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Path: utzoo!laura
From: laura@utzoo.UUCP (Laura Creighton)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: more on semantics
Message-ID: <5382@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 31-Mar-85 04:25:03 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5382
Posted: Sun Mar 31 04:25:03 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 31-Mar-85 04:25:03 EST
References: <1333@decwrl.UUCP>, <2369@randvax.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 25

Look, regardless of whether or not the word ``girl'' is offensive, I am
sure that we can agree that calling someone who uses the word ``girl'' the
slime of the earth, racist, sexist and bigotted is going to be real offensive
to them. If the purpose of not using the word ``girl'' is to avoid offending
women it seems very inconsistent to blast the hell out of the ``girl'' users.
Unless, of coruse, your position is that they can take it, while ``women''
can't... but I rather doubt this. 

How about some new rules. If you are offended by what somebody calls you,
tell them. Politely. ie don't flame them into a cinder, it will only get them
angry and defensive. Then you can work it out from there. If you want to
do ``he's sexist/she's neurotic'' wars, you can. If you want to avoid people
who care about what they are called, you can. If you want to avoid people
who won't address you as you like, you can. If you want to ignore the whole
issue, you can do that as well.

Personally, I worry about people whose self-esteem has reached such a low
that they are seriously inconvenienced by the form of address that a 
stranger uses with them. How can you be demeaned by anybody's form of
address unless you place altogether too much value on their opinion?
I suppose I should not be surprised. Insecurity and lack of self-esteem
are tops on my list of world problems...

Laura Creighton
utzoo!laura