http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspap...373312,00.html
Quote:
A COUNCIL has banned use of the word “brainstorming” because it could offend people with head injuries. Members of the Labour-controlled Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council have been told to use the phrase “blue sky thinking” instead.
Councillor Leighton Smart, an independent member for the old Welsh mining village of Bedlinog, had suggested having a brainstorming session with a council officer. He was taken aside and told not to use such an expression again.
Mr Smart said yesterday: “This is political correctness getting ridiculous. I took it as a joke at first, but it was meant in all seriousness. I don’t want to upset anyone, but where is the commonsense?
“Brainstorming is just getting heads together to work out problems — I’ve never heard of anyone being offended by it. I refuse to be told what to say.”
A council spokesman said: “We look to apply rules of simple, plain English without any intention of causing offence to any particular groups.”
The brain injury association Headway has urged people not to use the term brainstorming. Its preferred alternative is “ideas cascade”.
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Are there people out there deliberately looking for phrases to be offended by? It is almost as if there is a secret competition going on to come up with the most ridiculous piece of political correctness and get it implemented by the public sector.