The U.S. Army has deleted a tweet that used the term “chinks” in armor after people freaked out that the same word can be used in a completely different context as a racial slur against people of Chinese descent.
“Chinks in special ops’ digital and physical armor poses challenges, experts say,” the tweet read, followed by a link to a news release about how terrorists’ using social media has left a hole — dare I say, a chink in — our country’s defenses.
Originally, the release had a headline similar to the tweet, according to the Washington Post. It has since been changed, however, because apparently calling someone racist is an irrefutable argument even when the accusation is based on not knowing what words mean.
For example:
.@USArmy uses racist term for Asians in headline! #inexcusable I'm waiting for an apology. @bjones @ArmyTimesTony pic.twitter.com/ArqsHUbrwJ
— Chanin Nuntavong (@Khun_Chanin) January 29, 2015
And:
Chinks in spec ops armor pose challenges. @USArmy Um, excuse me, experts. We no longer refer to foreign people in such derogatory terms.
— Mark Newman (@RealMarkNew91) January 29, 2015
For some, the deletion of the tweet was not enough — because how dare those Army jerks not apologize:
https://twitter.com/JarheadPAO/status/560991045484564481
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Alayne Conway told the Post that they were shocked by the accusations since there was “nothing even remotely racial” about the tweet, but they still decided to delete it “based on feedback from some followers who expressed offense.”
Apparently, in the 21st century being “offended” is a force so powerful that not even the U.S. Army can stand up to it.
— Katherine Timpf is a reporter for National Review Online.