[6515] in APO-L
Sexism
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Nick Stefanisko [KD6PTD])
Fri Aug 6 13:37:05 1993
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1993 10:37:40 PDT
Reply-To: "Nick Stefanisko [KD6PTD]" <stefanis@hpamsck.ptp.hp.com>
From: "Nick Stefanisko [KD6PTD]" <stefanis@hpamsck.ptp.hp.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L%PURCCVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
I agree that naked man posters are just as bad as naked wouman posters in
a public place. I do disagree with the feminist oppinion that the suffix
man should be dropped from every word in the language that once had it.
ie
chairman->chair
mailman->mailcarrier
fireman->firefighter
etc
We are getting caught up in the words and arguing about their spellings.
The words have not changed meaning at all. The majority of chairs are still
chairmen. If you really want to do something to get more women and ethnic-
minorities in the white-male dominated areas of society, you have to change
atitudes, not words. Afermitve action does not change the atitude that blacks
are dumb, latinos steal, asians eat rice (sorry, couldn't come up with a worse
sterotype), or a woman's place is in the home. It's a bunch of bull! We know
it isn't true, but the other 49% of Americans don't. To really chance things
we need to provide equal oppertunity, not special programs. Special programs
make the white male join klans and gangs and such, which only makes things
worse. I find that the biggest irony in the whole man suffix argument is that
a female chairman doesn't want to have that man ending on her title when she
has legitimatly won that title in a male dominated society. Having that man
ending says more for feminism than getting it droped ever could.
I've noticed that we have also droped the 'es' ending from stuardes and
waitres etc. That is fine because in those cases there are separate words
for the male and female versions of the job. But while we are at it lets
attack the 'or/er' ending: mayor, carpenter, legislator, farmer, etc. The
'or/er' is a germanic ending that refers to a male. See these words have
already changed meaning.
A vision: Joan of Arc wearing armor with sholder pads and high heals.
Just doesn't work, does it?
To really make a mark, put the man ending back and change the meaning of the
word, otherwise it still exists, even if it is not used anymore, and it still
has its old sexist meaning. When I say chairman, I know that it could be a
man or a woman, and that the sex of the person with the title doesn't matter.
Make a solid 4 (er um 6) year college eduaction a right, rather than an honor
for the rich, smart, or lucky. Someone who wants to sell drugs, or steal cars,
or wander the country side is going to do it wheather there is a special
program dangling in front of him/her/it or not.
Education, not endless arguing and work arounds, is the answer.
___
Integrated / / Nick Stefanisko [KD6PTD]
Systems HEWLETT/hp/PACKARD stefanis@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com
Division /__/ Sunnyvale, California, USA
Opinions expressed here are not those of my employer; only my fingers
are to blame.
