Two views on the Purdue chancellor's apology

& a public rebuke for "chestfeeding."

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Eric Zorn is a former opinion columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Find a longer bio and contact information here. This issue exceeds in size the maximum length for a standard email. To read the entire issue in your browser, click on the headline link above.

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Here is the link to my annual news-prediction survey. I’ll share the results and my answers in Thursday’s year end issue of the Picayune Sentinel, which will also feature the top 40 tweets of 2022.

All-points bulletin for the language police

In “You Can’t Say That! (Or Can You?)” The New York Times reports on a Times/Morning Consult poll of more than 4,000 Americans regarding words and terms that some would like to put on the forbidden list. The poll asked about such terms as “breastfeeding,” “master bedroom” and “Third World,” as well as the suggested replacements, such as “chestfeeding,” “primary bedroom” and “low-income countries.”

Not surprisingly, “chestfeeding” as a more inclusive term than “breastfeeding” to describe the method by which a lactating person of any gender identity would nourish an infant got the most resounding thumbs down, with only 10% saying they’ would use it.

I was surprised that more than half of respondents would use “illegal alien,” as I have come to think of that term as needlessly aggressive, and that 28% of people still think it’s OK to use the term “spaz.”

I hope taking a poll like this becomes an annual thing because surely some of these terms will move into the mainstream and others will move out. “Third world” seems likely to fall into increasing disfavor but I have doubts about “birthing parent” and “Latinx”ever making it onto the preferred list for the majority of writers and speakers. The idea that “master bedroom” has a painful link to slavery and thus must not be used strikes me as not persuasive enough to change general usage.

Notes and comments from readers —lightly edited —- along with my responses

I’m devoting nearly all of Zmail to day to a dissent I received regarding my take on the controversy at Purdue Northwest University involving Chancellor Thomas Keon’s use of jibberish that he said he intended to sound Asian. The Purdue Board of Trustees has formally reprimanded Keon — a sanction I feel is sufficient and commensurate with his offense— but to date the trustees have resisted calls from the faculty and others to seek Keon’s resignation.

Steve T. -- First, please stop citing New York Times contributing columnist John McWhorter. His takes on these issues are becoming boilerplate predictable and seem to be geared toward solidifying and monetizing a contrarian opinion.

That said, perhaps the best way to decide the fate of leaders like PNW Chancellor Keon who make racist comments or jokes should be to ask these five simple questions:

1. How much leadership and decision-making responsibility does the speaker have?

2. What was the context of the racist comment?

3. Does the speaker have a well-established public record of actions that openly support those who are targeted in the comment?

4. Does the speaker apologize promptly and acknowledge the harm caused REGARDLESS OF HIS INTENT?

5. Does the speaker offer an immediate action he will take to support those who were the target of the comment? Does he then follow through?

Let’s see how Chancellor Keon did….

1. Lots — he leads a public university.

2. A public, formal celebration of the school’s graduates. ANY “foreign accent” jokes would have been inappropriate.

3. None that I’m aware of. His public resume shows that he did receive recognition for his “commitment to diversity and inclusion,” citing the African-American “Brother to Brother” program, but he has no record of supporting Asian-American students at his schools. Leading an institution that celebrates diversity does not excuse someone who contributes little to that environment.

4. No. His was the classic PR non-apology apology.

5. Nope. He simply offers to make sure that such “missteps” won’t happen again.

Easy call — he’s gotta go. Nobody is saying he should be drawn and quartered, but being the head of a university (places that are under increased scrutiny for the treatment of Asian students) means you don’t get a mere slap on the wrist for this.

If McWhorter is "predictable" then what adjective would you use to describe the hypersensitive guardians of propriety whose ululations are unmoderated by context or proportion? An ad hominem dismissal of McWhorter’s point of view simply because he's fairly consistent is intellectually flabby and utterly unpersuasive. Tell me where you think he's wrong in this case. Then tell me which writers you do look to for unpredictable analyses of such situations.

You say "ANY foreign accent jokes would have been inappropriate," but that's clearly not true. If he'd aped the Eastern European/Slavic sounds that the speaker before him had made or if he'd put on a French or British accent, no one would have batted an eye.

And as to your disdain for Keon’s "classic PR non-apology apology," I beg you to compose for me an apology that would satisfy you, that would cause you to say "OK, he should be forgiven with the lesson learned."

There isn't one, is there? Because no apology is ever good enough for those howling for someone's head. Indeed apologies are seen as admissions and seem only to make the situation worse. But as you are contemptuous of his apology, maybe you can persuade me otherwise.

You are also dismissive of intent, which to me is a hallmark of zealotry — the inability to distinguish between rabid, toxic racism and flashes of insensitivity to norms. Those who don't seriously consider intent as an aggravating or mitigating factor forfeit the right to be taken seriously in any discussion of remediation — and here you put "REGARDLESS OF HIS INTENT" in capital letters, as though to underscore your inability to see proportion.

Anyway, please compose the ideal ameliorative apology and send it my way.

Steve T. responds-- First, McWhorter may provide a meaningful voice on behalf of African-American perspectives, but I don’t understand why anyone would go back to his take on toxic “wokeness” when in this case the target was Asian-Americans

I don’t have a standard, unpredictable go-to source for this. Instead, I try to focus on the voices of those who are the targets of the offending behavior. Check out the response from the Asian American Museum or this response from Stephanie Kim, a Georgetown administrator. Read the twitter responses from NY Congresswoman Grace Meng and CNN commentary by Shannon Wu. Surely you’d agree that the prejudices suffered by the Asian community are best addressed by those within that community, particularly its leaders, educators, and journalists.

Second, the speaker who preceded Keon, Jim Dedelow, is a radio talk show host (and not a particularly good one). Invite him to speak at your ceremony and know that you might get some edgier comments and humor. He is an entertainer, not a college chancellor. Condoning Keon’s racist joke under the “hey that other guy set the tone” argument doesn’t wash. Anti-racism has been a huge deal in higher education for many years now, making Keon’s behavior indefensible in that context.

As for his intent, my goodness doesn’t it go without saying that a college chancellor doesn’t intend to harm students? Saying it out loud doesn’t negate the harm he caused. Given your implied standard, Keon could have launched an extended comedic bit full of goofy generic accents (Asian caricature is plentiful in pop culture) and explained it away with an “I was just joking”. A comedian or satirist should get some leeway here, but an educational leader with a captive audience? No way. That said, I do think that intent should always be considered when assessing fault, but perhaps we simply disagree on the level of the offense. As for punitive measures, consider a basketball analogy: “I didn’t intend to hit his arm as he shot” doesn’t negate the harm done, and the only way forward is a punitive action (free throws) to repair the damage immediately.

So, this is what I’d suggest for an apology, given Keon’s specific offense. I can’t promise an “ideal” apology, as I have never held such a position of authority and accountability, and I am not a member of the targeted audience, but I think this would be far better than the weak sauce he served up:

“As an educational leader, I should know that it is never acceptable to attempt childish humor at the expense of others under my care and guidance. In the past few years, Asian-Americans have been subjected to prejudices and criticisms, often based on inflamed, ignorant, and dishonest discourse from leaders who have used them as a target for their own failures in handling a global epidemic, but also stemming from decades of being regarded as second-class citizens in our schools and society. This despite the innumerable benefits they have provided to the United States, their home. Hate crimes against Asian-Americans are at an all- time high, and my poor attempt at humor only contributed to that denigration. Therefore, I offer my deepest apology to the entire Purdue community, especially those Asian-American students and their families who have been the target of such comments for decades. I have read the suggestions from Asian-American leaders who demand a stronger voice on our campus, and in the next 48 hours I will distribute those suggestions to the appropriate departments and require that they be enacted as soon as possible. If these changes are not addressed to the satisfaction of their advocates, I will offer my immediate resignation. I have already scheduled a meeting with Kazuhiro Hatasa, Chair of Asian Studies Dept. at Purdue Lafayette, in order to plan a path forward for similar Asian language and culture curriculum here at Northwest. In closing, I have had a long career in schools, but I also continue my own education each and every day. I promise to learn from this, grow from this, and with your grace and assistance, make Purdue Northwest a more inclusive place to live and grow because of this.”

Finally, Eric, you say no apology will stop the “zealots.” I beg to differ. People who care deeply about the right to live in a more just society want to see action and change. If the only change on the table is dismissal of the offender, then of course that must be the choice of those who are offended. However, if you load your apology with curative actions and accountability triggers, you provide a way forward for those folks, especially those whose jobs are to stand publicly for the disenfranchised.

Thanks for taking a stab at an acceptable apology. I’ll address that in a moment.

You seem to think that I and other readers should reject McWhorter’s take on the Purdue Northwest story because, as an African American man, he was not among the “targets of the offending behavior.” Yet of course he — or, rather African Americans of which he is one— has frequently been among the targets of actual and purported offending behavior, so he is in perhaps a better place to call balls and strikes here than, say, you or I. And here, as elsewhere, he makes a strong case that a person’s entire career and reputation need not and should not be left in shambles because of a offense of the magnitude of Chancellor Keon’s.

I feel that, as usual, McWhorter makes a better case for proportion, context and mercy than the opportunistic critics who leap on every tasteless joke, every infelicitous remark, every slip of the tongue, every use of outmoded language to demand the more dire of consequences. The taking of extreme umbrage has become an effective lever in our culture in part because so many cowardly people tremble in front of it.

You are under the misapprehension that I and McWhorter and many others who feel that censure is a sufficient sanction here are “condoning” Keon’s joke. That’s poor and insulting argumentation.

You refer to “the harm he caused,” but it’s not at all clear to me that the barrage of criticism Keon came under and the remarks he and others have subsequently made have not clarified and underscored for the PNW community and many interested observers just how important this issue of showing respect and considering cultural contexts are when making reference to ethnic and national communities that have been subject to abuse and discrimination.

The backlash has drawn attention to arguably neglected concerns of the AAPI community at the school as well as pledges better to address those concerns.

Wouldn’t the point of firing him at this point be to have him serve as an example to others as to what can and likely will happen if you cross a certain line? Surely you don’t believe that firing him is necessary to prevent him from making another offensive joke in public again; that he is not already profoundly chastened.

I do think that intent matters when it comes to judging the appropriate sanction against someone who makes a mistake. The law certainly recognizes the difference between intentional and unintentional acts that cause harm. Even in basketball, to go to your analogy, the rules draw a distinction between flagrant fouls intended to cause harm to another player and common fouls in which contact is made in a failed but reasonable attempt to block a shot, steal the ball etc..

Intent is not the only factor to consider, of course. But it can aggravate or mitigate a misdeed. Had Keon launched into an extended and scripted riff mocking Asian accents thinking his audience would find it funny, that would be a far graver violation than the fake-accent gibberish he spewed off the cuff for less than two seconds.

Before we consider your suggested apology, let me reproduce, in full, his statement that you and so many others have sneered at:

On Saturday, December 10th, during one of our two PNW commencement ceremonies, I made a comment that was offensive and insensitive. I'm truly sorry for my unplanned, off-the-cuff response to another speaker, as my words have caused confusion, pain and anger.

Purdue University Northwest, and I personally, take great pride in being welcoming and inclusive to all people. Earlier this fall I announced the formation of a PRIDE team initiative (PNW Respecting Inclusion Diversity and Equity) whose mission is to promote an open, respectful and welcoming culture. I'm now directing this interdisciplinary team to specifically understand and address issues of importance to the Asian-American Pacific Islander community at PNW, and to offer concrete ideas that our university will act upon to ensure that our campuses are places that welcome and value all. In addition, I will meet with members of the Student Government Association to discuss how best to address student concerns.

Additionally, within the last year we at PNW welcomed our most diverse student body in history, opened a multi-cultural lounge to encourage the sharing of ideas from students of all backgrounds, and formed a broad group of faculty and staff with expertise in various cultural backgrounds to coordinate celebrations of cultural heritage. These priorities illustrate our commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity, but we clearly need to do more and we will.

We are all human. I made a mistake, and I assure you I did not intend to be hurtful and my comments do not reflect my personal or our institutional values. In the true spirit of diversity and inclusion that is the Cornerstone of PNW, I will learn from this and I assure you that Purdue Northwest and I will take action to prevent such missteps from occurring in the future.

Your suggested apology includes this passage: “If these changes are not addressed to the satisfaction of their advocates, I will offer my immediate resignation.” That’s unrealistic and bizarre, given my continued contention, based on looking at dozens of such instances, that apologies never placate the infuriated zealots. It turns the statement into an offer to quit in disgrace.

Take out this obsequious offer to resign if his critics aren’t placated — they won’t be, they’re very clear on their demands for his resignation — and this apology would be greeted with the same righteous contempt that his previous apology was greeted. Not good enough! You’ve made the situation worse!

You write, “If the only change on the table is dismissal of the offender, then of course that must be the choice of those who are offended.” But that is not the only outcome that Keon lays out in his apology. Start with “I’m now directing…”

Keon made a mistake that does not seem to reflect racism or bigotry in his professional or personal lives. He apologized floridly — not floridly enough for you, but certainly with evident sincerity — and vowed to make changes and to “do more.”

You plainly think he needs to be made an example of by having his career end in disgrace. I think the ordeal he has been through and the formal reprimand along with his pledges to make improvements and do better are sufficient. We are unlikely to find common ground on this one.

D.V — I am a paid subscriber to the Picayune Sentinel but the credit card I used last year is no longer valid so auto-renewal won’t work. What’s the best way to get it done ?

In Substack’s robust reader help page there is an entry titled “How do I update my payment information?” that takes you step by step through the process.

Ya gotta see these tweets!

I often run across tweets that rely on visual humor and so can’t be included in the Tweet of the Week contest (the template I use for that poll does not allow me to include images). Here are a few good ones I’ve come across recently, three of which, for some reason, involve dogs:

Vote for your favorite. I’ll share the winner in Thursday’s main edition.

There’s still time to vote in the conventional Tweet of the Week poll!

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