Michigan State University faced criticism after releasing its new "language guide" that claims to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Critics labeled the guide "preposterous" as it discourages the use of words like "America," "Christmas trees" and "bunnies."
"Outnumbered" co-host Kayleigh McEnany blasted the university for the "idiocy" of the recently published guide.
"This is explicitly in the guide: ‘In winter and spring, avoid references to majority religious imagery,’" McEnany explained, citing other discouraged terms like "wreaths" and "eggs."
"This is anti-Christian bigotry disguised as diversity, equity and inclusion," she argued.
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The university defended the guide with this explanation: "The origins of seemingly innocuous idioms or words may be racist, sexist or ablest in nature. … Consider the origins of everyday language before freely using it in communications."
Fox News contributor Guy Benson, however, noted that some of the discouraged terms – like "reindeer" and "chick" – don’t even reference the religious elements of holidays like Christmas and Easter.
"This is preposterous," he said.
Co-host Emily Compagno said the move to avoid references to Christian holidays made her sad and offered an alternative approach to the age of inclusive language.
"Why wouldn't you just embrace and enlarge?" Compagno asked. "Show me all the holidays that are celebrated now so I can learn more and be inclusive and diverse rather than extinguish everything."
Morgan Ortagus, a former State Department spokesperson, said she is more concerned about MSU’s language guide discouraging the use of terms like "extremist," "terrorist" and "radical."
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"As someone who has done national security and counterterrorism for a long time of my career, if I can't use any of those words, how am I supposed to describe the 9/11 attacks, al-Qaeda, ISIS?" she asked.
Ortagus agreed that the focus on religious terms is enraging but said the guide makes it difficult to have conversations about what is right and wrong.
"That's, I think, what they're really getting to, is the inability for us to tell our children, to talk to each other about what really is right and what is wrong if you can't use the word ‘terrorist’ and ‘extremist,’" she said.
Guy Benson added that the U.S. can’t solve problems without talking about them in the first place.
"And that seems to be the goal here: to prevent us from having the conversations," he said.
