NASA Announces It Will Stop Using 'Insensitive' Names of Celestial Objects
Not even NASA is exempt from the virus of political correctness. The space agency has announced that it no longer will use terms deemed “insensitive” to describe certain celestial bodies.
In a lengthy news release Aug. 5, NASA noted that “distant cosmic objects such as planets, galaxies, and nebulae are sometimes referred to by the scientific community with unofficial nicknames.”
At this point, the document quickly transformed into a politically charged opinion piece.
“As the scientific community works to identify and address systemic discrimination and inequality in all aspects of the field, it has become clear that certain cosmic nicknames are not only insensitive but can be actively harmful,” the news release said.
Therefore, it said, “NASA is examining its use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects as part of its commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion.”
One of the “insensitive” nicknames that NASA has put on the chopping block is the “Eskimo Nebula,” which refers to “the glowing remains of a Sun-like star that is blowing off its outer layers at the end of its life.”
According to the news release, “‘Eskimo’ is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions.”
Another “insensitive” nickname that the snowflakes at NASA all of a sudden take issue with is the “Siamese Twins Galaxy,” which it says is “a pair of spiral galaxies found in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster.”
As we work to identify & address systemic discrimination & inequality in all aspects of the scientific community, we are reexamining the use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects which can be not only insensitive, but actively harmful. Read more: https://t.co/ZNicp5g0Wh pic.twitter.com/jDup6JOGBd
— NASA (@NASA) August 5, 2020
It’s worth mentioning that most Americans, including the most militant social justice warriors, have never heard of the “Eskimo Nebula” or the “Siamese Twins Galaxy.” Yet, NASA officials apparently decided it was important to get out in front of the left-wing mob.
The news release continued with standard liberal claptrap about how “seemingly innocuous nicknames can be harmful” and included a promise to work with “diversity, inclusion, and equity experts in the astronomical and physical sciences to provide guidance and recommendations for other nicknames and terms for review.”
Toward the end of the document, it became perfectly clear why NASA has decided to go down the politically correct rabbit hole. Stephen Shih, the agency’s associate administrator for diversity and equal opportunity, was quoted as saying, “Science depends on diverse contributions, and benefits everyone, so that means we must make it inclusive.”
Imagine all the money taxpayers would save if government agencies and institutes of higher education did not feel the need to employ “administrators for diversity and equal opportunity.” Maybe if fewer places employed these glorified language police, we would not live in such a fragile culture.
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The news release from NASA serves as just the latest example of the politicization of science. The most obvious and recent example of this unfortunate phenomenon can be found in the debate about hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has shown some effectiveness in treating the coronavirus.
The fact that President Donald Trump has spoken favorably about hydroxychloroquine has caused the establishment media as well as many health and political officials to work overtime to discredit the drug. After all, according to the far-left narrative, if Trump is for something, it must be dangerous.
Unfortunately, NASA is not the only organization to cave to the PC language police. Last month, the football team in Washington, D.C., decided to retire the name “Redskins” and its accompanying logo, finally bowing to never-ending pressure from the far left.
This decision came despite polling finding that a majority of Native Americans, who were supposedly so offended by the name, had no problem with it whatsoever. As it turns out, that’s not the only aspect of the Redskins that the mob knows nothing about.
If they had bothered to do their research, the left-wing mob demanding the Redskins’ renaming would have learned that it was a Native American who designed the team’s logo.
NASA and everyone else in America would do themselves a huge favor by refusing to cave to the demands of the liberal mob.
The far left sees every minor victory as a validation for its cause, which is to remake every aspect of American life until there is nothing left.
Sadly, if more organizations follow NASA’s lead, the radicals may very well succeed in their mission.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
