Re: The myth of sexist language

["Starr, Mike" <Mike -dot- Starr -at- SOFTWARE -dot- ROCKWELL -dot- COM>]

BRAVO!!! ( or should I have said BRAVA!!!)

You've hit it perfectly, Callie. Having said that, though, it appears that a
segment of our population is not willing to accept the use of these terms
and will continue to whine and moan about it forever. For my part, I'm
certainly willing to participate in the "Constitutional Convention" proposed
by one of the other respondents in this thread. Let's come up with a NEW
word or words acceptable to all. Then, we can get on with the important
things in life. Of course, if we're going to hold some kind of granfaloon
festival over this, can we at least do it in Vegas <G>?

Mike Starr
mike -dot- starr -at- software -dot- rockwell -dot- com
 ----------
From: Callie
To: Multiple recipients of list TEC
Subject: The myth of sexist language
Date: Saturday, August 05, 1995 6:57PM


   First, assume that the gender-neutral proponents are correct and that
writing continually with words that favor one of the sexes will cause the
other to be discriminated against.  If a girl reads "he" in a manual she
will
promptly assume that the equipment can only be operated by possessors of the
Y chromosome (or it has some interestingly designed push-buttons) and will
retreat to the kitchen and conceive.
   Is it our useage of the words HIStory, MANkind, and the huMAN race that
are
the cause of the long oppression of the feMALE half of the huMAN race.?
Poppycock and balderdash!
   If words had that effect on us, why ... how about other languages?  In
Spanish, the HIStory of MANkind becomes LA historiA de LA razA (all feminine
words).  They have LA libertad, LA igualdad, and LA fraternidad.  Latin
America should be a bastion of female power and influence.

Callie