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From: mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: sexist language/bad attitudes
Message-ID: <282@mhuxr.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-Mar-85 13:54:59 EST
Article-I.D.: mhuxr.282
Posted: Fri Mar 29 13:54:59 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Mar-85 01:29:03 EST
References: <824@druxo.UUCP> <269@mhuxr.UUCP> <825@druxo.UUCP>, <12080@watmath.UUCP> <544@hou5g.UUCP> <276@mhuxr.UUCP> <274@celerity.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 40

> > ... To approach the problem of
> > sexism with pseudo solutions like a singular 'they' will not solve the
> > problem. It will introduce confusion and ambiguity in communication.
> 
> Marcel - Thou art lacking in consideration for the history of English...
> If I had written this in conventional modern English, you would have had no
> way of knowing that this sentence is intended to be directed to readers in
> general, even though the first sentence was addressed to an individual. The
> switch between singular and plural pronouns expresses this perfectly. Note
> that people are so used to the use of second person plural verbs that my use
> of second person singular verb forms in this article is archaic.
> 
> The only reason for using the plural in addressing an individual is one of
> politeness - the plural was considered more respectful.
> -- 
> 	(Pat Shanahan)
I suspect that the "grass roots" aspect of the singular 'they' movemment comes
from confusion over whether expressions like 'each other', 'someone', etc,
as in "if someone wants to do something then they should be allowed to do so,"
are singular or plural. I don't think such expressions result from specific
attempts at gender neutrality in the general vernacular.
They are simply bad grammar. For people, like usenetters, who should know better,
to compound the error by embracing it as a "solution" to the deep and serious
problem of sexism in society is, in my opinion, far worse. What I oppose
here is not just the continued emasculation of the language, but the
notion that the singular 'they' will *by itself* have the slightest effect over
people's attitudes.

After all, should blacks and asians consider racist expressions like "he harbors
dark thoughts" or "she is yellow with jealousy (or cowardice)"? Should
there be a movement to ban these expressions from the language or
replace them with something suitably color- and meaning-less? Would
such a movement, even if successful, have the slightest effect on
racist attitudes?

Marcel Simon

"Ce qui se concoit bien s'enonce clairement
Et les mots pour le dire arrivent aisement"
Boileau