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Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!chris
From: chris@grkermit.UUCP (Chris Hibbert)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: person
Message-ID: <667@grkermit.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Oct-83 09:37:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: grkermit.667
Posted: Wed Oct 12 09:37:10 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Oct-83 10:36:36 EDT
References: tekmdp.2282 bronze.825 <1993@utah-cs.UUCP>
Organization: GenRad Inc., Concord, MA
Lines: 10

I'm a libertarian, and I use "persons" in political discussions when I
want to emphasize that the groups I am talking about are composed of
individuals.  I usually use this in response to some comment that
implies that some group of people has some additional rights because
they are "a community" ("the common good").  Emphasizing the persons in
the group helps me point out (through language) that I don't believe
there are any rights except individuals' rights.

It's not always clear to me that my audience understands the
distinction I'm trying to draw.