Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.Congr) sent a letter to the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Karl L. Schultz, calling for a formal review of USCG certified training materials after they learned of an offensive mnemonic device circulating in such material.
DeFazio and Maloney wrote: “Within the USCG accredited captain’s license course offered by ‘Mariners Learning System,’ students are encouraged to use the mnemonic device ‘true virgins make dull company—just add whiskey’ to remember how to calculate compass error. We are sure you will agree that the use of this crude phrase in certification materials approved by the Coast Guard is unacceptable.”
The letter continued: “It is vital that the agency overseeing the maritime industry set a tone of acceptance and inclusion for all of industry to emulate and foster a maritime culture free of discrimination, harassment, or violence based on race, gender or sexual identification.”
In their letter, DeFazio and Maloney requested a formal review of all certification materials used or approved by the USCG to identify and remove any use of this specific phrase or other lewd or inappropriate mnemonic devices, phrases, idioms or expressions. The Chairs requested the review be completed within 90 days and that a summary report and briefing be provided to the Committee.
There are many better things they should be doing but they involve making decisions and require subject matter knowledge and experience. They are doing what they feel safe doing, cowering behind the wall of political correctness and tossing the occasional piece of paper over.
The use of the mnemonic New Reels Catch Fish So Purchase Some has served me well but I realize now how traumatizing in must be to aquatic critters. This realization has triggered a feeling of guilt and shame I will never be able to shake off. DEFUND the Coast Guard!
Good thing there weren’t any videos back when we surfaced in the Caribbean and threw old “horsecock” over the side to attract targets for a shark shoot.
As long as they don’t cut the fins off and sell them to Chinese restaurants it’s OK.
When I attended US Navy ET “A” school the mnemonic they taught us to remember the color code for resistors, and their tolerance, was one I won’t even repeat here.
Same for the mnemonics to remember the rules for motion in a motor or for antenna propagation.
Strange how they are still so easy to recall after 55 years though…
