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From: debenedi@yale-com.UUCP (Robert DeBenedictis)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Language and Oppression
Message-ID: <2042@yale-com.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 18-Sep-83 13:15:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: yale-com.2042
Posted: Sun Sep 18 13:15:53 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Sep-83 21:32:23 EDT
Lines: 20

It seems to me that the perfect "tool of oppression" would be
one which the oppressor did not know s/he was using.  This way 
the (mean, nasty) oppressor can feel absolutely no guilt over 
oppressing the (poor, beleagured) oppressed.

Language can be the perfect "tool of oppresion."

The unwitting oppressor claims (and firmly believes) only the 
best of intentions when he refers to the "girls in the office."  
However, those "girls" most definitely find it degrading and 
insulting to be referred to as children.

In causual communication it is often hard to discern intent. 
For their part, the oppressed should try to only take offense at
that which was meant to offend.  Equally, the oppressors (i.e.,
anyone who doesn't feel oppressed (?)) should try to watch their
language, being aware of the fact that they could be unwittingly
hurting someone's feelings.

Robert DeBenedictis