The recent article by Joan Herbers suggesting that myrmecologists should replace the terms “slavery” and “dulosis” with another term that is not fraught with culturally objectionable images. Yes, for a considerable period in the early history of the United States (and most other New World nations) human slavery was a common practice. Actually, it was an established fact of life before the European invasion.
     The notion that “people of color” might be repelled from the study of myrmecology because – in a very limited area of study – the term “slavery” is used to describe the behavior of certain ants is a spurious argument. No evidence for this suggestion is advanced. Just for the record: I am a Native American (Cherokee) and I study ants because it is what I chose to do. It might appear to be true that there are few “people of color” in our chosen field. That, however, is certainly debatable. Anyone who has attended AntCourse would have to wonder what all the fuss was about. Last year AntCourse 2006 was held in Cairns, Australia. The majority of our students were “people of color” from the U. S., Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam, Nepal, Japan, South Africa, to name a few. And, “racial” diversity has been evident in all our previous AntCourse offerings.
     The “cultural sensitivity” expressed by Herbers seems to be a largely, if not exclusively, American concern with political correctness, a silly concept that has run amok in recent decades. The rest of the world remains bemusedly indifferent. We should be less concerned with the appearance that with genuine acceptance of the fact that we are all Homo sapiens.
     Sure, there was injustice in the past and today is no different. The past cannot be changed (unless rewritten in the light of political correctness or “reinterpreted”), so let it be. Any term that describes dulotic behavior by ants still means the same thing and we all know it. And, the suggestion that “leistic” (piratic) or “leism” (piracy) has its own baggage and is just plain ludicrous. Pirates were a sea-going lot (hardly appropriate) who raped, pillaged, murdered and – yes – sold people into slavery!
     While we’re at it, we might suggest that the Christian bible be rewritten to remove the word “servant”. As an early example of political correctness the King James version was written to replace the Greek work for slave with another, softer word, servant. People in biblical times did not hire servants: they bought slaves!
     In truth, I see no reason to jettison perfectly good, widely accepted terminology for some other word that will be limited to a few politically correct American authors. To the confusion and consternation of our colleagues elsewhere in the wonderful world of myrmecology. After all, use of slavery in discussing ants does not in any way imply that we either condone or approve the practice.

Roy R. Snelling
23 Feb. 2007