# Is it legal for the US government to ban words? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-the-us-government-to-ban-words/804729 "2017-12-17T20:16:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-the-us-government-to-ban-words/804729/21 "2017-12-19T15:17:18Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > There’s this site called Snopes out there that can help with [these things](https://www.snopes.com/president-obama-bans-the-words-negro-and-oriental/). Snopes on [the topic of this thread.](https://www.snopes.com/2017/12/15/trump-administration-bans-cdc-officials-using-certain-words/) ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-the-us-government-to-ban-words/804729/22 "2017-12-19T15:29:41Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Obama “banned” the use of “negro” and “oriental” in the same manner. I don’t know anything about that, but the Obama Administration did object to the use of the term “global war on terrorism” that was omnipresent during the Bush Administration. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-the-us-government-to-ban-words/804729/23 "2017-12-19T16:28:08Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I don’t know anything about that… Now that the Snopes link has been provided you should know that it is false now, correct? > [@Ravenman](#): > > …, but the Obama Administration did object to the use of the term “global war on terrorism” that was omnipresent during the Bush Administration. Did they forbid agencies from using the term, or was it a personal preference? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-the-us-government-to-ban-words/804729/24 "2017-12-19T16:49:27Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > There’s this site called Snopes out there that can help with [these things](https://www.snopes.com/president-obama-bans-the-words-negro-and-oriental/). I think that’s what **Mangosteen** was getting at by caging “banned” in quotes and using the phrase “in the same manner.” What he says is pretty much correct. The words aren’t “banned” or “illegal” in any meaningful sense. They’ve just been redacted from the style guide, basically, for certain types of official communication from the government. Now, of course, redacting words like “negro” and “oriental” makes sense, given those are painfully outdated words. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-the-us-government-to-ban-words/804729/25 "2017-12-19T16:53:22Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Now that the Snopes link has been provided you should know that it is false now, correct? Nothing I wrote should have been interpreted as any kind of endorsement, but simply as distancing myself from the allegations. I quoted only to relay that the Obama Administration did make a policy to stop usage of a certain term. > [@](#): > > Did they forbid agencies from using the term, or was it a personal preference? Agencies were directed to use the term “Overseas Contingency Operations” instead. > **[Obama is Fighting the War on Terrorism ? But Without the Name](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/03/AR2009040303589.html)** > > SECRETARY OF STATE Hillary Rodham Clinton recently confirmed that the Obama administration has dropped the phrase "global war on terror." She didn't say why. "I think that speaks for itself. Obviously," was her elaboration. That raised a few obvious... ETA: And to be clear, I think it’s silly to ban terms like “science-based” when it isn’t really a controversial term at all. But there is ample precedent for Administrations to direct the use of some terms and not others. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-the-us-government-to-ban-words/804729/26 "2017-12-19T17:58:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I think that’s what **Mangosteen** was getting at by caging “banned” in quotes and using the phrase “in the same manner.” What he says is pretty much correct. The words aren’t “banned” or “illegal” in any meaningful sense. They’ve just been redacted from the style guide, basically, for certain types of official communication from the government. Now, of course, redacting words like “negro” and “oriental” makes sense, given those are painfully outdated words. That makes sense, and I had not noticed that before you pointed it out. Good call!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-legal-for-the-us-government-to-ban-words/804729.md?page=1)