It's amazing how these sorts of language police fail to realize that they are widely mocked.

George Carlin is spinning in his grave.

some of those don't make sense...

Do you have a cold?
No, I am non-disabled.

Any term that is used to designate a group that is potentially looked down upon will eventually be determined by these folks to be derogatory. Take a look. They've replaced "seniors" which is used elsewhere to indicate a positive status (e.g. senior researcher, senior senator). Similarly, people are saying we can't use the term "braves" for a sports team because it's supposed to be racist. Um... "brave" is an English word along the lines of courageous. It's a compliment. But, use it on a minority or perceived minority and it MUST be an insult. Go figure.

Some of these alternatives are arguably just as offensive, if not moreso, than the terms they're replacing.

Seriously, if you were "overweight," would you prefer to be called a "person of size"? If I were of retirement age, I'd rather be called a "senior" than a "person of advanced age."

And as The Former Banker pointed out, some of these terms are vague. A "poor" person should be referred to as a person who "lacks the advantages that others have"? What kind of stupid classification is that? A short person (excuse me, I meant a "vertically challenged person") also "lacks the advantages that others have." A disabled person "lacks the advantages that others have." An underage person "lacks the advantages that others have."

People can already barely get their thoughts out coherently, so let's make it almost impossible to speak!! what a great idea! Let's take a single word that is clear and turn it into 5 words! Yes!

Every single person is at a disadvantage in some ways. A basketball star has trouble fitting into small cars and must buy a first class seat on an airplane and can never be a jockey. Beautiful people may fail to develop empathy and be subject to jealousy and spite. "Persons of financial advantage" will have people try to scam them and borrow money and will have their property vandalized.
I saw a comedian last night lamenting that his male white advantage meant that he had no excuse for his lack of success.

Oh, and the muzzle in the school "colors" might be triggering...

Are these numb-nutz so insular to think that South and Central Americans are upset that we're called Americans?

Frankly, no. They're Brazilians, or Costa Ricans, or Mexicans, or even Canadians, eh?

Also, I thought we were supposed to call people by the name they claim (Jenner, Bruce...err...Caitlyn). So if I self identify as an American then you can take your guide and stick it somewhere.

Ha! I had a conversation like this with classmates and the idiot professor when I was in graduate school. Here was my response:

Key: defined by Webster as a tool to unlock a door or other locking device.

Key: also defined by Webster as the part of a musical instrument that is usually pressed by a finger to produce a musical note.

American: defined by Webster as a resident or citizen of any country in North or South America.

American: also defined by Webster as a citizen of the United States of America.

So, you see (you idiot professor! - I didn't say that, but, boy I sure was thinking it) many words in English can have, and do have, more than one meaning. Anyone with intelligence would be able to understand which meaning by context.

Of course, the professor then stated that it was absolutely arrogant for citizens of the US to "appropriate" the word "American" to mean a citizen of the US. According to him we should have come up with a better term.

I then said that prior to the US civil war "Americans" didn't call themselves that; we called ourselves "Virginians," "New Yorkers," "New Englanders," "Georgians," etc. based upon the region or state. The reason we came to call ourselves "Americans" has nothing to do with "arrogance" nor a desire to "takeover" the rest of North and South America (as one fellow classmate suggested - seriously, what the hell did you put in those brownies that you brought to class?).

Rather, it has to do simply with the language that is easiest or more natural to say. Hence we call ourselves "Americans" because "United Staters" or "USAers" just sounds awkward because it is awkward to produce those words.

I also pointed out that calling "foreign" students "International students" was off base as well. When I go to their country (which I have done) I am referred to as "foreign" and am not in the least bit offended. After all, I am in their country which is NOT my own therefore I am foreign. But, calling them "International" here in the US is wrong because I, as an American, am "international" too, am I not?

I was tempted to say - so, you think the USA isn't a part of "international." Does that mean you believe in American Exceptionalism? But, I didn't want to press my luck.

Needless to say, despite that this was in graduate school where we are suppose to keep an open mind, the professor and fellow students thought I was completely bonkers and quite simply not a sophisticated as they were. I just didn't "get it."

One of the ironies of that discussion was we had a classmate who was foreign (oops, international) whose language I spoke and understood right away why she was having trouble following the conversation. In her native (Can I say "native" or is that a taboo word as well?) language you have two words for American; one meaning citizen of the US and the other word meaning a resident of North or South America. I, the one who "just didn't get it", was the only one in class who could explain the situation to her in her own language.

These must have been written by "persons of lesser intellect" or maybe "persons who lack the intellectual advantages others have" or probably something even more wordy and nonsensical since idiot and moron are obviously out.

I'm just waiting for the universities to require an episode of homosexual sex as a requirement for graduation. They're not that far now. It will happen. Maybe not next week but it will happen.

Bunnygirl, I think you're looking for "intelligence deficit disorder"...

"Needless to say, despite that this was in graduate school where we are suppose to keep an open mind, the professor and fellow students thought I was completely bonkers and quite simply not a sophisticated as they were. I just didn't 'get it.'"

Of course, what they really meant by that was, "you're not a member of the tribe, and you never will be because we've preemptively banned you."

Cousin Dave; yep, that is exactly what it was - I was not, nor ever would be, a member of their tribe.

As a side note; one of those in that class and I were assigned to work on a class project together. Believe it or not, one of the questions she had for me before we worked together on this project (the project dealt with higher education policies) was what was my stance on abortion.

She felt that if I didn't believe in a woman's right to abortion then I was simply someone that she couldn't work with! Even my response that abortion has nothing to do with our class project and the simple fact we were in the same class and studying the same subject should be enough for us to work together was not an acceptable answer to her!

Since this was graduate school most of us already were in the work world and have been for several years. Sadly, she is a college administrator and I'm sure she forces her "right way of thinking" onto others within the school.

I got my graduate education all right - in addition to the scheduled classes for my degree I also learned just how badly PCness and fascist liberalism has infected higher education in this country. My undergraduate degree was from 30 years ago and my graduate degree was within the last ten years. What a difference those 30 years make!

"I'm just waiting for the universities to require an episode of homosexual sex as a requirement for graduation. They're not that far now. It will happen. Maybe not next week but it will happen."

Your fantasies, while not illegal, are stupid.