A CBS News anchor got a harsh lesson in woke word policing during what should have been a celebration of American space exploration. Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black female astronaut, interrupted an interview about Blue Origin’s historic all-women spaceflight to scold journalist Vlad Duthiers for using the term “mankind.” Her finger-wagging lecture about “expanding perspectives” became the real story.
Jemison demanded Duthiers replace “mankind” with “humankind,” claiming outdated language prevents girls from dreaming big. This wordplay happened as six female astronauts prepared for Blue Origin’s 62-mile journey above Earth – a mission already drowning in gender politics rather than celebrating human achievement.
The exchange exposed how radical activists hijack STEM milestones to push divisive ideology. While brave women like Katy Perry and Gayle King risked their lives advancing space travel, Jemison focused on policing syllables. True equality means letting accomplishments speak louder than vocabulary checklists.
Conservatives quickly highlighted the hypocrisy. “They claim to want ‘representation,’ then reduce these pioneers to grammar talking points,” said talk host Dave Rubin. The same critics who scream “follow the science” apparently think swapping two letters makes rockets fly better.
This language policing distracts from real issues facing women in STEM fields. Instead of fighting for better math education or tech apprenticeships, elites obsess over dictionary edits. Meanwhile, China’s space program advances while ours teaches astronauts to tiptoe around pronouns.
The all-female crew itself became a political stunt – more about gender quotas than exploration. Previous missions mixed teams based on skill, not identity politics. Pushing “firsts” for social media clout risks making space travel another casualty of woke tokenism.
Americans watched in dismay as this historic moment became a lecture on speech codes. Parents don’t want daughters learning that words matter more than equations. Real empowerment comes from merit, not scolding journalists about syllable counts during live broadcasts.
The incident proves cultural Marxism infects every American institution. From classrooms to space capsules, the left prioritizes language control over actual progress. Conservatives must push back before “correct” thinking replaces bold exploration as our nation’s guiding star.
