The Agricultural Marketing Service of the USDA has proposed removing the term “midget” from its raisin standards in response to a petition from the Little People of America.

The AMS wants to eliminate five references to the term “midget” in the United States Standards for Grades of Processed Raisins, opting to replace the term with the word “small” instead.

Because some folks might get their precious feeling hurted. Never mind that the LPA admits

[T]he use of the word midget by the USDA when classifying certain food products is benign…

they still want the adjective referring to dinky raisins removed from the descriptions—by government fiat, no less.

What will the FDA propose to do when the LPA or some other sensitive group decides “small” is a terrifying affront? Maybe the FDA should skip that step and go right to labeling the raisins “little.”

And this, which is dangerous, and cynically so.

Santa Clara University says a bias incident is “a speech, act, or harassing action that targets, threatens, or attacks an individual or group because of their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sex, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation.”

Students who experience such incidents should call 911, contact the Office of Student Life, alert Campus Safety Services, and file an anonymous report[.]

“Always call,” SCU insists with their new policy. Because hurt feelings are so vastly important they demand an emergency response by police, who have nothing else to do, anyway, there being no actual risks to life or limb in Santa Clara.

No, SCU knows better, hence the cynicism of their…advice.

SCU’s “policy” can be seen here. There’s an EthicsPoint link to an online incident reporting tool at the policy link. Perhaps the policy is itself a suitable subject for addressing via EthicsPoint.