Dutch Officials Told Not To Say “Mother” or “Father”

The Netherlands’ Ministry of Education has wasted an incredible €40,000—not far off the average annual gross salary—of taxpayer cash on a language guide for civil servants, which advises them to call Father’s Day and Mother’s Day ‘You Day.’

This guide “against discrimination and racism” is, Dutch daily De Telegraaf reports, intended to ensure that officials “include families of all shapes and sizes” in their communications.

It has received sharp criticism, including from former MEP Rob Roos, who described the guide as “WOKE S**T,” and as “evidence that we can save a hell of a lot on civil servants.”

Even Education Secretary Judith Tielen, who belongs to the liberal (VVD) party, branded the guide “patronising.” She admitted that it was “not necessarily the best” tool—raising the question of who is actually in charge at the ministry.

Writer Marieke Hoogwout lamented that “when the government dictates which words must be used, those in power control the language.” This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given that the administration is also working to hand the police more powers to monitor citizens online, even when there are no concrete suspicions of criminal activity.

Author Klaas Wilting said the language guide showed that “the Hague has gone absolutely bonkers, and that bonkers nonsense costs money too.”

What kind of crazy characters came up with this. Before you know it, kids won’t be allowed to call their dad or mom dad/mom anymore.

The document also discourages the use of the words “white” and “Golden Age,” and proposes the capitalisation of “black,” especially when referring to “shared cultural identity.”