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The chat room is one of the many perks of being a subscriber to Tammy Radio (What? You have not yet joined the Tammy Army? Click here now!)

There, a group gathers during the live Tammy Radio show, for some Independent Conservative camaraderie.

But, after hearing about academia’s current focus on microaggressions, I have begun to worry:

Is our chat room name for Karl Rove “(Ham-head”) offensive to Muslims?

(And yes, I am guilty of once referring to Nancy Pelosi as “Piglosi.”)

Does Debbie Wasserman-Schultz’s hair need to be off-limits?

What about referring to Hillary as “Cankles” ? Is this sexist?

Should I have been offended when someone called me their favorite New Yawker?

And, Boehner as “Orangeman” – racist ? 🙂

Via Weekly Standard: Microaggression at Princeton

For readers not acquainted with current academese, “microaggressions” are defined as subtle, seemingly innocuous words or habits that reinforce sexual and racial discrimination: For example, using the pronoun “he” when referring to a person who might be of either sex—and thus, according to microaggression theory, deliberately excluding females from the ranks of humankind….microaggression theory can be applied to just about anything—and, in fact, has been applied liberally, exposing such social indignities as “microinsults,” “microrapes,” and, perhaps worst of all, “microinvalidations.”

Freshman Newby Parton, from Tennessee, complained in the Daily Princetonian that other students tease him about the way he pronounces “CoolWhip:”

A friend of mine whom I quite like had put me through the “Cool Whip” routine, so I waited awhile and texted her this: “Making fun of regional speech is a micro-aggression.” .  .  . There came no apology or retraction. She really did not understand that she had caused any offense, even after I had plainly told her so. .  .  . I am afraid that I have unwittingly hurt the feelings of people so accustomed to microaggression that they did not bother to speak up. .  .  . I am afraid because microaggressions aren’t harmless—there’s research to show that they cause anxiety and binge drinking.

Honestly, I thought Newby (Who names their kid “Newby”? Ooops… microagression?) was writing a parody.

So, I found his column, in its entirety, in the Daily Princetonian.

He was deadly serious:

….I mean it when I say I am afraid. I am afraid that I have spent eighteen years not understanding when I have said something offensive. I am afraid that I have unwittingly hurt the feelings of people so accustomed to microaggression that they did not bother to speak up. I am afraid that I would not have taken those people seriously if they had made a stand. And I am afraid I will do it all again. I am afraid because microaggressions aren’t harmless —

….To become more aware of my own shortcomings is a debt I owe to others, so please send me a message if I have ever hurt your feelings. I will do what I can to make it up to you. In the meantime, I ask that my readers try doing the same. You might be causing people offense without intending to. Understanding how others feel is hard for those of us who do not suffer discrimination often, but with a little conscious effort, we can start correcting our mistakes.

And so, in the spirit of Newby Parton, I offer my apology to Pelosi for calling her “Piglosi.”

It was inappropriate.

She’s not really a pig.

She’s more of a hag.

Related:

National Review Online: Princeton Students Set Up Microaggression-Reporting Service