut allergies. Thus, for those in charge of creating and enforcing guidelines, they would rule that the sentence would be upsetting for children with peanut allergies. This upset could either impact their learning or test taking results. Thus, the sentence is unacceptable and would be removed.

Author Ravich, in her book, explains how sensitivity, bias and multiculturalism are major components within Guidelines which shape the educational materials. Since these materials are intended for public schools and are at the mercy of government expenditure, the publishers realize that they have to bend the knee to all political ideologies. Thus, both the left and the right take turns in criticizing content. When it is money that matters, capitalism finds a way.

For this essay, the focus will be on the matters of the left. Author Ravich in “The Language Police” offers up some of the most outrageous results when employing Guidelines. A story about a dolphin helping Humans in leading their boats through the water is something deemed offensive. You see, not everyone lives near an ocean.

The notion of guidelines to address sensitivity, bias and multiculturalism have expanded well beyond public education. Ravitch reports on how textbook publishers work on insuring that the pictures in their books have an equal amounts of males and females. This apparent “bias” guideline can be seen expanding into other fields. In recent years, there is controversy concerning the motion picture industry’s Academy Awards. Guidelines have been imposed upon Oscar nomination eligibility.

Likewise, we can observe many commercials humorously try to cram in as many participations points as possible. This makes interracial couples very popular. The viewers likely see a desperate attempt to fill quotas. Audiences get the sense that things are being watered down. In the end, the guidelines become more important than the product they are selling. Patronizing, not the particular dishwasher soap, is the lasting impression. The brand of the product being sold never reaching the consumer’s consciousness.

Thus, Author Ravitch’s exploration of this topic offers a launch pad for us to understanding the world events. Years ago, this website was banned from many search engines. While I could sense that it came after writing an article concerning suicide, I didn’t know why. The article was benign. It actually was discussing other reported material available on the internet. The mere topic of suicide, however, was one that triggered the “sensitivity” wing of language policing. Even articles advocating against it are subject to censorship!

Language Policing is continuing to grow and its reach is everywhere. Using my WordPress AI Feedback Generator, I have received criticism that clearly shows that there are language guidelines in play. Knowing this, one can only believe that search engines and search engine rankings employ some level of these guidelines to both rank results.

I believe that Author Ravitch’s book explain much of the happenings in the world. It does not, however, address the complete happenings. This topic, I will reserve for another post. In the end, her book ranks up there with George Orwell’s Animal Farm as far as the greatness it achieves in showing how the world operates. Ironically, with these crazy guidelines, Animal Farm- a book about pigs- would likely be censored because someone one would perceive that it would be offensive for not being kosher!

Be well!!

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