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NYC Schools Ban References to Dinosaurs, Birthdays, Halloween on Tests

GREG KELLY: Is political correctness kind of getting out of control here? Some words and topics being banned from city-issued tests.

ROSANNA SCOTTO: All right, listen to some of these words. These are our childhood words. Dinosaurs! Birthdays! I mean, forget about the cupcakes, now you can’t even mention a birthday. Halloween. These are among the dozens of topics being axed.

KELLY: According to the story in the Post, though, they fear that such topics could evoke unpleasant emotions in students.

SCOTTO: What’s the problem dinosaur? That it might upset fundamentalists? Are you kidding me?

KELLY: Dinosaurs, for example, call to mind evolution, which might upset, yes, fundamentalists; birthdays aren’t celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses; and Halloween suggests paganism. This is, again, according to the paper. Keep going, what else.

SCOTTO: I don’t know. Apparently, there are going to be more P.C. on tests.

KELLY: There’s something to—look, there’s certain areas—

SCOTTO: There’s nothing to that. That’s a bunch of baloney.

KELLY: Look at this. Caviar is to fish, as, you know, foie gras is to blank? You know, right? Not everybody tries caviar, at certain—does that make sense?

SCOTTO: Okay, but why are you bringing that up?

KELLY: Because it’s not only about political correctness and sensitivities, but economic considerations.

SCOTTO: But pretty soon we’re not going to be able to say any words, if we really start getting that sensitive.

KELLY: This is not a new issue. Who’s the golf player? You know those dimples on the golf ball? What are they called? Dimples?

SCOTTO: I think they’re dimples.

KELLY: What if you’ve never played golf? Know what I mean? What if you’ve never played miniature golf. They want to make an even playing field.

Published under: Progressive Movement